Disabled people in Surrey are among the first in Britain to get the chance to decide how to spend the money they get from the Government.

A DAUGHTER who suffered sickening sexual abuse at the hands of her parents has accused social services of failing her.

CHILDREN’S services in Surrey are ‘performing well’ just two years after being rated as inadequate by Ofsted.

A UNION “fightback” against more than 100 job cuts could see staff take industrial action at Lincolnshire’s largest council.

A mental health nurse from South Essex has been jailed for nine months for defrauding the NHS of £65,000.

Independent social workers (ISWs) faced further insult last month when a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) consultation on legal aid reforms failed to mention social work in a comprehensive list of hourly court fee rates payable to expert witnesses of all professions.

The Westminster Health Select Committee has said efficiency gains will need to be made ‘on an unprecedented scale’ in health and social care in England, despite earlier assurances from care services minister Paul Burstow that local authorities have no excuses to make cuts to adult social care.

A new central contact centre for adult care services is now officially open in the heart of Bury. Based in Textile Hall in Manchester Road, Adult Care Connect and Direct is already proving a success with residents.

Unions report cuts among advice and social care workers, while small and medium-sized charities providing public services look vulnerable, by Anita Pati.

The Government has published statutory guidance for local authorities to ensure they meet the needs of people with autism. This guidance is a landmark victory that follows three years of campaigning by the National Autistic Society (NAS) and their supporters.