The credit crunch has led to a crash in the value of Church of Scotland investments by more than £89m in the space of one year. Such is the looming financial crisis facing the Kirk that as well as cutting ministers stipends or the number of minsters, it is considering abandoning parishes altogether.

South Lanarkshire and Edinburgh acknowlege it will not tender services through online auctions again, after coming under criticism.

After 21 weeks on strike, Glasgow community service supervisors have voted to accept an improved offer and end their dispute. The strikers returned to work on Monday to applause from other members of the Unison union.

SECURITY fears have been raised after a laptop belonging to the city’s top social care official was stolen from the council’s headquarters.

REDUCING the number of quangos and improving public services will save £40million a year, the Scottish Government claimed last night.

Care homes across Scotland need to significantly improve the care they offer to people living with dementia.  A joint report – Remember, I’m Still Me – by the Care Commission and the Mental Welfare Commission highlights a range of concerns, most notably the excessive use of drugs used to control behaviour and the lack of regular medication reviews.

THE CROWN Office was under fire from a Lanarkshire MSP this week over their handling of the prosecution of the Rosepark care home owners.

OLD folk with dementia are being secretly drugged in Scots care homes to make them easier to control. Staff are slipping sedatives into frail residents’ food or drinks.

More than 100 children have died in local authority care in Scotland since 2000, according to a report published today, ahead of a seminar that aims to cut the toll.

AN EAST Kilbride woman is to be recognised as one of the top employees in the care sector in Scotland at a prestigious awards ceremony in Glasgow