New powers could bring an end to a wide variation in charges of more than £160 a week to care for vulnerable people in their homes across Wales.

A Care home in Swansea has changed hands and is in line for a revamp.Bristol-based Kaippans Care Group has received £1.85 million from the Royal Bank of Scotland to clinch the deal for the Old Vicarage Care Home in Sketty.

The chief constable who resigned amid allegations of financial wrongdoing and misuse of police equipment was also being investigated in connection with his force’s dismissal of child abuse claims against a judge, The Times can disclose.

{mosimage}Terence Grange, who resigned from the Dyfed-Powys Police on Monday, had been accused by the judge’s ex-wife of allowing his professional relationship with the judge to influence the force’s treatment of the claims.

He left his post days after the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched separate investigations into potentially criminal financial irregularities and alleged misuse of a work computer.

Members of the Dyfed-Powys Police Authority had refused to offer him their continuing support.

The Times can reveal that in August the IPCC had ordered the police authority to investigate the links between Mr Grange and the judge accused of inappropriate behaviour towards children. It follows claims made by the judge’s ex-wife that the judge had given a child a sexually transmitted disease, viewed child pornography websites and misused transcripts from child abuse cases that he had presided over.

A council pleaded guilty today to health and safety charges over the death of a quadriplegic cerebral palsy sufferer in a care home.

Local authorities in Wales are being given £3m to assess future childcare needs, it was announced yesterday.

Childrens’ minister Jane Hutt yesterday faced warnings that mental health services for children and teenagers in Wales were in crisis.

A Report claiming mental health services for children and teenagers are in crisis will be debated by the Assembly today.

Hard-pressed social workers are putting children before form-filling because they are so overworked. But according to Mark Roszkowski, Swansea Council’s head of child and family services, they have no choice because the department is so short-staffed.

Cases of abuse by school staff in Wales referred to independent investigators have led to criminal convictions, it emerged last night.

Wrexham councillors have been advised to turn down plans for a new £3m centre for people with dementia.