Scottish Borders Council has started consultation over its social work department’s new care charging policy.

Emergency services, health boards and councils are discussing radical proposals to see how Scotland’s cash-strapped public sector could be reorganised by themes such as child protection, rather than on traditional service models.

An advice and support service for rape victims and women who have faced sexual violence is being wound up as more than half its staff quit in a cost-cutting drive.

A fire that killed 14 residents at the Rosepark care home was almost certainly caused by a faulty electrical cable, the inquiry into the tragedy has heard.

The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) is organising a series of one-day seminars on ‘Embracing Change: strategies for managing innovation projects and identifying future opportunities’.

The Criminalization Project, involving researchers from the Universities of Stirling, Glasgow, Warwick and York, brings together philosophers, lawyers and political scientists to discuss the various dimensions of the problem of criminalization. 

More than three-quarters of children who are in residential care by their 16th birthday will have a criminal conviction by the age of 22, according to damning new figures.

This seminar is being organised by the Residential Child Care Network to disseminate research into practice and to ensure that information is passed on to all those who have the opportunity to influence policy and/or implement practice.

Organisations have until 5 pm on Friday 3 September 2010 to apply to the Voluntary Sector Development Fund 2010-11 (VSDF).

Ministers will consider drawing up new fire safety rules designed to prevent a repeat of the Rosepark blaze tragedy that killed 14 people.