Kent County Council is to axe 260 jobs in its children, families and education department under plans to save £8 million.

A SOCIAL worker accused of inappropriate behaviour towards the mother of two children in his care is appearing before a disciplinary hearing.

An investigation into why social services failed to prevent one of the most notorious recent cases of child abuse is running a year late and is unlikely to be completed before the election.

Councils are considering plans to reduce their spending including by cutting up to 170,000 public sector jobs in anticipation of a dramatic downturn in their budgets.

A seven-year-old girl starved to death by her mother might still be alive if she had not been failed by social services, a High Court judge has ruled.
 

James Arbuthnot, Member of Parliament for North East Hampshire, this week warned of a Government plan to leave Hampshire County Council with a massive bill to pay for new social care plans.

Failing councils may be forced to outsource their child protection services, the Conservatives said today. Under Tory proposals to improve child protection, social workers will be able to establish social work practices similar to GPs’ surgeries, and failing local authorities may be obliged to contract out all or part of their children’s social care provision.

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ safeguarding children service has been praised by Ofsted following an unannounced inspection.

A YORKSHIRE council, already under attack for its failings in child care services, was left reeling last night after a Government inspection delivered damning criticism.

A vital Norwich centre which is regarded as a “lifeline” by more than 100 people with mental health problems has closed its doors for the last time.