George Osborne faced anger and dismay last night over his plans to cut sickness benefits, with even a government minister joining the backlash.

Looked-after children who move placement repeatedly and have a negative experience of care can cost councils up to £32,755 more each year than their counterparts in stable homes, a report by Demos and Barnardo’s has found.

Advisory body the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has become bogged down by red tape and is “lurching from crisis to crisis”, according to damning evidence presented to the National Audit Office.

Patients will be given cash to purchase their own NHS care for the first time under a new Government scheme.

More children should be taken into care but are being left with inadequate parents, says chief executive of children’s charity

The number of children thought to be at risk in Slough has doubled since 2007, with a total of 118 children on the at-risk register.

An adviser to Lord Laming during the Victoria Climbié inquiry has been appointed to lead Leeds City Council’s under-fire children’s services department.

Young people in care have a “high level of fatalism” and believe they have little control over their lives, according to a new Department for Education report.

The chair of the education and children’s social services inspectorate Ofsted Zenna Atkins has resigned, fuelling speculation that ministers plan significant changes at the organisation.

A survey by Laing & Buisson published today claims that local councils in England will provide care homes with on average just 0.5% more funding than last year. This is despite care home costs rising by an estimated 2.1%.