The annual cost of mental ill health in England has soared £28bn to £105.2bn, according to new research.

BASW has welcomed the publication of a government-commissioned review into England’s child protection system that has found social workers are being prevented from exercising professional judgement because of a focus on rules and regulation.

A charity has called for local authorities and the NHS to move away from traditional approaches to social care for older and disabled people and look to new approaches such as social enterprises and family-based care, in a report published today.

A new director has taken over the running of Leeds City Council’s children’s services department.

A social services chief who helped systematically plunder the bank accounts of seven highly vulnerable victims in his care, to the tune of around £94,000 has been jailed for 21 months.

An emergency home-based respite service for carers is being launched by Wolverhampton City Council’s Carer Support Team.

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) President Marion Davis has called for more focus on early intervention rather than earlier identification to reduce the number of children being referred to children’s services due to abuse or neglect.

A couple who allowed their adopted daughters to be abused by two paedophiles were jailed today for child cruelty after a judge condemned their “deplorable and terrible betrayal of trust”.

A retired lecturer from Suffolk has been jailed for three months over indecent images of children.