BUREAUCRATS and politicians appointed to sort out Birmingham’s failing children’s social services have been accused of “not living in the real world”.

A social worker has been removed from the General Social Care Council’s register for defrauding a service user.

Children’s social workers should have immediate access to paediatricians when they have child protection concerns, according to the Royal College for Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

Frontline social workers should work alongside managers to identify which parts of the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) can be scrapped.

BASW has welcomed the transfer of £162million of NHS money to fund adult social care services but has warned it is a “drop in the ocean” compared with the anticipated cuts across the public sector.

MORE than £500,000 has been earmarked to improve and support the lifestyle needs of hundreds of disabled and special needs children across Cumbria.

Lincolnshire County Council has decided to close five care homes. The decision was made on Wednesday despite petitions signed by thousands of people to keep the homes open.

UP TO 90 Plymouth council staff are facing redundancy between now and the Spring. Most of the jobs set to go are in adult social care, after the department saw major structural changes in the autumn.

Sefton Council has apologised to the parents of a young girl who complained that it’s child protection enquiries were intrusive, lacked sensitivity, acted inappropriately and breached confidentiality.

The increasing cost of treating dementia sufferers is the subject of an inquiry as it was revealed the funding needed should rise a third by 2018.