Senior staff at Kent County Council have been accused of allowing social workers to take the blame for failings in the child protection service.

The residential hospital where vulnerable patients were bullied and abused by their carers is owned by a secretive Swiss private equity company backed two of Ireland’s richest businessmen.

Councils need to speed up improvements to adult social care services to meet future demands, according to a report from the Audit Commission, published today.

The Department of Health has committed £6 million in funding to support health and social care-related projects in the voluntary sector.

Social care minister asks regulator to investigate after BBC programme revealed systematic abuse at Winterbourne View unit in Bristol

Experts warn that care home provider could soon collapse into administration

The government has pledged to ensure “effective protection” is in place for residents of UK’s biggest care home provider, Southern Cross.

Directors of children’s services have called for the government to clarify the future of their role, in light of the Baby P Appeal Court case and many councils’ plans to merge the post with others.

The Government has ordered an urgent review into the “inhumane” abuse of people with learning disabilities at a residential hospital.

Frail elderly people will be left to suffer unless David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband can put aside their political differences to agree urgent reforms to the care system, an alliance of charities, think tanks and councils warns today.