The Child Minder

Confirmation that almost half of Primary Care Trusts are on track to end the financial year in the red is extremely worrying for anyone in social services - and hardly surprising given that £1.6bn is being held back from PCT and other budgets in order to balance the books elsewhere in the NHS.

There is already plenty of evidence to suggest that such cash-strapped PCTs are shunting costs to local authorities, to the detriment of services and service users. Only last week, a survey carried out by Terrence Higgins Trust and professional associations, for example, revealed that money intended for sexual health has been diverted elsewhere by almost two-third of PCTs.

The NHS must find other ways to balance its books next year if there is to be any hope of achieving effective joint working between health and social services and of taking the preventive agenda forward around key issues such as sexual health, mental health, and substance misuse.

Failure to do so will only help keep the UK at the bottom of the pile in terms of children's wellbeing.

The prime minister is keen for Respect tsar Louise Casey to become new chair of the Youth Justice Board, according to a report in today's Guardian. Campaigners who feared the appointment of a "government patsy" following Rod Morgan's departure may be pondering on their prediction this morning.
Casey criticised the Youth Justice Board last year at a conference organised by the board.

Writing about the appalling case of the disabled girl tortured by her parents, novelist Lionel Shriver actually defends social workers. In yesterday's Independent, Shriver describes social work as "thankless, underpaid and perilous." Although you may not agree with everything she says, Shriver does at least bother to consider the complexities of child protection work. Another commentary on the case in the Sunday Times is less insightful, drawing spurious analogies with Victoria Climbie.

Q: Who places huge faith in care leavers and gives them unlimited opportunities to improve their lives? A: Jamie Oliver, as his current C4 series Jamie's Chef is showing yet again.

Four graduates from Oliver's chef training scheme for disadvantaged young people have been competing for the chance to run their own pub.

Dennis Duncanson got down to the last three - although he didn't win in the end. In and out of children's homes as a boy, he has spent time in prison but now looks to have a great future. He has worked in prestigious restaurants, including for Rick Stein in Cornwall, and flew to LA to cook for Brad Pitt's 40th birthday.

Who else is placing such huge faith in care leavers? Why does it take a television programme to do this? Why is the future for Dennis now so much brighter than for the vast majority of care leavers?

Recruitment scheme for Jamie Oliver's Fifteen

Only one per cent of young people affected by eating disorders feel they can talk to parents about their concerns, according to a new survey by Beat, the eating disorders association. 92 per cent couldn't tell anyone they had a problem, it found. This week is eating disorders awareness week and Beat launched a report Something's got to change including facts, figures and a manifesto to tackle the issue. Worth reading and a sensible addition to the often fatuous skinny models/size zero debate.