Protecting families from guns and gang-related crime, child trafficking and prostitution, are issues that Birmingham social worker Iffit Rehman has to deal with – along with trying to get home on time for her son’s birthday.

The number of children in Devon being monitored by social services has increased by 40% in a year. There are now about 850 children with a social services child protection plan. A year ago the figure was about 600.

Almost two thirds (59%) of people are worried about the standard of care they could receive in old age while nearly a third (30%) feel none of the three main political parties are addressing the issue.

An elderly woman suffered serious neglect at a Teesside care home because of widespread failings by health and social services staff, a review says.

The president of the International Federation of Social Workers, David N Jones, has urged social work employees in the UK to embrace World Social Work Day on 16 March and applaud the good work social workers carry out every day.

Plans to overhaul social work and cut red tape in the highly regulated service are being drawn up by the Conservatives. The party believes that reforms introduced after the Baby P tragedy fall well short of what is needed to keep children safe from abuse and neglect.

A BEREAVED family’s complaints over their loved one’s care remain the subject of a council probe today, despite no evidence of neglect being found at a Teesside care home.

The NSPCC is the latest children’s organisation to apologise to the members of Family Q, who were subjected to abuse and rape by their father over three decades.

A vulnerable pensioner was allegedly “tormented to death” after being bullied by yobs for a decade – and despite being in almost daily contact with police.

Adult social care in England is “chronically under-funded” and “severely rationed”, MPs say. The Health Committee warned urgent action was needed and told the political parties to stop their point-scoring and seek solutions instead.