After 30 years of protecting vulnerable children from abuse, a police detective is preparing to leave the station for one last time, and with no regrets. Detective Inspector Denise Clarke is leaving Northumbria Police after a successful career protecting vulnerable children across the force area.Every day, her focus was on making a difference and changing lives for the better - and now Denise has spoken of the "rollercoaster" she has experienced during her years at the police.The DI began her first shift on the beat at Gillbridge Police Station, Sunderland, before joining CID four-and-a-half years later as part of a large-scale child abuse operation.She realised through the gruelling work that protecting people was her passion, and by 2005 Denise had risen through the ranks to become a Detective Inspector and was leading the Protecting Vulnerable People Team in South Tyneside.In 2016, she helped launch a major investigation into historic child abuse within the footballing community - … [Read more...] about Senior detective who started career in Sunderland retires after 30 years of protecting vulnerable children
Children
Ministry of Justice must do more to protect women and children: MP Napat
President of the Leaders Party of Vanuatu and Tanna Island Member of Parliament, Jotham Napat has called for a parliamentary inquiry into sentencing laws in Vanuatu after a man was sentenced to community work for the long term systematic abuse of his granddaughter.“The community has been shocked and disgusted at such minor punishments for such major heinous crimes,” the MP said.“We need to look very closely at our judicial system and ensure the courts are reflecting the values and expectations of a modern Vanuatu. We do not live in the stone ages and our judges must act accordingly.”Napat said the Ministry of Justice must do more to protect women and children in particular.“This most recent case is not the only one where we have been left disgusted with our court system. The Leaders Party is calling on the government to urgently review sentencing and seek expert advice on how to protect our citizens. The government cannot continue to turn a blind eye to … [Read more...] about Ministry of Justice must do more to protect women and children: MP Napat
Children are struggling to find role models they can look up, study claims
A study of more than 1,000 children aged 10 to 16 has found more than 25 per cent of them did not have a role model to look up to. Rather than turning to teachers and parents for advice on careers, school work or fitting in, researchers found nearly half of the children polled turned to YouTube instead. Similarly, 37 per cent revealed their first point of call for careers advice was a celebrity, who they tried to contact directly in a bid for help. Join Indpendent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads – for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Start your free trial The research was commissioned by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). It warned … [Read more...] about Children are struggling to find role models they can look up, study claims
Two British children among 28 injured in Lisbon tram crash
Two British children have reportedly been pulled from a horror tram crash in Lisbon this evening. Portuguese media reports that 28 people have been injured following the tram derailment in the Lapa area. A witness at the scene claimed the tram failed to stop and derailed, following a "failed braking attempt", crashing into a corner of a building at the intersection between Garcia de Orta Street and Rua de São Domingos de Lapa. The witness said he heard "a bang" and "people screaming". It's thought a number of passengers were trapped inside the vehicle, while several were wounded and attended to by emergency services. Several people were seen being taken away on stretchers with visible wounds, Publico reports. According to local media, Tiago Lopes, of the Regiment of Firefighters said none of the passengers suffered serious injuries. It's claimed the British children were pulled from the wreckage by a passerby. The incident happened at around 6pm local time. … [Read more...] about Two British children among 28 injured in Lisbon tram crash
Fears staff shortage could impact children in need of mental health services
A shortage of specialist staff could hinder further improvements for children and young people in Northumberland accessing mental health services. As reported at Northumberland County Council's health and wellbeing board last month, action has been taken to ensure that waiting times for mental health treatment for young people have dropped significantly. A plan was drawn up following a rise late last year and it has seen an improvement in overall performance, with the longest wait for treatment reducing from more than 30 weeks to 12 weeks. The specialist children and young people's mental-health community service (CYPS) in the county is provided by Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW). Presenting a more detailed update to the board on Thursday, Suzanne Barton, of NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "NTW has implemented a number of changes since the end of last year and I have to say that is really starting to bear some fruit. "The service has also … [Read more...] about Fears staff shortage could impact children in need of mental health services