A Sheffield care worker accused of sexually assaulting an elderly dementia patient told a jury he had not touched the woman, saying: “If somebody touched my mother or mother-in-law like that I would be very annoyed.”

A £3 Million housing scheme for people with autism is to open in a South Yorkshire village next year.

Most people with mental health problems are routinely subjected to physical and sexual abuse or theft by their neighbours, a new study indicates.

An eldery care home has been shut down by the county council after rising levels of the bacteria which causes Legionnaire’s Disease were found in the water supply.

Charity trustees aren’t being recruited, trained or appraised in a sufficiently open or transparent manner, according to a new report that criticises the voluntary sector’s governance standards.

Council social services for adults have been praised for improving performance for the fifth successive year.

{mosimage}The Commission for Social Care Inspection said the number of English councils attaining two or three stars out of three rose from 78% to 81%.

And for the second year running none of the 150 councils got a zero star grade.

But experts pointed out that there was a growing number of people being denied care as councils tightened eligibility criteria amid a squeeze on finances.

The local authorities are judged on the quality of their services as well as their management of budgets.

The watchdog praised the work done in delivering home care, supporting carers and helping those with chronic illness stay out of hospital. The social care departments were also given credit for providing equipment and carrying out home adaptations for people.

More than 2m cases were handled last year – nine out of 10 within seven days, compared to three quarters three years previously.

The ratings for 2006 to 2007 show that 48 councils were given three stars, 74 two and 28 one. It means 24 councils had improved their star rating, compared to 15 which did worse.

All care home staff should be given mandatory training in dealing with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society has urged, following a new study.

The National Autistic Society (Nas) is starting an online drive in a modern response to trying to deal with the discrimination that people with autism face.

When Jewell Ryan moved into an elderly couple’s Hampshire home to become a live-in carer she was meant to make their lives easier.

{mosimage}But just nine months later she faked a massive burglary and arranged for the theft of 200 highly valuable items from her employers.The haul was estimated to be worth up to £400,000.

The 59-year-old used a glossy brochure produced by Winchester auctioneers Bonhams to select the most valuable items from Leeland House in the High Street, Twyford.

She even stole treasured personal possessions by rifling though drawers in the room where the elderly woman she was meant to be caring for was lying in bed suffering from dementia.

However, her despicable actions involving two accomplices were exposed after police became suspicious about her allegation of a burglary and subsequently found Ch’ing dynasty porcelain in her suitcase.

Today Ryan, of Alexander Road, Hemel Hempstead, is beginning a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence after a Winchester Crown Court jury found her guilty of conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to obtain property by deception.

She was found guilty of using a stolen credit card to obtain goods worth £2,271 and £2,200 in cash.

Four people charged with neglecting residents at an old people’s home have today had their case adjourned until the New Year at the request of defence lawyers.