Collision in Tunstall, Children’s Homes in Staffordshire
Written by Hitmix Local News on 16 February 2024
Staffordshire Police have arrested a man after a car collided with several vehicles in Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday afternoon. At Just before 2pm officers on patrol spotted a red Vauxhall Astra on Saraband Place, Tunstall. A short time later, when patrols tried to stop the car on Piccadilly Street it collided with two police vehicles. Two other vehicles were also struck by the Astra as it drove off towards Tower Square. Thankfully, no officers or members of the public were injured. Officers located the empty Astra on Summerbank Road. A 25-year-old man, from the Stoke-on-Trent area, was later arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and criminal damage, and enquiries are ongoing.
_____________________________________________________
More children in care will be able to stay in Staffordshire, if plans by the county council are given the go-ahead. A paper to Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet outlines plans to open six in-house local authority run children’s homes.
The authority endorsed an ambitious plan last year to help children who need care live in the right homes. As part of these plans the county council is looking to join a West Midlands-wide residential care and fostering care framework, so the authority can achieve better value for money and can access more providers and invest in its own homes.
If agreed, the opening of six new homes will mean more children can be placed in a home within Staffordshire helping the authority at a time when the number of children in care is rising nationally.
It also means children will be cared for in smaller local residential homes that meet their needs and would reduce the number of times a child must move.
County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People Mark Sutton said: “Providing a safe and nurturing environment for our most vulnerable children is a priority for us. Most local authorities are facing challenges in this area, which is why it is important we plan effectively to help meet their needs.