A charity has called for local authorities and the NHS to move away from traditional approaches to social care for older and disabled people and look to new approaches such as social enterprises and family-based care, in a report published today.

A coalition of organisations calling for more investment in mentoring and befriending services has launched a nation-wide campaign today.

COUNCIL bosses in York are heading for a £450,000 overspend on their services for children and young people.

More money is being made available to the NHS in order to improve care for elderly people who are discharged from hospitals in England.

Previous reforms to the social care system have led to social workers spending less time with vulnerable children and families, according to the first report from Professor Eileen Munro’s review of the child protection system in England.

The Conservative councillor appointed to turn around Birmingham’s under-performing services for vulnerable children is preparing the ground for a series of highly controversial decisions designed to deliver a complete restructuring of the social care department.

A new director has taken over the running of Leeds City Council’s children’s services department.

A social services chief who helped systematically plunder the bank accounts of seven highly vulnerable victims in his care, to the tune of around £94,000 has been jailed for 21 months.

An emergency home-based respite service for carers is being launched by Wolverhampton City Council’s Carer Support Team.

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) President Marion Davis has called for more focus on early intervention rather than earlier identification to reduce the number of children being referred to children’s services due to abuse or neglect.