THE care watchdog which aims to ensure Scotland’s nurseries, homes and childminders are up to scratch is appealing for a new wave of helpers to get involved in its work.

Being a teenager is tough enough. Dealing with a changing body, hormones and mood swings is difficult, but when you add mental health problems into the equation, it can lead to very real and sometimes life threatening conditions.

Social work services in North Lanarkshire are among the best in Scotland, according to inspectors. The Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) looked at 10 key areas. Three were rated as “very good”, and the remaining seven as “good”.

One-third of Scottish care homes could close as a result of new EU regulations, a Scottish MEP has warned.

Scotland’s children’s commissioner is calling for local authorities to outline what steps have been taken to ensure young people don’t leave care too early, a year after a damning report into the problem.