Practitioners working in services for children and young people are being equipped with the latest ideas and techniques, thanks to a programme delivered through the University of Chester.

SOUTH Devon College is celebrating after being announced as an AoC Beacon Award winner. The Awards, which this year celebrate 15 years of rewarding outstanding teaching and learning in further education colleges, were announced at a ceremony hosted by comedian, writer, musician and philanthropist, Tony Hawks, at the AoC’s annual conference in Birmingham.

UNION bosses are set to fight plans to privatise the jobs of more than 70 Calderdale home helps. The move was agreed by councillors in March in a bid to save £200,000 a year.

BOSSES have vowed to try to find alternative employment for dozens of disabled workers who face losing their jobs under plans to shut a factory.

MERSEYSIDE is reviewing social services cases jointly held by councils, police and health authorities following the death of Baby P. At the suggestion of Merseyside Police’s chief constable Bernard Hogan-Howe, the force along with councils’ children services and PCTs are reviewing all jointly held cases.

The appalling life and death of Baby P has touched a national nerve in a way that the deaths of other babies killed by their parents or carers did not, even though their plight was equally shocking. Perhaps one reason is that the council involved with Baby P was Haringey and the link to the Climbie case, in the same borough eight years ago, was an easy one for the media, even though the cases and the context were different.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) has launched a guide to assessing and supporting adults with autism after the charity’s I Exist campaign revealed a widespread lack of understanding and training in the condition amongst social care professionals.

The head of children’s services in Suffolk has said vulnerable children are at greater risk because of overburdened social workers and high vacancy rates.

A University of Lincoln expert is helping to shape understanding of social care issues around the world after being selected to serve on the editorial board of an international journal.

A MIDLAND homecare agency has had its registration cancelled by an industry watchdog after care levels were found to be “well below acceptable levels”.