Association of Directors of Adult Social Services president Sarah Pickup says social workers still have a key role to play in adult services but must be deployed where their skills are truly required.

Association of Directors of Adult Social Services president Sarah Pickup says care providers must stop bidding for contracts where fees are too low to deliver services effectively.

A National Children and Adult Services special, including interviews with delegates and College of Social Work interim board member and social worker Suzy Croft

How lessons from Japanese care manufacturing have saved one council £3m on foster care recruitment costs. How the learning disability sector is coping post the abuse scandal at Winterbourne View. And why Unison thinks care workers should take part in a national strike.

We discuss a US scheme to house homeless people before resolving any related substance misuse problems, a council's plans to charge parents who put their children into care and news that social work assistants are taking on the work of qualified social workers. (Pic model released: Rex Features)

The role of social workers in a secure psychiatric setting and the decision to scrap and adult care excellence scheme are discussed in this week's podcast