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Social care is rising up the government’s political agenda. When care minister Ivan Lewis responded to this year’s hard-hitting State of Social Care report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) with a review of eligibility criteria, he was announcing a policy shift with implications far beyond social care.

In 2009, The Social Care Institute for Excellence introduced guidelines for practitioners to support families in which parents have mental health problems. Here, Scie presents a case study demonstrating how the guidance could be successfully applied

In this second of two articles reporting on her research, Jenny Henderson argues that adequate support should be given to carers who wish to care for a person with end-stage dementia at home

As I sit here in the garden, enjoying the cool evening breeze after a hard day decorating the bedroom, I flick through a list of national and world days that have landed in my email in tray. Yes, I know that this is sad. However, a number of interesting—if not rather bizarre-days and weeks swim into view, including National Noodle Day (5 March) and Be Nice to Nettles Day (19 May). I kid you not.

Reports on an evaluation of the efforts of the Royal United Hospital (RUH) Bath to improve the support offered to people with dementia and their family carers. The intervention included the recruitment of three part-time dementia coordinators, a seven-day older adult mental health liaison service with nurses and a psychiatrist, additional staff training and an increased emphasis on arts and music in the wards.

Royal college of psychiatrists, leeds, 28 february

Learning disability practitioners should drop any barriers that stop relatives from contributing to the care being delivered to older service users, according to Andrew Fairburn, the medical director of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust.

The author argues that funding for young carers' support should be ring-fenced to avoid that possibility that British councils may use the budget to fend off the next budgetary crisis. He describes young carers as children who take on responsibility for their families, acting as main carers for their disabled or chronically ill parents and siblings. The government has funded initiatives to support young carers. However, he notes that government aims to transfer this funding to local authorities.

Describes how the Lancashire Dementia Research Group (LADRIG) has given people with dementia and their carers an active role in the development of research projects.

Explains how, in their desire to protect employees from the hazardous lifting of service users, local authorities are running the risk of negligence claims from carers.

This is a personal account of the issues faced by carers of a young adult with autism and a learning disability in making the transition from children's services to an adult residential setting, and the ongoing difficulties in maintaining his well-being and ensuring his future quality of life.