Latest news with #safeguarding
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Criminals to face jail over forcing children to conceal drugs under new offence
Gang leaders who force vulnerable people to hide drugs and cash in their bodies could face up to 10 years in prison under a change in the law. Ministers are seeking to create the new criminal offence to crack down on the action known as 'plugging' typically used by organised criminals to move goods from one place to another in county lines drug running. Children and vulnerable adults are forced to ingest or conceal the items in their bodies, which can cause significant harm and can be fatal if drug packages break open inside them, leading to an overdose. The move will be included as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said: 'There is something truly evil about the gang leaders who degrade young girls, young boys and vulnerable adults in this way, forcing them to put their lives at risk. 'This new offence will go alongside other measures in our landmark Crime and Policing Bill to turn the tables on the gang leaders and hold them to account for exploiting children and vulnerable adults.' It comes as the Government committed to investing £42 million into a programme to tackle county lines gangs and support victims of the drugs trade. Since July 2024, more than 800 violent criminals involved in county lines have been charged through the programme's enforcement action and 1,200 drug lines have been closed, according to the Home Office. More than 2,100 safeguarding referrals for children and vulnerable people have also been made, it added. Jack O'Neill, of The Children's Society, said: 'Children forced to carry drugs in this way are subject to a form of abuse and exploitation that causes deep, long-lasting harm, and the law must reflect that. 'A clear legal definition of child criminal exploitation would help stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks and shift the focus onto the predators who profit from their abuse.'
BBC News
20 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Bangor: Calls for safeguarding inquiry into cathedral
Two priests from a north Wales cathedral have called for an independent inquiry after two critical reports highlighted safeguarding concerns and misbehaviour reports highlighted complaints about a "culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred" at Bangor Cathedral, along with inappropriate language being used and alcohol consumed Dr John Prysor-Jones and the Very Rev Professor Gordon McPhate, from Bangor Cathedral, said the reports were "unsatisfactory" and with conclusions "based on impressions" rather than facts.A Church in Wales spokesperson said: "The matters raised in this correspondence will be carefully considered". Dr Prysor-Jones and Prof McPhate have written to Church in Wales bishops to complain that the summaries of the two reports published in May were "unsatisfactory".They said these summaries were "limited by narrow terms of reference... and did not make findings of fact, instead reaching conclusions based on impressions".The full reports have not been Prysor-Jones and Prof McPhate, who do preaching and pastoral work at the cathedral, have called for a formal inquiry into the diocese of Bangor and its cathedral since said the inquiry should be "assisted by advisers in organisational management, canon law, civil law, and criminal law".The Church in Wales has acknowledged safeguarding weaknesses, management practices lacking in rigour and transparency, and misconduct relating to alcohol use and sexual behaviour at Bangor calls for his resignation were made, the Most Rev Andrew John, who is both Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, offered his "most heartfelt apology to any members of the cathedral community who have been hurt or who feel I have let them down".The Church in Wales said it had created an implementation group to ensure the issues are addressed. BBC-produced Newyddion S4C has been sent other letters by Church in Wales members outlining concerns about the situation at Bangor diocese and Cathedral, with one describing the situation in the Cathedral as "desperate" and another as "terrible".One member of the Bangor Cathedral congregation has called for the Archbishop of Wales to have his position as lead bishop for safeguarding revoked immediately due to the safeguarding failures acknowledged by the S4C requested an interview with the Archbishop of Wales to discuss the contents of, and reaction to the letters. A Church in Wales spokesperson said they were not conducting a short statement, they said: "We can confirm that letters have been received by the Bishops of the other dioceses of the Church in Wales regarding the Diocese of Bangor and its cathedral and that the matters raised in this correspondence will be carefully considered."
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Solihull Council's children's services show improvement
Children in Solihull are receiving better and more timely support from social workers, an Ofsted visit has Council's children's services came under scrutiny after the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in 2020. An Ofsted inspection in 2022 deemed the service inadequate with widespread local authority has since improved in areas such as managing safeguarding referrals and staff workloads an Ofsted inspector said after the latest monitoring council has had six monitoring visits since its inadequate rating, with a visit last year concluding that services for young people who had been in care had also improved. Ofsted's letter to the council setting out its findings was published on Monday, following a visit that took place on 29 and 30 April. Rebecca Quested, one of the inspectors, said there had been considerable progress with managing referrals to the service's safeguarding hub since the 2022 also said new arrangements, such as specialised workers based at family hubs and a recently-launched helpline, were helping some families receive early leadership and lower workloads for social workers had boosted the service since 2022, so the response to children who need help and support was now timely and the council's support for young carers was one area that could still be improved, as assessments of such children often did not include information from other leaders had acknowledged a need for more co-ordination in this area and had a plan in place.A commissioner was appointed in 2022 to help the council step-mother was found guilty of murder and his father was found guilty of manslaughter in Council has been contacted for comment. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Dive-bombing buzzard terrorises primary school
A dive-bombing buzzard has forced a primary school to ban pupils from going outside during breaktime following a spate of attacks. Children at Dame Tipping Primary School in Havering-atte-Bower, north-east London, have had to stay inside since Easter for fear of the bird of prey. The bird has been terrorising villagers for months, but because buzzards are a protected species, the school says there is 'nothing which can be done' beyond the outdoor ban. The case strikes a startling resemblance to another bird of prey, a Harris Hawk nicknamed 'Bomber Harris' that attacked more than 50 people in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, in March. Bomber Harris was eventually caught and later adopted by Wayne Housden, a falconer. Stella McCarthy, the headteacher of the school, said the 'difficult decision' to ban outdoor play was made after the buzzard became 'highly present' in the playground. She said: 'As a school, safeguarding and protecting children is of paramount importance.' 'Dead shocked' The school rule comes after several incidents in the Greater London village, located north of Romford, with one woman claiming she was 'dive-bombed' by the buzzard while walking in the park in March. Nikki Dix, 37, said she was 'dead shocked' when the bird attacked her from behind and left scratches on her head. She said: 'I was scared, I was taken aback by it. He was giving me an evil eye so then I carried on my journey for quite a while just swinging my bag above my head because I was just like, 'hopefully this will deter him from coming to get me, because if he does try again to get me maybe he won't be so nice'. 'Nothing like that normally gets me so I'm a little bit on high alert at the moment, that's why I've stayed away from that area as well.' The school has decided to use the situation as a learning experience for pupils, who have created posters promoting the protection of birds – and have even named the buzzard 'Brenda'. Louise Whittle, a parents of one of the school's pupils, also narrowly missed being injured by the buzzard. She said Dame Tipping has handled the issue 'brilliantly'. Footage shows the moment the buzzard flies down from the roof of a nearby house, appearing to aim for the mother's head. Ms Whittle said: 'It's absolutely bonkers that there is a buzzard attacking people. But the school have been absolutely fantastic in prioritising the children's safety and finding other alternatives for getting out. 'If anything, it's been a great learning experience for the children – they have learnt all about buzzards that they otherwise wouldn't have done.' However, Ms Whittle added that she is still concerned that 'the birds are being prioritised over the children' and said she is 'hopeful that they fly away so everyone can get back to normal'. Ms McCarthy said: 'Luckily, as part of LIFE Education Trust, we have had excellent support enabling us to use the trust minibus to regularly visit The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls where our children have engaged in outdoor learning activities, PE lessons and visited the school's farm. 'We have also introduced additional indoor breaks with lots of engaging activities including traditional boardgames, cup stacking competitions and puzzles.' Dame Tipping has been liaising with Havering council and various bird organisations to find solutions to the issue. The council said its health and safety team has provided the school's trust with 'detailed advice' on legal deterrents and hiring a falconry expert. A Havering council spokesman said: 'The RSPCA has advised that the buzzard may be protecting its nest or chicks, which lines up with the information we have received. ' Buzzards are protected under UK law, therefore our intervention options are very limited, and we have advised that warning signs would be the easiest solution at this time. 'We completely understand how difficult and worrying this situation is for the school and local residents and we regret that there is not a quick or straightforward solution.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Dive-bombing buzzard's reign of terror forces primary school children inside at break times
A divebombing buzzard has been terrorising villagers for months and has even caused a primary school to ban pupils from going outside during break time. Children at Dame Tipping Primary School in Havering-atte-Bower have been forced to stay inside since Easter through fear of injury by the bird of prey, believed to be part of a mating pair. But, as buzzards are protected, the school says 'nothing which can be done' beyond the outdoor ban. Headteacher Stella McCarthy said the 'difficult decision' was made after the birds became 'highly present' in the playground. She said: 'As a school, safeguarding and protecting children is of paramount importance.' The school rule comes after several incidents in the Greater London village, located to the north of Romford - with one woman claiming she was 'dive-bombed' by the buzzard while walking in the park in March. Nikki Dix, 37, said she was 'dead shocked' when the bird attacked her from behind and left scratches on her head. She said: 'I was scared, I was taken back by it. 'He was giving me an evil eye so then I carried on my journey for quite a while just swinging my bag above my head because I was just like 'hopefully this will deter him from coming to get me, because if he does try again to get me maybe he won't be so nice'. 'Nothing like that normally gets me so I'm a little bit on high alert at the moment, that's why I've stayed away from that area as well.' The school has decided to use the situation as a learning experience for pupils, who have created posters promoting the protection of birds - and have even named the buzzard 'Brenda'. One parent, Louise Whittle, who herself narrowly missed being injured by the buzzard, said the school has handled the issue 'brilliantly'. Footage shows the moment a buzzard flies down from the roof of a nearby house, appearing to aim for the mum's head. She said: 'It's absolutely bonkers that there is a buzzard attacking people. 'But the school have been absolutely fantastic in prioritising the children's safety and finding other alternatives for getting out. 'If anything, it's been a great learning experience for the children - they have learnt all about buzzards that they otherwise wouldn't have done.' However, Louise added that she is still concerned that 'the birds are being prioritised over the children' and said she is 'hopeful that they fly away so everyone can get back to normal'. Headteacher Ms McCarthy added: 'Luckily, as part of LIFE Education Trust, we have had excellent support enabling us to use the trust mini bus to regularly visit The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls where our children have engaged in outdoor learning activities, PE lessons and visited the school's farm. 'We have also introduced additional indoor breaks with lots of engaging activities including traditional board games, cup stacking competitions and puzzles.' The school has been liaising with Havering Council and various bird organisations to find solutions to the issue. The council said its health and safety team has provided the school's trust with 'detailed advice' on legal deterrents and the hiring of a falconry expert. A Havering Council spokesperson said: 'The RSPCA has advised that the buzzard may be protecting its nest or chicks, which lines up with the information we have received. 'Buzzards are protected under UK law, therefore our intervention options are very limited, and we have advised that warning signs would be the easiest solution at this time. 'We completely understand how difficult and worrying this situation is for the school and local residents and we regret that there is not a quick or straightforward solution.'
