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.

A major change in the management of social work services in Dumfries and Galloway has been announced. It comes as department officials are bracing themselves for the publication of inspection reports next month. The department and the criminal justice social work division were put under the microscope in March and April. The authority has decided on major changes before the findings of the study by the new Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) are released. The local authority was the first in Scotland to be evaluated by the SWIA.

The Voluntary Sector Social Services Workforce Unit have published a free funding guide for the voluntary sector. ‘Navigating the Funding Streams 2’ is a guide to acquiring funding for learning and development in voluntary sector social services organisations. The guide contains:

A Shetland mother and social care worker has been named first ever Student of the Year of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). Judges said that 49 year old Margaret Johnston had been a role model for the almost 6,000 students in the UHI network of colleges and research institutions. They said they were impressed by her academic and personal achievements, and her contribution to the student community as secretary of the Shetland branch UHI Students’ Association. Margaret – who left school at 15 with no qualifications – has completed a BA course in child and youth studies at Shetland College UHI.

Vulnerable children are being sent home to parents suspected of neglect and abuse because of a chronic lack of foster carers and other accommodation. At least seven local authorities have failed to immediately act on Place of Safety warrants issued by Children’s Panels during the past year. The legally binding orders are intended to force councils to remove young people from their homes for 21 days if they are considered to be in the most high-risk situations. However, it is understood dozens of children have been returned to their parents instead of being taken into care because councils have nowhere to put them. Child-protection professionals are growing increasingly concerned and frustrated over the failure to enforce warrants.

It’s the time of year when Scottish pupils are returning to school to learn and eventually gain good qualifications to help them get jobs. Earlier this month, we were inundated with success stories from around the country – pictures of ecstatic young people and their delighted teachers and parents as they opened their Standard Grades results and celebrated. What those stories don’t tell us is the truth of the lives of the children who are written off by the education system – the UK’s children in care. A new report by leading charity Barnardo’s highlights the shocking levels of disadvantage faced by these children, many of whom will struggle to gain even a single qualification.

A charity providing support to young people who have suffered from abuse has launched a website which aims to reduce incidents of violence. The Violence is Preventable project has been spearheaded by the award-winning Dundee charity Eighteen And Under. The organisation is aiming to use the site to share its expertise and experience with people and groups across the country. It is hoped the site will continue to be updated over the coming months.