The Inspector

By Adam McCulloch

Uh-oh. Social workers are coming in for some stick again.

Perhaps it’s worth giving Amy Winehouse her own spot on Community Care’s website?

With local government unions possibly on the brink of settling this year’s pay dispute following an increased offer from the employers, it will be interesting to see what happens with the prison officers.

Gangs and City finance may not be obvious bedfellows aside from being two of the biggest news themes of this summer's not-so-silly season.
However, one issue links the two and others of this summer's hot topics, such as exam results, namely the huge level of inequality in the UK.
Yet, in all the political hot air that has been expended on these stories, you will be hard pressed to find a mainstream politician who has mentioned it.
The Thatcherite legacy, that talking about inequality represents the "politics of envy" and that tackling it is an attack on "aspiration" and hard-working families", remains.

Brent Martin this weekend became the third person with learning disabilities to be killed in as many months. The 23-year-old was reportedly beaten to death by two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, and a 21-year-old, near his home in Sunderland. Their motive is unclear but police officers have been quoted as saying children often target people with learning disabilities.

What is it with celebs popping in and out of rehab as though it’s their local corner shop?

I can’t help thinking that if the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) wants to actually improve anything it might need to be a bit braver in its reports.

The quest for ratings success often causes TV producers to take a voyeuristic interest in people's illnesses and impairments, and the more bizarre the symptoms the better. But, if some of these programmes are merely superficial and intrusive, this was an honourable exception. Shown on prime-time ITV1 (8 August), it was the second of Paul Watson's films about the lives of Malcolm and Barbara Pointon as Malcolm descended into the dark underworld of Alzheimer's.

At last someone has had the guts to tell it how it is. Dr Hamish Meldrum, head of the British Medical Association, says obesity is often caused by people eating too much and exercising too little.

Heard a very interesting debate on Radio 4 last night on being transgender .