Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

Children in Sandwell Council’s care are left waiting years for new homes because of delays in vital decision-making, inspectors have warned., external

The failings have been highlighted in Ofsted’s latest monitoring report into Sandwell Children’s Trust, anagency set up 14 months agoafter the council’s service was labelled inadequate.

Delays are adding to the record number for youngsters being cared for in the borough.

In the last two years, the number of looked-after youngsters has risen by about 300 to an unprecedented 901 as of April this year.

Inspectors said delays in the past had led to some children not being brought into care, while others who could be discharged earlier remain in the system.

Frances Craven, Chief Executive, Sandwell Children’s Trust, said: “Our new dedicated court team are working to see if there are alternatives to care such as special guardianship.

"They are also speeding up the process of children exiting care who are either returning to their families if circumstances have changed or to a more permanent home."

Jacqui Smith, Chair of Sandwell’s Children’s Trust, said the inspection had also revealed "some real positives".

Worcester News

Here are three of the stories featured in the Worcester News today:

• Man discovers snail in McDonald's burger, external
• Mother's plea over respite unit closure, external
• Thieves stole cars and tools, external

The Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham has stirred up some controversy with a tweet last night suggesting he'd like to see the abolition of Telford and Wrekin Council.

But the idea hasn't gone down well with his fellow Conservatives on the local authority, or the two MPs for the town, Lucy Allan and Mark Pritchard.

Shropshire Council has also opposed talk of a merger in the past and it's possible that if the two authorities were to merge, the Conservatives would lose their majority in Shropshire.

Shawn Bennett has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for a string of sex offences.

The RAF Cosford air show is celebrating the 70th anniversary of Nato on Sunday and also the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.

It is the RAF's only air show and one of few to survive across the UK since new restrictions were introduced in the wake of the Shoreham disaster in 2015.

More than 50,000 people are expected and tickets are only being sold in advance.

The Red Arrows will once again be putting on a display along with an Apache helicopter display team and the RAF Falcons Parachute display team.

A Eurofighter Typhoon jet and the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight are also set to appear alongside dozens of other aircraft, external.

A weather warning for heavy rain and thunderstorms , externalhas been extended across much of the the West Midlands.

Image source, Met Office

Some flooding is likely with wet roads set to affect travel, said the Met Office.

The yellow warning is in place from 14:00 to 23:00.

Cheshire Police are asking for CCTV or dashcam footage after a man was been stabbed in the back in Crewe last weekend.

The force said the 40-year-old was attacked on Nantwich Road in the early hours of Saturday morning after getting into an argument with a man and woman, who he had asked not to sit on the pavement with their feet in the road.

Image source, Google

The victim, who is from Crewe, suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Long queues built up on the streets of Birmingham this morning as trainer fans looked to get their hands on a pair of limited edition Kanye West sneakers.

The devoted are hoping to pay £180 for a pair of Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2, trainers with the resale value even higher it seems.

Birmingham Live reported tempers were flared , externalamid accusations of queue-jumping and police were called.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

Plans to build 750 new homes in Wednesbury took a major step forward after senior councillors backed a joint plan by Sandwell Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Cabinet members have approved a scheme to buy a former sewage works near to Friar Park and Bescot to create the housing development.

Sandwell Council and the WMCA will now spend £3.4m purchasing the site from Severn Trent Water‘s subsidiary, Midland Land Portfolio Limited.

An additional £6m will be spent on remedial work as the site is known to contain sewage sludge up to seven metres deep with potential gas production and contamination from heavy metals.

The victory of Labour's Lisa Forbes in the Peterborough by-election shows "anti-Semitism is becoming normal in the party", said a Birmingham MP.

Ms Forbes caused controversy during the campaign when she liked a post on Twitter which said Theresa May had a "Zionist slave masters agenda".

Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips said Ms Forbes had "endorsed and ignored anti-Semitic things".

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Forbes said she had liked a video on Twitter and "hadn’t paid much attention to the text above it". Apologising, she said she condemned anti-Semitism "completely".

Ms Phillips said: "I'll take her explanation and apology at face value and look forward to her proving as others have that actions not excuses alone can heal."

Birmingham Live

Some of Birmingham Live's headlining stories this morning include:

• Man suffers 'potentially life-changing' injuries in major M6 crash, external
• Thousands sign petition to save Acorns children’s hospice in Walsall, external
• Huge queues in city centre as shoppers queue for new Kanye West trainers, external

Heavy rain could cause travel disruption this afternoon, with a yellow weather warning issued for parts of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

Drivers are being warned of difficult conditions, with some surface water flooding also expected.

Campaigners against equality lessons at a Birmingham primary will stage their first protest today since a court order banned demonstrations immediately outside the school.

Image source, PA

Protests have been going on outside Anderton Park Primary School in Birmingham for seven weeks.

Campaigners argue pupils are "too young" to understand LGBT relationships featured in some storybooks.

Last week, Birmingham City Council was granted a High Court Injunction banning protesters from gathering outside the school gates - saying it was needed to protect pupils and staff.

Parents and others who don't have children at the school, said they will demonstrate today in an area not covered by the exclusion zone.

A new home has been found for the medical practice in Shrewsbury town centre and it's expected to open in June next year.

The Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group says the existing Riverside GP practice, which cares for 10,000 registered patients, will move into a block of the new Tannery development on Barker Street, next to the student accommodation block.

Image source, Shropshire CCG

There are also plans for a pharmacy on the ground floor of the building.

About 100 head teachers from Staffordshire are meeting today to discuss their concerns over school funding.

Many have blamed rising costs, with the National Association of Head Teachers saying school budgets are at "breaking point".

One primary head from Stoke-on-Trent said she had had to ask parents to raise money to pay for a classroom.

Emily Proffitt, from Titensor First School said schools were "feeling the pinch, and it's getting harder and harder to forecast budgets for futures and give children what they deserve and what they need".

Last month, she revealed she had taken on jobs like tiling and fitting sinks in a bid to save money.

The Department for Education said: “Under the national funding formula, funding for schools in Staffordshire has increased by 3.8% per pupil, compared to 2017-18.

"This is above the national average of 3.2%, and is equivalent to an extra £27.7 million in total, when rising pupil numbers are taken into account."

Birmingham City's Lucy Staniforth says she's relishing the chance of being involved in the Women's World Cup.

Staniforth has been included in the England squad after a successful first season with Birmingham City Women.

The competition begins in France on Friday with nearly a million tickets sold for the tournament.

She said it was an "amazing achievement" to qualify for her first major tournament.

"I'm just going to savour every moment, and make the best of every opportunity," she added.

BBC Sport will have live coverage of every World Cup match across TV, radio, the Red Button and online from Friday 7th June.

Express and Star

Some of the early headlines on the Express and Star website today are:

• New Wolverhampton homeless centre given go-ahead, external
• Thousands join the fight to save Acorns Children's hospice, external
• Historic Wednesbury church reopens after major flooding, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

A fight to stop a Coventry pub from being turned into accommodation is being taken to a third planning committee.

Image source, Google

Applicant APSE Building Design Ltd has twice taken its plans to transform The Old Crown Inn pub on Windmill Road into a "house of multiple occupation" to a Coventry council meeting.

The first plan was rejected after pressure from residents, and a second decision deferred.

Now it is set to return to a third meeting on Thursday, 13 June, where officers have recommended it for approval, as they did twice before.

BBC News Travel

Signalling issues at Tyseley between Sandwell and Dudley are affecting rail services between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Tickets are being accepted on the Metro and local bus services.

BBC News Travel

There's currently six miles of queuing traffic on the M42 southbound near Tamworth.

An earlier crash involving three vehicles has closed one lane from J10 to J9.

It’s estimated that travel time through the area is about 30 minutes.