Society briefing: Rotherham council ‘not fit for purpose’ - report Government report finds culture of bullying, sexism and suppression in a council ‘currently incapable of tackling its weaknesses’ Clare Horton theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 February 2015 08.00 EST The report by Louise Casey said Rotherham had at times taken more care of its reputation than of its most needy. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi/Guardian Sign up to Society briefing email Today’s top SocietyGuardian stories • Rotherham council in denial on child sexual exploitation failures, report says • New Zealand judge named as new child abuse inquiry chair • Half of people in Britain born after 1960 will get cancer, study shows • Death rate rises as cold snap grips UK • Patients ‘badly let down’ by failure to keep care pledge • Welfare reforms are main cause of homelessness in England, study finds • Blunkett calls for more self-help and less state aid • Health sector should divest from fossil fuels, medical groups say • Ros Altmann: Who are you calling old? Let’s ditch ageist stereotypes • Farewell Lucy Glennon. A brilliant writer, campaigner and ‘total badass’ • Rob Allen: The trouble with privatising probation All today’s SocietyGuardian stories In today’s SocietyGuardian section • Closing time for gay pubs – a new victim of London’s soaring property prices • Time to rethink these dysfunctional benefit sanctions • Pippa Kelly: Children talking about dementia on TV is a milestone in awareness raising • Clare Allan: A government agenda to dehumanise benefit claimants • The specialist courts that care about keeping families together • Clare Gerada: Where pain in the NHS goes untreated – among its staff • Jon Sparkes: Homelessness is much worse than it appears and politicians must act • As a jobcentre adviser, I got ‘brownie points’ for cruelty Jobs of the week • Head of finance and governance, UNA-UK • Chief executive, Age UK Cheshire East • Head of learning and development, Barchester Healthcare • Web and new media officer, Hillingdon council The Guardian’s public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs On the Society Professional Networks • Reduced benefit cap would ‘force large families out of the south-east’ • The cost of caring – why I had to leave the charity sector • What the NHS can learn from the US Obamacare system • Why do so few care homes pay staff the living wage? • What impact has Francis Maude had on Whitehall? Pick of the blogs • Shibley Rahman, Socialist Health Association: Let’s have a ‘conversation’ with why we’re putting up with less spending in the NHS • Chris Ham, the King’s Fund: Health and social care debate heating up in run-up to election 2015 • Eleanor Taylor, the Conversation: Public satisfaction with NHS at second-highest level in 30 years – but are we really happier? • Craig Green, Scope: In prison I started visualising a future. Now I’m aiming for the Paralympics • Richard Exell, Touchstone: 800,000 children live in families that are behind on their energy bills • David Boyle, New Start: What’s most important? It isn’t local – it’s small • Maxine Cotton, BBC Ouch: How can cookery classes help people with learning disabilities? Other news • BBC: IFS says ‘worst of cuts to come’ • Children & Young People Now: Ofsted tells two further authorities to improve children’s services • CivilSociety.co.uk: Government opens £5m fund for organisations working on child sex abuse • Community Care: Government finds extra £74m for councils to fund social care and welfare • Independent: Bold housing plans could swing the election, survey suggests • Inside Housing: Supreme Court homelessness legal challenge gets green light • LocalGov.co.uk: England’s climate disadvantage ‘hot spots’ mapped for first time • Public Finance: Manzoni plans stronger central finance function in Whitehall shake up • Telegraph: Politicians have a human right to sound racist, says equalities watchdog • Third Sector: Salvation Army income rose to £196m in 2013/14 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 The Guardian’s public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs SocietyGuardian editor: Alison Benjamin Email the SocietyGuardian editor: society@theguardian.com