A new day centre for adults with learning disabilities is opening in Lincoln. Busy Days is being set up by Pat Andrewartha, 58, of Lincoln after her sister, who attended Ancaster Day Centre, in Boundary Street, Lincoln, lost her day care.

Ed Miliband is expected to announce he is launching a mental health taskforce today and call for more integration between health and social care.

The Winterbourne View scandal has shown the need for a new offence of “corporate wilful neglect” to prosecute care home-owners for allowing abuse to go on behind closed doors, the former care minister has said.

In the wake of the Jimmy Savile case and other ‘household names’ being investigated for alleged sexual abuse, the Education Secretary Michael Gove has said that he wants the brightest graduates to go into social services.

TWENTY-FIVE new social workers will be recruited by Worcestershire County Council as part of the biggest ever shake-up of children’s services.

MA student Charlene Legg explains how her previous experience working at the College of Social Work has helped her

BASW has hit out at Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith for proposed plans to cap child benefit at two children per family. The proposals have met with widespread criticism from charities and campaign groups, and it is believed that the Lib Dems are also ‘not keen’, with the Independent reporting a senior Lib Dem source dismissing the announcement as “Tory kite-flying”.

Six care workers have been jailed on charges of neglect or abusing patients at a private hospital after the acts of abuse were uncovered by BBC Panorama.

The Winterbourne View scandal highlights the importance of funding locally based support for people with challenging behaviour and learning disabilities rather than sending them to far off institutions, BASW warned.

Jason Gardiner, who escaped a prison sentence over two charges of ill-treatment at Winterbourne View, has apologised for the abuse victims suffered.