Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has been appointed as minister of state for children and families, the Department for Education has confirmed.

Council chiefs have ‘revolutionised’ the way social workers record cases after a former employee was struck off. Alcus Dunn is banned from practising as a social worker after a catalogue of failures while working for Herts County Council.

A FORMER social care worker for Bucks County Council had a suspension lifted this week after being cleared of misconduct.

The Tory-Lib Dem government is to end the detention of children in immigration centres as a matter of priority.

An under-fire council boss has been moved from his post as head of children’s services. The move follows a torrid year for Coun John Warmisham who was in charge of schools and children’s social services in Salford.

A SOCIAL worker who emailed images of Gary Glitter to colleagues has been cleared of misconduct. Kieron Vosper, of Underwood Road, Plympton, appeared before the General Social Care Council (GSCC) yesterday.

A new unit has been set up in Cornwall to handle referrals to social care staff in cases involving children and young people, the council has said.

A national charity has called on the Government to make reform of social care an urgent priority. Carers UK said the care system in the UK was “crumbling” and asked the new Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and his team to make clear plans for a fair, universal and transparent care service as a matter of urgency.

The Tory-Lib Dem government’s decision to rename the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) has proved unpopular among children’s professionals, as the sector speculates on its implications for a restructuring of children’s services.

Work is underway on plans to encourage Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to select a social worker to sit on the interim board of the College Development Group, an England-based body that BASW is pressing to establish formal links across the UK.