The learning disability charity Mencap and its sister charity Enable Scotland have been named as the Co-operative Group’s charity partners for 2011, in a move that is expected to net the charities £5m between them.

The annual cost of mental ill health in England has soared £28bn to £105.2bn, according to new research.

BASW has welcomed the publication of a government-commissioned review into England’s child protection system that has found social workers are being prevented from exercising professional judgement because of a focus on rules and regulation.

A charity has called for local authorities and the NHS to move away from traditional approaches to social care for older and disabled people and look to new approaches such as social enterprises and family-based care, in a report published today.

A coalition of organisations calling for more investment in mentoring and befriending services has launched a nation-wide campaign today.

COUNCIL bosses in York are heading for a £450,000 overspend on their services for children and young people.

More money is being made available to the NHS in order to improve care for elderly people who are discharged from hospitals in England.

Social work bosses are trying desperately to cut costs and keep youngsters with their families after the number of children in care surged to a new record high in Norfolk, the EDP can reveal.

The Conservative councillor appointed to turn around Birmingham’s under-performing services for vulnerable children is preparing the ground for a series of highly controversial decisions designed to deliver a complete restructuring of the social care department.

A new director has taken over the running of Leeds City Council’s children’s services department.