The number of missing children in the London Borough of Redbridge has more than doubled in the last two years, police have revealed. The Waltham Forest Guardian reports that in 2013/14 there were 1,219 children reported missing in the borough, compared to 518 reports in 2011/12.

Nicky Morgan has been appointed Secretary of State for Education as part of a surprisingly sweeping Cabinet reshuffle that has seen a number of children’s sector ministerial posts change hands.

The former Treasury minister takes over from Michael Gove, who is to become the government’s Chief Whip with responsibility for Conservative Party discipline in the run-up to the 2015 general election.

As well as running the Department for Education, Morgan will retain her women and equalities ministerial portfolio, which she took up in April.

Figures collated by the NSPCC following a Freedom of Information request to police forces in England and Wales show that in 2013/14, 4,209 children were accused of sexual offences compared to 3,868 in 2012/13. That represents an increase of 8.8 per cent. –

The Department for Education has published updated guidance for social workers who wish to bid for grants under the Children’s Social Care Innovation programme. The guidance also gives details about how to apply and the support available. The deadline for applications is 5pm Friday 8 August.

Tooth decay has become by far the biggest reason why primary school children are admitted to hospital, new research has found. According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which analyses data for NHS England, the number of admissions for dental problems among five- to nine-year-olds rose from 22,574 in 2010-11 to 25,812 in 2013-14. Dental leaders described the figures as shocking and said they were proof of the damage being done to children’s teeth by the overconsumption of sugary drinks and fruit juice, the Sunday Times reports.

Figures discovered by the Labour party show that Britain’s hospital emergency departments dealt with 102 alcohol-related admissions in children aged 11 and younger last year. In addition, the figures show that 7,892 under-18s ended up in casualty for alcohol-related issues in 2013, with 2,084 of those aged 15 or younger, reports the Express

Government accused of allowing ‘back door’ privatisation of child protection

Private companies will be able to deliver child protection services under controversial government plans via the “back door” by setting up separate subsidiaries, it has been claimed.

Just last week the government announced that only non-profit organisations will be allowed to deliver child protection services as part of efforts to give councils more freedom in the way they work with vulnerable children. But details of the proposed changes laid down in parliament reveal that profit-making companies will not be prevented from “setting up a separate non-profit making subsidiary to enable them to undertake such functions”.

Source: CYPnow

Four out of five head teachers in England are concerned about pupils in their schools suffering from anxiety disorders, a survey by school leaders’ network The Key has found. A poll of more than 1,131 heads found 64 per cent saw pupil depression as a concern, while 80 per cent of secondary school heads expressed concern about self-harming, the BBC reports.

Source: CYPNow