BASW chief executive Hilton Dawson responded to the Comprehensive Spending Review, revealed as PSW went to press, by warning that a failure to ringfence social work funding would pose a serious threat to services.

George Osborne has announced an extra £2bn of funding for social care, as part of his Comprehensive Spending Review.

The government plans to spend £470m over the next four years building the capacity of the voluntary sector to deliver the Big Society, it announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

The government has pledged to protect cash for Sure Start, encourage more early years providers into the market and introduce a new and simplified early intervention grant.

The government’s extra £2bn in the spending review for caring for the elderly within four years is likely to be swallowed up by the demands placed on local councils to cut costs over the next four years, said charities and experts.

UP to 80 jobs are at risk at two of Sheffield’s seven old people’s care centres after Town Hall bosses said they should be closed due to insufficient demand.

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a care home fire in Lancashire.