The Balmers, who ran Rosepark Care Home in Uddingston where 14 residents died in a fire, have walked free after charges against them were dismissed.

A DAY centre to help isolated elderly people become involved in their community is to be launched by the city council. Half a million pounds will be pumped into a new facility in Clermiston which will create a day centre for over-65s within a library building.

A care home nurse has been found guilty of assaulting an 80-year-old woman for refusing to take a tranquiliser. Stirling Sheriff Court was told Gape Ramotadina, 39, twisted the hand of dementia sufferer Margaret Kirk at Bannockburn’s Fairview Nursing Home.

A senior care-home nurse is facing a disciplinary hearing after he allegedly failed to get treatment for an elderly woman’s gangrene-infected leg.

A landmark ruling on free personal care could pave the way for scores of other legal cases where elderly people may have been overcharged by local authorities.

IT WAS a computer handed in for repair which led police to uncover Scotland’s worst ever paedophile ring. The discovery of child pornography on engineer Neil Strachan’s PC triggered an 18-month investigation which ended with eight men convicted of a horrific catalogue of sex abuse against children.

Care home and adult day care services managers registering with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) have until 31 May 2009 to get their applications submitted to meet the Scottish Government deadline for required registration.

SOCIAL work services in West Dunbartonshire were given a glowing report card from auditors. Inspectors rated the local authority’s performance as ‘good’ in nine out of 10 evaluated areas and the other was scored as ‘adequate’.

An official who commissioned an investigation into the death of toddler Brandon Muir in Dundee has been appointed to Aberdeen City Council’s new social work director post.

Highland Council’s director of social work is the new president of the Association of Directors of Social Work. Harriet Dempster yesterday took up her post after being elected at ADSW’s annual meeting at Crieff on the 40th anniversary of both ADSW and of the commencement of the Social Work (Scotland) Act.