English councils warn of ‘catastrophic’ Send debts forecast to hit £10bn by 2028 13. October 2026 (01:01) Surge in EHCP applications poses risk to public finances and may lead to deteriorating levels of supportCouncils are warning of potentially “catastrophic” debts, which are forecast to reach a record £10bn over the next 18 months, as a result of rapid growth in demand for special educational needs and disability (Send) support in English schools.Although the government recently cleared more than £5bn in historic council Send debts, a surge in requests has led to authorities predicting they will have re-accrued that debt figure by April, and doubled it by 2028. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Queensland prison where children self-harm to get transferred ‘more suitable’ than police watch-houses: ombudsman 13. October 2026 (01:00) Inmate advocacy group attacks watchdog’s ‘gutless retreat’ on Wacol youth remand centreFollow our Australia politics live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland ombudsman has backed away from calls to close a youth prison so “unsuitable” for children that some are self-harming in an attempt to get transferred, amid concerns that the Crisafulli government’s hardline bail laws could create a new crowding crisis in police watch houses.The ombudsman, Anthony Reilly, published an inspection report last week that raised serious new concerns about the suitability of the Wacol youth remand centre to hold children for extended periods, including the fact that young people were being held in conditions where there is “a lack of space, privacy and natural light”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The Fix 13. October 2026 (00:41) Two former addicts run a church in Burnley trying to help people in crisis.(BBC News)
