The hounding of social workers by the press for being “baby-snatchers” if they take children into care is a predictable story. But now such persecution has taken a new twist with online campaigns by families protesting about child protection intervention.

The House of Lords’ vote to delay the introduction of free personal care at home until April 2011 is a practical step forward, council leaders said today.

The Department of Health has increased its strategic partners programme to include five additional partnerships.

Prison inspectors have added their voice to criticism of detaining children at the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre.

Sixty per cent of social workers have considered leaving the profession in the last year, according to research by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).

A 10-month-old baby boy is believed to have starved to death in north-west London despite being monitored by doctors and social workers.

The number of babies not in care who have died as a result of serious neglect or abuse has risen significantly in the wake of the Baby Peter case, CYP Now has learned.

Child asylum seekers are being forced to undertake “oppressive and unlawful” interviews when they arrive in the UK before being offered basic welfare like rest and food, according to a damning report.

A nursery manager force fed babies in her care until they were sick, before making them eat their own vomit, a court heard today.

Labour is likely to backtrack on plans to implement a so-called death tax to pay for long term care saying it will not introduce any definitive final reform in the next parliament.