Newcastle City Council has appointed John Collings as Executive Director of Children’s Services. John has held the position on a temporary basis since July 2009 overseeing all aspects of children’s services in the city, including schools, children’s social care, services for families and chairing the Newcastle Children’s Trust Board.

HUNDREDS of staff working in crucial mental health posts in medical centres and home visit services across Camden were sacked over the Easter holiday.

The former manager of a Somerset care home who stole drugs from its residents to feed her own addiction has been found guilty of killing one of them.

In two shocking cases Croydon Council’s social services department stands accused of ignoring parents’ desperate pleas for help, a Croydon Guardian investigation can reveal.

The NSPCC has urged a major overhaul of the system for investigating cases of child abuse and neglect, saying it is too costly, too slow and may not work.

Former Somerset care home manager Rachel Baker has been cleared of murdering two elderly residents.

The National Youth Reference Group (NYRG), an organisation that informs and advises the government departments, has created a new website to showcase best practice in preventing youth homelessness.

Polly Tommey was finding it difficult to attract attention to her campaign for increased awareness of autism, so she took her top off and posed, Wonderbra-style, for billboard posters beneath the words “Hello Boys”. The boys she has in mind are the three main party leaders, and the appearance of dozens of these images around London last week prompted a surprisingly swift response from representatives of each party.