A mental health unit which hasn’t admitted a new long-term patient for the last five years is set to close. Health bosses say that Sion House community ward, in Ribbleton, is “no longer fit for purpose” and its six patients could be given better treatment elsewhere. Under proposals submitted by Lancashire Care NHS Trust four patients would be transferred to the Euxton Lane community ward, Chorley, while the other two would be cared for in the private sector.

The average weekly cost of looking after an adult in the care of social services in Oxfordshire is among the highest in the country – £679 a week. The county comes near the top of a league table showing the cost per person of intensive social care services. But the man heading the service in Oxfordshire said the situation would not improve as long as the county remained one of the most affluent in the region. Charles Waddicor, pictured, director of social and community services, said: “The figure refers to the average weekly spend on care homes and some home support packages for adults aged 18 and over.

Bradford is winning its battle to cut the number of schoolgirl mums. The district’s pregnancy rate for under-18s has dropped by 22.9 per cent, according to new figures. Bradford is the second most improved out of the 15 Yorkshire and Humber regions – beaten only by North Yorkshire – and 15th best out of 129 English regions, it has been revealed. The number of teenage conceptions in the district has fallen from 57.2 out of 1,000 to 44.1. The figures were based on the numbers of birth registrations and abortions in under-18s at Bradford’s four Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in 2004. The results were compared to the same data collected in 1998.

In response to the ‘Choosing Health: Supporting the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness’ guidance published by the Department of Health, Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “This is a welcome step in the right direction. We know that exercise and a balanced diet can maintain mental well-being. Good physical health is also important for people with severe mental health problems as they are more likely to develop serious physical ailments such as diabetes or heart disease.

According to research released by Care Directory, a new elderly care information service, 97% of Britons feel the government should be doing more to help people find suitable care and housing solutions for elderly relatives and loved ones. The study revealed that 75% of Britons feel that they would not be able to make an informed decision, and more than 40% of people do not have a clear starting place for finding the most appropriate care.

Social workers who have left the profession are being coaxed back into work because of a serious shortage of staff. A scheme called Return to Practice has been set up by Warwickshire County Council to encourage people who are no longer social workers to return to work. Council workers found there were a number of qualified professionals interested in returning to the job but felt unable to because of the length of time they had been away. As part of the scheme they were offered training and were rewarded if they met certain targets.

Exempting mental health units from the ban on smoking in public places would worsen health inequalities for people with mental health problems, warn doctors writing in the BMJ. Smoking is the largest single cause of preventable illness and premature death in the United Kingdom, with 106,000 people dying of smoking related diseases in 2002, and more than 10,000 dying each year as a result of passive smoking. The Health Act 2006 will make all enclosed public and work places in England and Wales smoke-free environments, but may exclude some mental health settings.

The education system is failing to help children in care to break out of a “cycle of disadvantage”, according to the children’s charity Barnado’s. A survey of 66 young people who had spent much of their lives in care showed that just seven of them left school with five or more GCSEs at grade A – C. Fewer than half were currently in training, employment or further education. “The cycle of disadvantage that haunts these children as they grow up shows no sign of being broken as they enter adulthood,” said Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnado’s.

{mosimage}People should have equal access to care services whatever their gender, age, sexual orientation, race, belief or disability, according to the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). Launching the Commission’s Equalities and Diversity Strategy, CSCI Chair Dame Denise Platt said: “Social care services must provide for people in a way that meets their individual needs. People tell us they want to live as independent citizens, making their own choices and taking their own risks. Services should be culturally sensitive, inclusive and accessible, if they are to make a positive difference to people’s lives that support the outcomes they want. People also need to be able to obtain information in an accessible form to help them make choices about their care.

Inspectors in Halifax have ordered the closure of a nursing home where rap music was blasted into elderly residents’ rooms. They also found meals were often cold, rooms shabby and The Haven Nursing Home was not managed properly, according to the social services experts. They have now demanded the home, which they described as poor, to be shut down. Inspectors found the building dilapidated, staff not properly trained or recruited and the residents needs were not being met. “This is a poor home,” says the Commission for Social Care Inspection in its latest report.