Directors of children’s services are to take a greater role in managing public health, the government has announced in its latest health white paper.

Tim Loughton, children’s minister, promotes the use of volunteers in child protection work as “an additional resource that, at a time when we are well stretched, it makes a lot of sense to explore” (Minister calls for more social work volunteers, 29 October). “Financially it is a sensible thing to do,” he says.

A day centre offering specialist dementia care has closed. The Hillings day care centre, part of The Hillings Care Home in Grenville Way, Eaton Socon, St Neots, shut its doors yesterday after HealthCare Homes, which runs the centre, decided not to renew its contract with Cambridgeshire County Council.

Two national mental health charities that together employ nearly 1,000 staff are to merge, it has been announced.

London Councils has reacted angrily to communities secretary Eric Pickles’ accusations its figures were exaggerated and hysterical after the lobby group calculated social care was facing a £1.8bn funding gap.

A snapshot survey has revealed a massive disparity in the levels of funding received by local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) across London boroughs.

An urgent review of 7,000 cases has been launched after Kent County Council’s (KCC) child protection services were found to be inadequate.

The owners of a Bristol nursing home have been told they must take immediate action to improve standards of care – or face legal enforcement action.

Specialist social work recruitment consultancy Liquid Personnel has urged local authority managers to maintain staffing levels among frontline social workers, and to ensure that staff are properly supported despite recent spending cuts.

Gloucestershire County Council needs to improve its assessment of the needs of people with mental health problems, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said.