Safeguards to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse are an unlawful infringement of the human rights of staff working in the NHS and social care, five law lords ruled yesterday in a test case brought by the Royal College of Nursing.

The government’s white paper on social mobility last week made the bold suggestion that tackling social inequality should be enshrined in legislation. Mathew Little investigates.

Consultation begins on how best to improve information sharing across health, social care and wider community support services

The NHS Confederation has called for a major rethink of strategic health authorities’ roles in light of the new regulatory regime.

Local authorities will have access to tailored support from early years sector specialists from next month onwards.

An MP is seeking to pass a law to improve the way local authorities provide support for people with autism. Conservative Cheryl Gillan came top of a ballot of MPs hoping to introduce private members bills into Parliament.

A care home chain with a raft of local authority contracts is in emergency talks to restructure its £1.5bn debt.

More applications to take children into care are being issued than at any time since the present system of child protection was established.

Thousands of children unofficially cared for by adults who are not close relations are “invisible” and vulnerable to abuse, an adoption charity said today.

The head of a local authority under fire after the death of seven children has rejected a formal council vote calling for his resignation.