Youngsters in council care – including those under the age of sexual consent – are to be given condoms and pregnancy tests.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council has been voted national Winner of Winners at the Skills for Care Accolades honouring their pioneering work with people with dementia.

{mosimage}The local authority beat off stiff competition from all over the country to win the Most Innovative New Type of Worker or Way of Working at the glittering Accolades awards ceremony held at the Landmark Hotel, London last night.

They then carried off the Winner of Winners Accolade for their highly successful initiative to provide services to people with dementia enabling them to remain in their own homes.

The far-reaching initiative centres on partnerships with the Berkshire Healthcare Trust and other stakeholders resulting in significant savings as admissions to hospital have dropped and 15 people with dementia did not have to access residential or nursing home care.

A survey of service users and their relative carers found they felt they were treated with respect, that their views were taken into account by Home Support Workers and there had been improvements in people who use services’ emotional and mental health.

The scheme came into being as a result of a pilot programme financed by Skills for Care under its New Types of Working initiative.

Skills for Care is the employer led authority on the training standards and development needs of nearly one million social care workers in England providing over £25 million in funding to support improved training and qualifications for managers and staff.

The Church of England has pledged to investigate the records of thousands of clergy, dating back decades, in an attempt to uncover unchecked incidents of child abuse.

The former general manager of a village nursery school has been charged with more than 40 child sex offences.

Issues of concern regarding mental health care in Exeter have been raised by a group which represents patients.