The number of adults falling victim to verbal, sexual abuse and financial exploitation in Edinburgh has increased by more than 70% in six months.

Public Health Minister Shona Robison is expected to be taken to task today over the shock decision to close a specialist dementia care home in Aberdeen.

Adoption and fostering services in Aberdeenshire have received a glowing report from inspectors. Officials from the Care Commission praised Aberdeenshire Council’s handling of adoption and fostering cases after an inspection earlier this year.

EDUCATION leader Marilyne MacLaren has branded the council’s social work department “broken” amid fresh evidence of it failing dozens of vulnerable children in the city.

Aberdeen City Council’s social work director yesterday pledged that dementia sufferers will receive the same standard of care when their specialist unit is shut down later this year.

A NURSERY nurse has been cleared of a number of serious offences against babies and toddlers. Linzi Neely (28) was an employee at the Cherry Tree Nursery in Polmont at the time when the incidents were alleged to have occurred on February 3.

An initiative is being launched today 1 September, 2009 which aims to reduce the number of falls by older people in Edinburgh.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray has called for a change at the heart of government over its attitude towards child protection.

DETAILS of new £95million mental health facilities in Tayside will be unveiled at a series of open days later this week. NHS Tayside has organised the events, at Montrose and at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin, to update the public on plans for Stracathro and Murray Royal Hospital in Perth.

A new programme which will create an alternative to remand for young people going through the court system has been launched by Glasgow City Council Social Care services.