31/03/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

Is the government's new simplified benefit system leaving

some people at risk of "destitution and homelessness?"

Children's Services in Sunderland, labelled inadequate two years ago,

now a new company is launched to take on the job.

They do it in Finland, but there's condemnation of plans

for a booze cruise like this down the River Tyne.

The Settle to Carlisle railway line re-opens with a special appearance

In sport, no one wants to be an April fool

as we approach the business end of the football season.

And why the sky's the limit for this trampolining teenager.

It's the government's big idea to simplify the benefits system.

The scheme, known as "universal credit," brings together a range

Newcastle is the first area in the north-east,

and one of the first in the country, where it's been rolled out, in full.

But there are claims it's leaving some people at risk of becoming

Our political reporter, Fergus Hewison, has

Neighbours Tracey and Hayley both share a worry - universal credit.

Tracey claimed the new benefit after leaving a job last year,

but waiting for a first payment took months, and continuing

problems with her claim have left her facing financial hardship.

I can't give them money back, because I've got

It's so degrading, especially when you've worked all your life

and this is the way that they treat you.

And Hayley has been told she'll have to move from her current benefit

If I have to go on this, I could end up being homeless.

In a strongly worded submission to an ongoing Work

and Pensions Select Committee enquiry, Newcastle City Council has

said that universal credit risks putting some vulnerable residents

at risk of destitution and homelessness.

The submission also condemned the waiting period for making

a claim to receiving payments, which is usually around six

weeks but often more, as a fundamental problem.

The council adds that its housing provider, Your Homes Newcastle,

has found that of tenants claiming universal credit, 85%

It's been an absolute disaster in Newcastle and they cannot

possibly go ahead and roll it out across the rest of the country,

knowing that these fundamental flaws in the system exist.

But the government says universal credit helps people move into work

faster and stay in work longer than the old system.

It will make the system far more simple.

They don't understand what benefits they are entitled to.

It will also encourage people back to work.

Newcastle is one of the first areas where universal credit has

been fully introduced, but it will roll out over the coming

months and years across other parts of the region and the country.

And there's more on that story on Sunday Politics,

this Sunday morning here on BBC One at 11 o'clock.

Almost two years ago, Ofsted inspectors said

Children's Services in Sunderland were "inadequate" and that

youngsters were being put at risk as a result.

Today, a newly-formed company was launched

by the City Council to take on that department's services.

It's called Together for Children, and it's been created

under the direction of the Government-appointed

The council says it's already seen some improvements,

It was all smiles today as Sunderland launched the company

tasked with sorting out the city's children's services.

However it falls against of backdrop of serious failings.

Since 2008 more than ten serious case reviews have been

carried out in the city, something that only happens

Because of this, the government sent in a children's commissioner

They will be able to look at the needs of this community and be a bit

more fleet of foot and able to change things. It's something that

is a public sector ethos with private sector disciplines grounded

in democratic accountability. The council still permission this

service but because of the private sector discipline, it's about doing

things that you can do quickly and doing things that can be done in a

different manner. At the end of the day there may not have been let's

not create hassles but this company is focused on doing the best for

children in the city and I am pleased they are here and they will

be doing that. The company's official launch

is today but some of the new staff have been working here for the past

year and that the council says has The average case load per social

worker was down to 19 in January this year compared to up

to 40 in 2015. And more than 90% of child

protection visits are completed Compared to just over half

being completed in 28 days in 2015. But not everyone agrees

it's a good idea. Most independent people in the field

are extremely concerned by the government's rushed to privatise

Children's Services, a bit like the police Children's Services have

enormous legal powers and most people will be very concerned about

seeing private companies, being given the right to remove peoples

children in extreme cases. The commissioner says it's not

a blueprint for all local authorities to follow in the future

but the council says it was the drastic step

it needed to take. Outline planning permission has been

granted for a ?30 million indoor It's claimed it'll

create around 350 jobs. Based on the Middlehaven site,

close to the Riverside Stadium, it'll have a 170 metre ski slope,

as well as shops, climbing walls Building work is expected

to start early next year, and it's hoped the centre will open

by the summer of 2019. It's a ?30 million

private investment. You've got 2.5 million footfall,

so 2.5 million people expected to visit this every year,

and we've got a massive catchment area, and, obviously,

the feedback we've had from the public, people just

want this delivering. It's been part of daily life

for many people in the region It has its fair share

of fans, and critics. And from tomorrow, the Tyne

and Wear Metro will be Seven years ago, Nexus,

who ran it on behalf of the seven local councils,

handed over the rail system But after long-running

complaints about the quality of the service, Nexus chose not

to renew the contract. There has been a lot of anger

in recent years about the Metro. None of us likes taking

a replacement bus service. People's responses about the Metro

seem to vary on when they travel. It's all right, but sometimes I get

stuck at weekends for transport. I'm glad it's changed

hands, or changing hands. Every year since 2010, payments have

been withheld from DB Regio They've not been doing

interviews about their The boss at Nexus says the service

was improving under DB Regio. Although it has undoubtedly had

moments of difficulty, generally the contract

has gone well. Every day around 450 trains

operate on the system, Day in, day out,

the system performs. Janet has been a Metro

driver for six years. She had a nasty situation to deal

with soon after starting. I'd only been driving

for about a month when I had some line breakers seize on,

and it caused a fire. I had passengers pulling emergency

handles and jumping out on track, Campaigners are calling

for ?500 million to be invested in new trains and Nexus says that's

essential to the future Janet the driver wasn't driving when

she was giving that interview which is why she had her back to the

train. Anyway... It's claimed emergency care

in Northumberland would have "imploded" last winter

without Cramlington's specialist emergency hospital,

which was criticised last year for long queues and delays

in Accident and Emergency. As Chris Jackson reports

in tonight's Inside Out, the Chief Executive David Evans says

the hospital is coping Cramlington specialist

emergency care hospital. 38-year-old Elizabeth

Clark has had a stroke. I think she had a couple of strokes

in January, we're just trying Inside Out reported claims last

year that the hospitals sometimes couldn't cope,

claims denied by the chief executive, but he did

acknowledge problems. We have an issue at the moment

with the way in which people are accepted into that system,

and we've got a lot of pieces An NHS review in November praised

the hospital but said it was slow discharging patients and had

problems dealing We have largely reduced the number

of queues to a few peak times. Put the numbers we've

dealt with this winter through our old system,

the system what have imploded. It's only because we made the change

and introduced the Northumbria to our system that we've managed

in the way we have this winter are. Elizabeth is given thrombolysis,

a clotbusting drug. The thrombolysis dissolves that clot

away and allows the blood flow to get re-established,

and, hopefully, salvage some of the area of brain that

would otherwise be damaged. Elizabeth was seen quickly

but today isn't busy. This isn't at all usual

what we've had all winter, it's coming into a queue of 20,

25, 30 people waiting to be seen. Last year, the ambulance service

told Inside Out there was a problem I think it's getting better so I'd

say I'd rate it around seven. But the NHS review in November said

some ambulance crews were taking too Our decision-making at the scene,

because of lack of paramedics From April, we will have

full establishment. Therefore, we would expect

to see an improvement. She was already recovering

from earlier strokes. Just in the middle of it all, it's

too hard to learn to walk again. I recognise the word

but don't know what it is. More than 95% of patients were seen

today within the four hour target. As demand rises, the acid test

will be next winter. And you can see Inside Out,

not in its usual Monday slot, Still to come on

Friday's Look North. The weekend's sports

news with Dawn Thewlis. Flying Scotsman marks

the re-opening of the King true to form April -- April is

looking true to form with some showers on the way.

It was, on the face of it, an eccentric plan to stage a booze

cruise on the River Tyne, similar to this event in Finland.

And it was quickly condemned by police and others

The idea was a flotilla of rubber dinghies, containing 3,000 people,

would sail from Newburn to the bridges on the Quayside

in July, with the occupants enjoying a few drinks on the way.

But tonight it looks like it's been scuppered,

as it appears no proper permission has been sought, and it

To be fair, it looks good. This is what they do in fenland.

Over there, they call it a "beer floating."

It's not going to happen. There's the river conditions and then

there's the drink. Water and alcohol don't mix, for a start. These people

are going to go into this unprepared, they are in dinghies

which can be affected by the wind, the River Tyne has dangerous

currents. The idea came from Ciaran Chapman, unavailable for comment

today, saying he's away with the circus but earlier this week he said

the drinking element would have been controlled. People will be searched

before they go onto the river to make sure they are not drinking five

litres of vodka, because that's just ridiculous. It is about having fun

but it is more of a social drink, not a night out on the town. Even if

those on board are not completely mortal, it still can't happen

because under bylaw 96 at the Port of Tyne you'd have to get written

permission from the harbour master and submit a proper plan. The portal

us today no such permission has been sought. In other words, the whole

thing's dead in the water. And events needs planning and it needs

to be safe, and unless the organisers can show they have a safe

event, it shouldn't happen. That would seem to be that but there's

one thing you can do, though. You can go to Finland.

And Peter Harris joins us from Newburn, it looks

worth a trip to Finland, Peter, but there were good

reasons to question its suitability on the Tyne?

Completely ridiculous, really. This is where it was meant to start,

somewhere here. If you look at those pictures in Finland, they have been

corralled into a tight area but this is open river and you can imagine

all those rubber dinghies drifting around here. As for the organising,

they are apparently considering another location. Northumbria Police

tell us they are planning to have a sit down with him but I think you

can be sure we won't see those scenes anywhere near here any time

soon. OK, thanks very much. Trains are once more running

the full 73-mile length of the Settle to Carlisle railway

line, from North Services have been disrupted

since February 2016 The first train left Carlisle early

this morning but a rather more famous engine marked

the official opening. Our business correspondent

Ian Reeve reports. Flying Scotsman, perhaps the world's

most famous locomotive. Today bringing majesty

and presents to the reopening For line users Frank and Elaine,

not on the Scotsman train but on a regular service this

morning, after 14 months of disruption and bus

replacements, they're just happy to have their rather more

modest service pack. Yes, I mean, I think it serves

the local people better now, and people never seem

to go on buses. It's getting back to

normal, it's everything. It's been a long time

coming as well, and it's According to Richard,

the landslip has done more damage Well, I work or three days

a month in the friends of the Settle-Carlisle shop

at Settle station, and we've certainly found that the takings

have been down about 50% compared Putting an end to that has been

a feat of engineering. 14 months of work, and a claim that

it's been the most challenging It's an inaccessible site,

500,000 tonnes of soil and rock were moving down the hillside,

you take the railway away, effectively build some piles right

down into the bedrock, put in a new concrete platform

and put the line back. The Settle-Carlisle line

is open for business. It's such an important freight

artery, so important for the local community,

I'm just delighted it's open. So, for such an important day,

an important part of railway history, Flying Scotsman pulling

into Carlisle, reinforcing the message that the Settle-Carlisle

line is now open. That is on my bucket list, you know.

And any old strain. I'll get there eventually, it's not that far away!

Premier League strugglers Sunderland and Middlesbrough

will hope their players back from international duty with England

can help inspire the away wins both clubs need

Jermain Defoe's Black Cats are at Watford tomorrow,

while Ben Gibson's Boro face the proverbial six-pointer

Promoted to head coach after Aitor Karanka's departure,

Steve Agnew's had to wait a fortnight for his 2nd

Now at his side is the ex-Boro, Newcastle, Leeds, Spurs

and Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate.

Back at his hometown club, this time as first team coach.

He has fitted in very, very quickly. He knows the club and players. And

his involvement with the group yesterday was from my point of view

was very pleasing and refreshing to see.

Woodgate's been on the training ground with another home-grown

defender, Ben Gibson, just back from his first call-up

to the England squad and determined to keep Boro in the top flight.

Playing for your hometown club's a real roller-coaster. The upside

higher than your average games. The lows are lower. You can't get away

with it. At the end of the season we need to know that it is a positive.

Sunday's opponents Swansea were the last team beaten

We scored three goals that day, but it is a Swansea team that they have

changed the coach, and he is a very good coach. He will have them well

organised and they have some creative players.

Despite their predicament, bottom club Sunderland's manager

David Moyes expects to become the first Black Cats boss to start

and finish the same season since Steve Bruce in 2011.

He admits, though, that tomorrow at Watford is crunch-time.

This is it now, isn't it? We are into April and in May, that will be

important for us. If we can win some games in April, that's good, it'll

give us a chance. It has been done here before and we will have to do

it again. As for his top scorer,

Jermain Defoe, what about speculation that he can leave

Wearside if the club get relegated? We are not down and we are not

planning to go down we are planning to stay up. If we don't stay up, we

will answer those questions later. It's top versus second bottom

in the Championship tomorrow when promotion chasing

Newcastle United take on relegation threatened

Wigan Athletic at St James Park. Rafa Benitez says the Magpies

are treating the last eight Newcastle top the table by just

a point and will be expected to beat the Latics who're seven

points from safety. But while Newcastle have struggled

against some of the bottom clubs this season the boss says he isn't

worried about his players not We were feeling this

pressure from day one, every single team playing

against Newcastle United was giving Now I think the other

teams, they realise how important their position is,

and they will see every time they drop points could be a problem

so they will start feeling the pressure that we have been

already feeling the whole season. In League Two, meanwhile,

it's crunch-time at both Can play-off chasing Carlisle

end their slump at Yeovil? Commentary with James

Phillips on Radio Cumbria. And Ivan Ash will have

all the action on BBC Tees DAB from fourth bottom Hartlepool

against third placed Portsmouth. Congratulations to Lucy Bronze. This

header was enough to give Man City women a 2-0 victory, so now they

become the first English team to reach the Champions League semifinal

since 2014. It's 50 days to go until rugby

league's showpiece event Magic Weekend which will be held

at Newcastle's St James' Park This afternoon players and coaches

from Newcastle Thunder hosted a training session for youngsters

at Kingston Park to promote the event which sees all 12

Superlegue teams play over Thunder will help get

the proceedings under way on the Friday when they play local

rivals York City Knights. Playing York on Friday

in the lead-up to Magic, it's usually our biggest game

of the year, with the biggest crowd, and it's just a great event,

and it really kicks off that It's helped us a lot

within the community. Schools are more open to us coming

in now because the Magic weekend's given the sport,

as a whole, a lot more recognition. It's opened a lot of doors to us,

which, off the back of that, has enabled us to get more kids

playing the game, which has been Teenager Jack Taylor,

he's the latest success story to emerge from

the Apollo Trampoline The 16-year-old from

Queen Elizabeth High in Hexham has just become

U19 British School's Champion The Apollo club is no stranger to

success, producing a number of youth and full internationals over the

years and 16-year-old Jack Taylor is the latest to hit the headlines,

winning the national schools Under 19 championship at the age of 16.

And the teenager admits he got into the sport almost by accident. My mum

said I had too much energy as a kid and she took me down to the leisure

centre. When they couldn't teach are many more at the centre, he was

taken on by British gymnastics coach Mike Johnson -- Mike Johnson, and he

hasn't looked back. Were talking about the Olympics one day. The way

he's training, I can't see any reason why it wouldn't happen,

providing it goes the way it has been so we are hopeful on that one.

You have to be fearless in this sport and Jack is certainly that but

it comes at a cost. Earlier last year, I was in a competition, I was

just warming up, and my back just gave way. We went to the hospital to

get an X-ray and I broke a joint in my back. But Jack has quite

literally bounced back and makes his achievement this season even more

impressive. He isn't the only success story. Caitlin Turnbull is

under 11 national champion while Georgia Green is autistic disability

Champion. And with Olympian Kat Driscoll also training at the club,

you wouldn't bet against the club producing a few more Olympians

sooner. He was so laid back. Time for the weather now.

Is it April showers? Yes, true to form, we have some showers in the

forecast. This is a nice scene in Cumbria captured by our weather

watcher. On the weekend, a few showers around but some sunny spells

as well especially on Sunday and throughout the weekend it'll

continue to be fairly mild. Let's set the scene first of all. This

pressure chart shows you there's all low pressure on Saturday, but this

high as building in from the south squeezing the showers away. Things

become dry and bright and fairly settled. Some showers around through

the night in Cumbria but not many of them making their way across the

Pennines. It'll be a cloudy night and the showers we do have are

fairly light. So, Saturday is that story of sunny spells and scattered

showers. The showers heaviest across Cumbria. We could have some hail and

thunder as the day wears on but in between the showers there will be

some good spells of sunshine. By around 4pm, the temperatures across

Cumbria are around 10-12, a little bit cooler than they have been but

still fairly decent in the sunshine. The showers continuing here and

there, in between the showers where you get the sunshine, it'll feel

pleasant. Heading through Saturday night and into Sunday, that is when

the high pressure build in. The showers get squeezed away, there

will be clear spells to be had as well. Under the clear skies, we

could see some mist and fog. Temperatures down to 6-7 but in some

sheltered spots, we could see a touch of frost to take us into

Sunday morning. Sunday is looking like the better day of the weekend,

if you like dry and bright weather. Good spells of sunshine, not too

much cloud, just some isolated showers, and the temperatures

getting up to around 11-12, possibly 13. Again, with just a light breeze,

it'll feel pleasant. Heading into next week, things stays settled with

Monday is another day where high-pressure dominates with a fair

amount of cloud at temperatures in the all low to mid teens. She's day,

a little bit of rain for a time in the morning. Summing up, over the

weekend and into the start of next week, a decent one for Cumbria with

a few showers around on Saturday, some of those fairly heavy. Similar

picture in the North East, best day is Sunday.

Thank you, nice to see you in the studio, not just on a little box on

the wall. Thank you, and see you on Monday. Goodbye.