Hundreds of vulnerable people will see their care package disappear or shrink from next February – but a county council chief says those in need will not be “cut adrift”.

{mosimage}County councillors have rubberstamped a decision to reduce the qualification level for adult social care from “moderate” to “substantial”, as part of a decision which will affect households across Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley.

And gateway’ services, signposting people to alternative provisions in the voluntary, faith and community sectors, will not be fully up and running until September 2008.

But Cllr. Chris Cheetham, Lancashire’s adult social care cabinet member, said: “We do recognise that people who are affected by these changes will need help.

“But we are going to help them through that process. This is not about saving money but it is about using money differently. We are not going to cut people adrift.

“In future we are not going to be seen as a major provider of care but we will be looking at providing services through the voluntary, faith and community sectors.”

Social services are keen to employ the services of organisations such as Help The Aged and Age Concern to cater for people’s care needs. The county council already contracts Age Concern to provide some OAP services in Preston.

A nurse was kicked out of the profession yesterday after she urged an assistant to put a brown paper bag over a dementia patient’s head and then took a photo with her mobile phone.

A plymouth carer has been presented with an award in recognition of her outstanding work with older people.

A former head teacher, his brother and a care worker have been convicted of cruelty against children at a special school between 1975 and 1988.