VOLUNTARY SECTOR

VOLUNTARY SECTOR

A coalition of third sector social care providers has said training grants for adult social care should no longer be channelled through local authorities as this is preventing independent providers from accessing money. The call from the Social Care Employers Consortium, which includes Mencap and Sense, came in a report which found 60% of providers had to top-up local authority fees for services with voluntary income. www.communitycare.co.uk/109244

MENTAL HEALTH

Health and social care agencies need to do more to help the police deal with people with mental health problems, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health said in a briefing this week. www.communitycare.co.uk/109245

CARE STANDARDS

The Care Standards Tribunal was due to hear Northamptonshire care home the Alton Centre’s appeal against closure this week, after the Commission for Social Care Inspection secured an order to cancel its registration. www.communitycare.co.uk/109246

OLDER PEOPLE

Age Concern has criticised the Department of Health for failing to answer calls to amend delayed discharge rules following concerns that older people were being discharged from hospital unsafely. The criticism came in a damning review of the government’s response to an August 2007 report on the human rights of older people in health and social care by parliament’s joint committee on human rights. www.communitycare.co.uk/109238

ADULT CARE

The Department of Health is seeking views to inform its promised revision of guidance on ordinary residence for social care users, which determines which local authority is responsible for supporting them. Email or.guidance@dh.gsi.gov.uk