A record 54,000 troubled youngsters were investigated by the Children’s Reporter last year with “bad parents” identified for the first time as the single biggest cause of referrals.

A new report revealed 17,901 children were referred because they were suffering a lack of parental care, outstripping the 17,624 who had committed offences. While politicians argued over the Scottish Executive’s record on youth offending, child welfare experts demanded more action to identify children suffering neglect and abuse in the home.

{mosimage}They described the figures as alarming and called on teachers, health staff, social workers and other professionals to intervene earlier to identify and address cases of child neglect. There were also calls for more family centres and programmes to teach parents, many of whom suffered abuse and neglect as youngsters, how to look after their children. At the same time, figures released by the Scottish Executive showed nearly 13,000 children were in local authority care – the highest number since 1986.

Families caring for a loved-one with dementia in Scotland want more information and support, according to a survey. The study found fewer than 30% of those looking after someone with the condition were satisfied with the level of care available for the elderly.

A Woman who suffered a stroke, aged just 39, spoke yesterday about how a local support group had aided her recovery over the past year. As Different Strokes (DS) Moray celebrated its first birthday, Diane Ford, 44, told of the support and encouragement she received from other sufferers in the area.

Scotland’s national youth agency has condemned the “piecemeal attitude” towards funding of the youth work sector claiming it results in chronically low staff pay and morale. In a hard-hitting submission to ministers, YouthLink Scotland, which represents public and voluntary sector organisations working with young people, said in many cases organisations “lived from hand to mouth”.