A teaching support service which helps some of the most needy youngsters has been axed. The team of 35 teachers forms part of the Renfrewshire Specialist Peripatetic Service which provides teaching support to children with a wide range of support needs – including dyslexia numeracy and writing – in schools at all levels.

A public “sleepout” is being held in Glasgow’s George Square to highlight the case of refused asylum seekers who are homeless.

Highland Council is to spend £148,000 this year on suicide prevention measures, despite a 42% reduction in such death rates.

A GENERATION of disabled people will face an uncertain future when they outlive their elderly carers, a charity has warned.

Children are being denied their right to play, Scotland’s commissioner for young people has told the United Nations.

A report to be published by the Scottish Parliament calls for radical new ways to tackle the damage done by drugs and alcohol.

A PIONEERING £4.6m centre for improving treatments for women with the most common type of breast cancer was opened yesterday by Prince Charles.

Staff morale in Aberdeen City Council was “very low”, and managers and councillors were not showing the strong leadership needed, said the Social Work Inspection Agency.

On a six-point scale, the best that the council achieved in two categories was “adequate”. It was classed “weak” on five others and and “unsatisfactory” in two – leadership and resources.

The critical findings came in a report published today by the agency. The findings come less than a week after another critical report on the council, carried out by the Accounts Commission.

The commission’s report warned the city had “extremely serious” problems with management, finances and services, and it called for an organisational overhaul.

Today’s report by the Social Work Inspection Agency pointed to “long-standing difficulties” in health and care services.

A council has reassured hundreds of home carers that there jobs will not be lost by plans to modernise services. Margaret Davidson, chairwoman of Highland Council’s housing and social work, said the authority did not “anticipate redundancies”.

Ministers have requested a meeting with senior figures in Aberdeen City Council’s social work department after a critical report by inspectors.