Councillors have been told that more specialist social workers are required if weaknesses identified in child protection services in the Scottish Borders are to be addressed. But any shortcomings are more than outweighed by strengths, according to a glowing report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIe).

Voluntary organisations across Fife will bear the full brunt of Council cost-cutting with funding awards slashed in a bid to save £250,000. In the past years, grants for vital voluntary organisations and charities have steadily increased, however, this year they will remain at the same level as 2006/7 to save money.

Scotland is facing a care crisis among the elderly with a number of private businesses threatening to close homes in a dispute over funding.

A vulnerable Inverness man who was supposed to receive daily support lay dead for up to a week before his body was discovered, it has been claimed. David Ireland (32) lived in “supported” accommodation and was meant to receive daily visits from carers.

Another cutback has emerged at Fife Council after staff revealed a primary education support service is to be slashed. The local authority was forced to admit this week that the Early Intervention Project – aimed at boosting numeracy and literacy skills in P1 and P2 youngsters – is to be cut.

Councillors in Aberdeen are determined to have their say on the future of a charity’s carers support centre. Cross-party members have voiced concerns that VSA’s decision to close down the “well used and highly visible” service in Belmont Street and relocate it to Castle Street is not the right move.

A mother wrongly convicted of killing two of her babies is helping a Scot seeking to overturn a conviction of assault against a child. Angela Cannings, originally from Salisbury, Wiltshire, who spent 18 months in prison before her life sentence was quashed, launched a foundation yesterday to support other families who have suffered miscarriages of justice.

Parents of autistic children have reported feelings of anxiety and guilt over whether they should give their children the MMR vaccine, a new study has found.

Island council chiefs want to import Polish workers to staff a new care home because there are not enough unemployed locals. Orkney Islands Council have to fill 70 vacancies for the £6million development.

Would you like the opportunity to attend a conference which looks at how social workers are trained? The Scottish Executive has agreed to pay for some service users and carers from across Scotland to attend this years Joint Social Work Education conference (JSWEC).