Mental health specialists, community workers and clergy have held talks to tackle a mental health crisis facing young people in a Londonderry estate.

The community and voluntary sector in the West is currently working closely with the Western Health and Social Services Board to host two major workshops this spring.

A County Londonderry priest has been acquitted on two charges of sexually abusing a teenager almost 30 years ago. But the jury failed to reach a verdict on another two charges of indecent assault against Father Patrick Crilly, 63, from Desertmartin.

One of Northern Ireland’s health and social care trusts has launched a search for “caring, committed people” to offer placements for children who have experienced a trauma or are unable to live in a normal foster care setting.

Ireland has been criticised in an Amnesty International report for a lack of child trafficking legislation and inadequate treatment for mentally ill children.

Nurses have voted in favour of accepting proposals to end their work-to-rule. The result of the ballot of over 35,000 members of the Irish Nurses Organisation was 54% in favour and 46% against.

Police have issued warnings to parents following the fourth in a series of approaches to children this month. In two of the incidents, strangers tried to abduct children. In a third, a man thought to be in his 40s, asked a 14-year-old girl for sex.

A charity has launched a new appeal for mentors to help provide young people in care with the support needed to achieve their full potential. The ‘Do You Care?’ campaign by Voypic – the Voice of Young People in Care – aims to encourage adults of all ages to volunteer for the charity’s recently launched mentoring programme.

The findings of a UK-wide four year research project to help health care employers get the most out of work-based practice learning have been unveiled by the University of Ulster.

The Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has said there will be no pause in the recruitment process for hospital consultants, despite today’s limited industrial action.