Charities warned last night that the neediest people in society would be hit hardest by the cuts – and urged the Scottish Government and local authorities not to make the problems worse.

Glasgow’s pioneering addictions service could be threatened by the break-up of the merger of social work and health services, union leaders have warned.

ONE of Edinburgh’s longest-running day centres is celebrating its 25th anniversary later this week.

A multi-million pound care home in Aberdeen run by the Church of Scotland’s social care arm has been nominated for a top design award.

RESCUERS and local residents have been praised for their efforts to help 59 pensioners after a massive blase at an Inverness nursing home

Councillors in Fife have agreed the local authority should remain a direct provider of residential care services, although questions remain about the long-term future of several council-run care homes.

Social Services Knowledge Scotland website – www.ssks.org.uk – has just re-launched with lots of new helpful features designed to support the sector.

Emergency trips to hospital have increased by more than 25% among Scotland’s pensioners, despite the investment of millions of pounds extra in community care, figures have revealed.

A new “winter of discontent” has edged closer as it emerged that thousands of care workers, catering staff and school janitors have taken the first steps towards a possible wave of industrial action by the end of the year.

Dozen of elderly people have spent the night in temporary accommodation after fire destroyed a nursing home in the Inverness area.