THE Sue Ryder Care charity in Ely has announced that it has taken the decision to commence a consultation on the possible closure of The Old Palace Care Centre, Ely.

SIX more day centres in Leeds are set to close as part of ongoing plans to create “a new direction” for older people’s services.

A PIONEERING legal scheme to protect victims of domestic abuse has been expanded after a successful pilot in the city.

Mental health bosses have moved to defend their decision to scrap a vital centre in the city as fears mount for the people who use the facility.

KEY targets are still being missed in Doncaster’s failed children’s services department, latest figures show. The news comes as councillors are about to get their first look at an ambitious plan to make the shamed department a “beacon of excellence” in just three years.

Children’s services directors have called for a halt of spot checks in the wake of the Baby Peter case because they believe them to be unfair.

A FORMER health official convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl has been removed from the social care register. Kevin Mence, 43, was employed as a social worker by Cambridgeshire County Council when the allegations came to light last year.

Social workers from overseas could be recruited in West Sussex in a bid to boost staffing levels. Urgent efforts to recruit extra social workers for front-line children’s services have so far achieved only a ‘marginal’ improvement in staffing levels.