Social work overspend predicted

A report on social work spending in Dumfries and Galloway has predicted an overspend of nearly £500,000 this year.

The bulk of the anticipated problem has been linked to high costs of providing specialist support for children at agencies outside the region.

The department has also faced budget pressures due to the single status pay deal for its staff.

Social work officials said that identifying spending reductions was a significant challenge for the service.