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A woman has been charged with attempting to murder an 11-year-old boy six weeks after she was released from a mental health unit in the south-west of England.

Plans for a five-year programme of building new care homes for the elderly have been announced by Fife Council. The authority, which runs 10 homes housing almost 300 residents, said it had set aside £40m to build the first four or five homes at about £8m each.

After the first phase, the council will “take stock” of the remaining homes to see if more need replacing.  If approved, Appin and Raith Gates homes in Kirkcaldy and Alan McLure home in Glenrothes will be rebuilt first.

The proposals will go before the social work and health committee on Monday.  Figures show an increasing elderly population across Scotland, but fewer people want to be looked after in care homes in their twilight years.

Only two of the current stock of 10 have en-suite facilities and councillors want all the care homes to be modernised

Serious concerns about two of the country’s largest private homecare companies have been revealed in a BBC Scotland investigation. Domiciliary Care and HRM Homecare provide almost 15,000 hours of care per week to the most vulnerable sections of Scottish society.

Ex-workers accused them of putting profits before people’s welfare. Both companies denied the allegations but HRM has promised to investigate fully the BBC’s claims.

More than 70,000 elderly and disabled Scots have carers coming into their homes, allowing them to retain some independence. About a third of these services, which are paid for by local authorities, are now delivered by the private sector.

The allegations, which are broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Investigation on Monday morning, include:
    * “cramming” – which means fitting in as many clients in as short a time as possible, irrespective of how long they have been allocated
    * poorly-trained staff
    * carers not turning up
    * companies falsely charging local authorities for work that is not being done.

A teaching support service which helps some of the most needy youngsters has been axed. The team of 35 teachers forms part of the Renfrewshire Specialist Peripatetic Service which provides teaching support to children with a wide range of support needs – including dyslexia numeracy and writing – in schools at all levels.

A public “sleepout” is being held in Glasgow’s George Square to highlight the case of refused asylum seekers who are homeless.

Highland Council is to spend £148,000 this year on suicide prevention measures, despite a 42% reduction in such death rates.

A GENERATION of disabled people will face an uncertain future when they outlive their elderly carers, a charity has warned.

Children are being denied their right to play, Scotland’s commissioner for young people has told the United Nations.

A report to be published by the Scottish Parliament calls for radical new ways to tackle the damage done by drugs and alcohol.