• Jue. Ene 22nd, 2026

Roadwork levels surge, partially blamed on Boris Johnson – UK News

The number of roadworks in Britain has more than doubled in the past two years – and frustrated drivers are more likely than ever to get stuck behind temporary traffic…

Giorgio Armani’s Will Directs Gradual Sale of Fashion Empire

Following a lifetime of rejecting potential business partners, the late Italian designer Giorgio Armani directed his family to gradually divest his extensive fashion empire. Armani, who passed away last week…

Scottish woodland campers defy court order to vacate | UK News

The leader of a self-styled African tribe living in a Scottish woodland has vowed his group will stay put despite a court order stating the encampment should be removed. A…

The Diamond Store seeks new investors for sparkle

Britain’s largest online diamond jewellery retailer is considering selling a stake in the company to external investors for the first time in its 69-year history. Sky News has learned that…

Labour caught in witch-hunt over Peter Mandelson’s appointment in Politics News

The question being asked everywhere today is "how did it happen"? Because the vibe out of Downing Street this morning seems to be that nobody anywhere did anything wrong, processes…

M&S tech chief leaves after cyber attack costs £300m

The Marks & Spencer (M&S) executive responsible for its technology function is leaving the retailer months after a devastating cyber attack which disrupted its systems at a cost of hundreds…

Prince Harry’s Surprise Visit to Ukraine for Military Recovery | UK News

Prince Harry has made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, a spokesperson for the royal has said. Harry, who served 10 years in the British Army, visited…

Economy slows further in July with zero growth, official figures reveal

The UK economy «continued to slow» and recorded zero growth in July, according to official figures showing a big drag from manufacturers. The data from the Office for National Statistics…

Children in care who are vulnerable are being failed by a dysfunctional system, according to a watchdog warning in the UK. The annual cost of children’s residential care has nearly doubled to £3.1bn since 2019, putting strain on local authority finances. The National Audit Office report focuses on evaluating the Department for Education’s response to the challenges faced by local authorities responsible for placing looked after children. The report concludes that the system is not delivering value for money, with insufficient government oversight and a lack of data exacerbating the issue. One in seven children in residential care have been moved home at least twice in a year, and almost 8,000 children in England are placed more than 20 miles away from their original family home. Regional disparities in supply impact the availability of places, with more homes in cheaper areas like the north west, while three in five children in the south west are placed far from home. The report emphasizes the need for children to be supported in the most appropriate setting for them to improve outcomes. Looked after children already face numerous challenges, with two in three having a history of abuse and neglect, and those leaving care being three times more likely to be not in education, training, or employment than their peers. To better oversee the sector, the Department for Education must improve information on supply, availability of places, and the specific needs of children. The distribution of homes that can support specific needs varies greatly, with fewer than 10% of homes in London able to support children with complex needs like autism and learning difficulties. Providers are responsible for staff recruitment and training to meet children’s needs, but the lack of suitable settings for children with complex needs leads to them being moved further from home. Pressure on funding has led to a decrease in foster placements and an increase in spending on looked after children, with spending on residential care contributing to over half of the increase. Local authorities have become more reliant on residential care, resulting in a «dysfunctional market» where they compete for places, driving up costs. The majority of residential providers are now in the private sector, accounting for 84% of the market. Despite an increase in the number of homes, the government lacks data on available places by provider. Barriers to opening new homes include staff shortages, high property prices, and difficulty securing planning permission. The average spend per child for a private residential placement has increased by 32% in real terms since 2019/20, with cases identified where costs are more than 10 times as high. A separate report by the Competition Markets Authority in 2022 found above expected profits in the sector. Children in care failed by ‘dysfunctional’ system, watchdog warns

The annual cost of children’s residential care has almost doubled to £3.1bn since 2019, putting pressure on local authority finances. The focus of the National Audit Office report is to…

MPs call for COVID-19-style financial aid for Jaguar Land Rover after cyberattack

The Committee for Business and Trade, a group of influential MPs, is advocating for COVID-19-style financial assistance for Jaguar Land Rover in the aftermath of a cyberattack. Following a series…