Scottish police forces will be able to use banning orders for the first time to target known football hooligans. The orders, which come into force at the weekend, will mean anyone convicted of football-related offences could be banned from matches for up to 10 years. Previously, clubs could stop fans going to their own ground and a sheriff could impose a ban covering their court area. Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said violence, chants, taunts and songs of hatred were “inexcusable”.

A council’s decision to charge £1 a week for a medical emergency care alarm service was justified, a watchdog said. The wife of a Parkinson’s Disease sufferer branded the charge an attack on the vulnerable and a breach of free personal care for the elderly. But the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman ruled that Stirling Council was entitled to make the decision. A report published by the ombudsman also cleared the local authority of flouting the free care legislation. The complainer, identified as Mrs C, who is her husband’s primary carer, had a mobile emergency care system (Mecs) installed in their home in 2002. This enabled crisis calls to be picked up 24 hours a day by a council contact centre.

Care homes in Edinburgh have been told to cut their agency staff bill as council bosses attempt to claw back a projected £3 million overspend. High sickness levels among council staff and rising numbers of elderly people who need specialist care in residential homes have increased the need to employ agency carers. A soaring number of profoundly disabled young people who have left school this year, and whose care bill has been transferred to Edinburgh City Council’s health and social care department, is also adding to costs.

The Scottish Parliament Health Committee’s recent Care Inquiry Report underlines the success of the free personal and nursing care policy, Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald has said. Mr Macdonald’s comments came as the Executive officially responded to the Health Committee report examining the implementation of the policy and how it is operating across Scotland. Mr Macdonald said: “As I said when the report was published, I welcome its recognition that our Free Personal and Nursing Care policy is a success which has benefited nearly 50,000 older people in Scotland, allowing many more older people to be cared for at home.

More than 800 migrant workers from eastern Europe have already registered themselves as homeless in Scotland. The first study to examine the issue of homelessness among “A8 migrants” – those workers from the newest countries to join the European Union – has found that many are living in cramped and overcrowded conditions. As many migrant workers live in tied accommodation, they are more vulnerable to becoming homeless if they lose their job.

The decision to stop charging pensioners for home care helped push Falkirk Council spending £1.5 million over target in the first three months of the new financial year. It has been confirmed the move, welcomed by OAP groups but taken after spending levels for 2006/2007 were set in February, will cost the social work department an estimated extra £407,000. The cost of children’s residential care, community care and 24-hour care is also up by £230,000 more than planned, while figures show departments, including education and corporate and commercial services, also failed to meet targets.

A funding shortfall of £5.5 million per year is leaving Scottish local authorities struggling to cover the costs of fostering and condemning hundreds of foster carers to financial hardship, according to a report published by charity the Fostering Network. A survey of all 32 local authorities found that a further £5.5 million is needed each year in order to provide all foster carers with the Fostering Network’s recommended minimum allowances. These allowances are designed to cover the costs incurred by a foster carer in looking after a fostered child.

The number of children referred to social workers by police because they are abusing alcohol has more than trebled in just two years. Primary school children who are getting hold of cheap booze are among those who have been apprehended by police. Experts believe the numbers of referrals are soaring because children are experimenting with drink at a younger age, and police are increasingly cracking down on teenagers drinking in public. Last year in Edinburgh, 119 children were referred to social workers because of an alcohol-related incident which involved the police.

Toddlers should be served lunch in nursery as part of the drive to tackle obesity, a charity has said. Children in Scotland is hosting an international conference in Dunfermline on Friday to debate the issue. More than a third of Scots children are overweight and most do not lose that excess weight when they grow up. The charity is urging the Scottish Executive to ensure lunch is served in nurseries in the belief it will make it easier to promote healthy eating.

Scotland’s largest housing body has defended itself against allegations that it has failed to support community housing organisations in Glasgow. The move comes after 12 community-based housing associations left the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, citing a lack of support as one of the reasons for their departure. They include Drumchapel, Milnbank, Wellhouse, Copperworks, Blochairn, New Gorbals, Blairtummock, Gardeen, Spire View, Ruchazie, Provanhall and Glen Oaks. The departures are expected to cost the federation £85,000 a year in membership dues.