Plans for children leaving care must be reviewed by a social worker rather than a personal adviser, a High Court judge has ruled.

Baby Peter’s GP Dr Jerome Ikwueke has been found guilty by the General Medical Council (GMC) of a series of breaches of his professional duty.

A council spent £300,000 bringing in experts on £700-a-day rates after its child protection service was branded ‘inadequate’ – only to get exactly the same rating three years later.

AN Evesham teenager who has lived in foster care for several years has slammed a council’s social services department, accusing it of neglecting her when she needed help most.

Local authority youth services are in need of a complete overhaul, the junior children’s minister has claimed.

According to a major report developed by experts on a social care advisory board, including Jeff Jerome, the National Director of Social Care Transformation, and Chief Executive of Counsel and Care Stephen Burke, social workers need training in order to play a greater role in planning and delivering end-of-life care ahead of huge increase in the numbers of deaths each year.

BASW England is holding a series of seminars across the country to address emerging concerns from social workers working in adult services. BASW England policy development officer Joe Godden said concerns centre on “cuts, reductions in qualified social worker numbers and a growing tendency for adult social work to be relegated in importance to children’s social work”.

Social work students will be able to judge the quality of degree courses before applying after a decision by the General Social Care Council to crack down on universities by publishing inspection reports.

The number of people employed in the voluntary sector rose 6.5 per cent to 778,000 last year, bucking the trend of job losses in the public and private sectors.

THREE day centres for people with mental health needs could close in Notts.The county council is expected to launch a consultation into shutting the centres in Beeston, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Worksop.