Campaigners hit the streets of Derby yesterday to protest at the potential closure of a care home.

A Chronic shortage of beds for mentally ill teenagers has been highlighted in the county. Currently teenagers and adolescents requiring mental health treatment have to travel out of Gloucestershire to a specialist unit at Marlborough House in Swindon.

Teesside’s “high levels” of child poverty have been condemned as disgraceful by a national charity boss. Martin Narey, the Middlesbrough-born chief executive of Barnardo’s, claims four in every 10 children in the area are living in poverty.

Alex is not a disturbed child, although he could easily be mistaken for one. Sitting in his classroom, he often looks out of the window, and then his restlessness becomes infectious and begins to distract the other kids. Asked to read a sentence, Alex becomes recalcitrant, unwilling to try.

Care home owners are expected to defend their right to evict residents and maintain profits.

More than 9,000 people have registered their anger at plans to sell off six care homes. A public consultation on Leicestershire County Council’s plans ends on Monday.

The solicitor who mounted repeated legal action against Staffordshire County Council’s Changing Lives programme should have known it would fail, a High Court judge has ruled.

A Carer who stole almost £10,000 from adults with learning difficulties has been spared jail. Elaine McCarthy, 32, worked at Gregory House II in Mansfield Road, Carrington, where she had access to residents’ bank cards and pin numbers to help them with their money.

The University College of St Mark and St John is launching a new foundation degree for people who work with children up to the age of eight.

Youngsters in council care – including those under the age of sexual consent – are to be given condoms and pregnancy tests.