Society briefing: Speed up efforts to improve NHS mental heath care, say MPs

Society briefing: social affairs news and comment from the Guardian Mental health | decriminalising drugs | housing Clare Horton theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 March 2015 07.51 EST The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, will launch the report in parliament on Wednesday. Photograph: PA/PA Sign up to Society briefing email Today’s top SocietyGuardian stories • Speed up efforts to improve poor mental heath care in NHS, say MPs  • Emergency care fund failing to reach A&E departments, research shows • UK should begin decriminalising drugs, say Richard Branson and Nick Clegg • Furness hospital’s ‘lethal mix’ of failings led to deaths of 12, report says Professionals blamed Oxfordshire girls for their sexual abuse, report finds The Guardian view on child sex abuse: right questions, wrong answers  • Letters: Imprisoning social workers will worsen the plight of vulnerable children • Breast cancer patient’s daily headgear selfies raise £8,000 for Macmillan Gavin Extence: I have bipolar disorder, but I wouldn’t want to ‘fix’ my mind  • Diane Taylor: Locking up immigrants diminishes us all In today’s SocietyGuardian section Few feel older people in the UK have a good quality of life, survey finds I lived with an older person in return for cheap rent, but my chores quickly grew Stewart Dakers: No party has clear policies about the care of older people Which are the best countries in the world to grow old in? Vive la différence: French minister explains why France is still a welfare state Jobs of the week Chief executive, Cornwall Museums Partnership  Director for commissioning: economic growth and communities, Essex county council Head of sport and wellbeing, University of the West of Scotland  Board members for responsible gambling strategy board, Gambling Commission The Guardian’s public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs On the Society Professional Networks Are celebrity charity patrons a good thing, asks Ben Summerskill Six myths about local government that annoy council workers Hannah Fearn on how the scandal of councils turning away homeless people is finally being exposed  • Three-quarters of all mental health problems start before age 18 but services for children and young people remain severely underfunded • Edward Timpson, children’s minister, describes sharing his childhood home with foster children and the profound impact it had on him Pick of the blogs • Chris Ham, King’s Fund: What Devo Manc could mean for health, social care and wellbeing in Greater Manchester • Diane Coyle, Manchester Policy Blogs: Why devolution is good for the economy Natasha Curry, Nuffield Trust: Fact or fiction? Demand for GP appointments is driving the ‘crisis’ in general practice • Rick, Flip Chart Fairy Tales: The rise and fall of the rich pensioner • John Lister, the Conversation: The trouble with the floundering flagship that is Barts Health • Keren Sucheck, New Start: The great government cover-up • Silkie Cragg, Touchstone: Housing inequality and soaring rent costs Other news • BBC: Home care ‘being short changed’ • Children & Young People Now: Adoptions by same-sex couples quadruple since law change • Community Care: Thinktank sets out “roadmap” for living wage in social care Independent: Report prompts NHS to launch a review into maternity care across England • Inside Housing: Housing is ‘most important issue’ for Londoners • LocalGov.co.uk: Council staff in week-long strike over ‘bullying’ complaints Public Finance: English devolution ‘could boost economy by £144bn’ • Telegraph: Nick Boles in climbdown after claiming benefit sanctions are ‘inhuman’ • Third Sector: Sector condemns Eric Pickles comments on ‘sock-puppet’ charities SocietyGuardian blogs Patrick Butler’s cuts blog Sarah Boseley’s global health blog SocietyGuardian on social media Follow SocietyGuardian on Twitter Follow Patrick Butler on Twitter Follow Clare Horton on Twitter Follow Alison Benjamin on Twitter SocietyGuardian’s Facebook page SocietyGuardian links SocietyGuardian SocietyGuardian editor: Alison Benjamin Email the SocietyGuardian editor: society@theguardian.com Sign up for the Guardian Today Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for the daily email