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26 Aug 15
Councils and other providers are being asked to come forward with “innovative and flexible” ideas on how they can deliver 30 hours of free childcare a week, which will take effect in September 2016.
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20 Aug 15
The crisis at Kids Company raises issues about what happens when charities deliver services that the state ought to be running
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17 Aug 15
The Charity Commission has confirmed its investigation into recently closed Kids Company is examining concerns about financial management and governance at the high-profile organisation.
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10 Aug 15
Three councils are to face a judicial review following concerns that the authorities are favouring in-house foster services over those from external providers.
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6 Aug 15
Local authorities will have to intervene to deal with young people who were supported by two charities that have collapsed in the last week.
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3 Aug 15
A team of specialist outreach workers are to be deployed to Rotherham to help those who have been sexually exploited rebuild their lives, communities secretary Greg Clark announced today.
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20 Jul 15
The auditor general for Wales has urged councils to strengthen their safeguarding arrangements for vulnerable children.
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15 Jul 15
Councils, health organisations and police forces are to face joint inspections of child protection services from four public sector watchdogs, it has been announced today.
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13 Jul 15
The development of poorer children in early years education remains behind those whose families are better off, despite overall improvements in quality, Ofsted has concluded.
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25 Jun 15
Councils should be given powers to intervene in cases where a child is being sexually groomed, the Local Government Association has said.
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22 Jun 15
Children and families minister Edward Timpson has made £4.5m available to help councils form regional adoption agencies as part of moves to ensure all authorities are collaborating in groups by...
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15 Jun 15
Councils are footing the bill for local child protection initiatives because the police, NHS and schools do not contribute a fair share of funding, the Local Government Association has claimed today.
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1 Jun 15
Prime Minister David Cameron is bringing forward plans to double free childcare offered to working parents from 15 hours to 30 hours per week and pledged to review funding for the scheme before the...
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6 May 15
A coalition of more than 50 charities, think-tanks and public finance experts has called for the next government to prioritise investment in early intervention programmes in a bid to unlock savings...
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22 Apr 15
A Conservative government would double the amount of free childcare available for three- and four-year-olds from 15 hours to 30, David Cameron announced.
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27 Mar 15
Day-to-day spending on schools has been ‘remarkably’ well protected under the coalition government, but regardless of who wins the next election cuts of 7% or more are possible, the...
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17 Mar 15
Ineffective inspections from Ofsted contributed to the failure to tackle child sexual exploitation in Rotherham and the watchdog may be offering false assurance to authorities across England that...
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11 Mar 15
The chair of the Public Accounts Committee has accused the Department for Education of ‘an alarming reluctance’ to work with local authorities to improve services for children in care.
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10 Mar 15
Many councils are struggling to protect vulnerable children amid funding pressures and increasing public scrutiny on social care services following failures in places such as Rotherham, an analysis...
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26 Feb 15
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has appointed Sir Derek Myers, former chief executive of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Kensington and Chelsea London boroughs, to lead the government’s...
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12 Feb 15
Public services spend almost £17bn a year on addressing the impact of a host of social problems affecting young people, a study by the Early Intervention Foundation has found.
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4 Feb 15
Commissioners are to be sent in to run all the executive functions of Rotherham Borough Council following a damning report into the authority’s governance.
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2 Feb 15
Over 3,300 ‘coasting’ schools could be taken over by academy chains or have their head teachers replaced if they do not improve, Prime Minister David Cameron announced today.
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22 Jan 15
Low-income families with children and the very well off are the two groups that have lost the most from the coalition government’s changes to tax and benefits for working-age people, the Institute...
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26 Nov 14
Auditors say the Department for Education is not able to hold local authorities to account for their spending on children in care because central government does not have indicators to measure the...