Community Care articles from April 2004

Community Care archives from April 2004

price is not right for home care.(management)
April 1, 2004... The home care sector needs more money, but it is not enough. We also need a new way of looking at the service and to ask what it should do and for whom. Fourteen years after the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 passed into law, home care...

Government seeks to dispel 'myths' about use of the Data Protection Act.(Department of Constitutional Affairs)
April 1, 2004... The Department of Constitutional Affairs and the information commissioner have expressed concerns that public bodies are being over-cautious in their interpretation of the Data Protection Act 1998. Information commissioner Richard Thomas...

balancing act.(Social services administration)
April 1, 2004... As performance management takes a more active role in social care organisations, some are turning to private sector approaches such as the balanced scorecard. Graham Hopkins reports Part of the unstinting drive towards "modernisation" of...

Behind the headlines.(Elder services)
April 1, 2004... Our regular panel comments on a topic in the news: THISWEEK, the government's older people strategy The government is considering a national strategy for older people along the lines of the initiative for children. The strategy, which...

GUNN on Politics.(Volunteerism)
April 1, 2004... "Expect the voluntary sector to feature quite high up our agenda," confided the policy adviser working on her party's next general election manifesto. Which political party? The answer's irrelevant: I've heard similar statements from those...

mystery seizures.(Seizures (Medicine))
April 1, 2004... In February 2003 while getting my three-year-old daughter Courtney ready for bed she suddenly went limp, floppy and unresponsive. I thought she was playing but after a few minutes she had white bubbles lining her mouth. My panic instinct took...

your future in their hands.(nurses)
April 1, 2004... two years and still waiting The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has been investigating Amanda* since allegations of physical abuse were made against her two years ago. She recently attended her first conduct hearing, and is awaiting a...

what's social work?(Professional image)
April 1, 2004... The General Social Care Council is in the midst of professionalising social work. Yet at the same time joint-working is fast blurring boundaries between social work and other professions, says Lisa Harker It is ironic that social care has...

finding the missing.
April 1, 2004... pieces Jan Little is a trainer for Mindfields College Background information For information about the human givens approach and a range of relevant seminars and workshops, contact Mindfields College on 01323 811440 or visit...

the ; 10-year plan.(General Social Care Council)
April 1, 2004... The head of the General Social Care Council watchdog outlines thechallenge ahead to Natalie Valios Many would be daunted by the size of the task ahead. But although Rodney Brooke, chairperson of the council of the General Social Care...

is justice taking a beating?(hate crime against disabled persons)
April 1, 2004... Hate crimes against people with disabilities are now recognised in law. But the police and courts are dragging their feet in putting the law into practice, argues Joanna Perry of Values Into Action On 20 November last year, the Criminal...

nature of the beast.
April 1, 2004... The UK's social care councils have been up and running for a year. Anabel Unity Sale gauges the opinions of social care professionals about their work, the registration of social workers and how the profession will fare with its new protected...

residential care by amy Taylor; Despite progress many homes still not meeting minimum standards.
April 1, 2004... More than half of children's homes do not meet the national minimum standard on child protection procedures and training, new figures reveal. The research, by the National Care Standards Commission, also finds that only 36 per cent of...

regeneration by claire laurent; Cozens calls for statutory duty on councils to develop communities.(Social services administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Social care must place more emphasis on communities rather than the individual, the president of the Association of Directors of Social Services said last week. Andrew Cozens proposed a new statutory duty on councils "to work with others...

young people; Regions 'should take over Connexions'.(connexions service)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... England's proposed regional assemblies should take over responsibility for the Connexions service for 14 to 19 year olds, says a report by a local government think-tank. The report says little account is taken of regional differences,...

substance misuse; Pooled fund set up for young people.(Substance abuse treatment)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Government departments have pooled budgets to create a [pounds sterling]50m fund to help young people with substance misuse problems. The Home Office, Youth Justice Board, Department for Education and Skills and Department of Health have...

voluntary sector; Campaign to save family centre fails.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Staff and service users at a family centre run by the Children's Society in Brighton have raised concerns about the gap in services the centre's closure this week will leave. The St Gabriel's family centre, run by the children's charity...

local authorities; Rate of increase in council tax slows.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Council tax payments will rise by an average 5.9 per cent in the coming financial year, the government has confirmed. It is less than half last year's average increase. Local government minister Nick Raynsford said the government would...

standards; Low-key start to new commission heralds a big inspection shake up.
April 1, 2004... Three inspection regimes merge into one this month. But it will be a year before the staff and systems are fully streamlined. Sally Gillen looks at the challenges ahead A quiet revolution has taken place in the social care sector this...

drugs misuse; Random testing for first state school.(Abbey School)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Abbey School in Kent is set to become the first state school to introduce random drug testing, it emerged this week. The comprehensive school in Faversham will start testing pupils from September after parents gave their support to the...

learning difficulties; 'Housing plans must cover autism'.(Social services administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Plans for housing and support of people with learning difficulties must include people with autism, a National Autistic Society report has recommended. It claims the number of adults with autistic spectrum disorders is unknown because...

child protection; Doctors' doubts on baby 'abuse' proof.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Medical experts have cast further doubt on the diagnosis of "shaken baby syndrome", which is often cited as evidence of child abuse. Writing in the British Medical Journal last week, doctors argue that bleeding from the eyes alone is not...

children; Mother returns to jail over truancy.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A mother who was jailed in May 2002 for allowing her two daughters to truant is back in prison. Patricia Amos was sentenced at Bicester Magistrates Court last week to 28 days' imprisonment for allowing her daughter Jacqueline to miss...

mental health; Recruitment crisis for outreach teams.(Social services administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Crisis resolution and assertive outreach teams are finding it difficult to recruit social workers, a report from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and the National Institute for Mental Health in England has found. The report, which...

youth justice; Offenders need love if they are to care.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A leading children's campaigner has called on youth offending policy makers to change tack and look at the importance of sustained caring relationships in preventing children from offending. Speaking at a conference on preventive work with...

funding; MPs slam Olympic bid lottery 'raid'.(Member of Parliament )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... MPs and voluntary organisations have condemned plans to "raid" the national lottery fund of [pounds sterling]1.5bn to support London's Olympic bid. A report by the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee said the move...

child protection; Fears over barriers to plan's success.(professional barriers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has warned that professional barriers must not get in the way of protecting children, after new measures in the government's national child protection programme were announced by first minister Jack...

asylum seekers by amy taylor; Home Office withstands a barrage of criticism to stick by asylum proposal.
April 1, 2004... The government has announced that it will not be commissioning an independent review into section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 this week, despite calls from MPs and refugee campaigners. The section denies state...

inspections; Report praises most service provision.(Social services administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A report on how care services are responsive to the needs, and promote the rights, of service users has concluded that most services meet clients' needs but there is too much variation in performance. The study is based on inspection...

vulnerable people by natasha salari; Ring-fencing could be removed in Supporting People funding shake-up.
April 1, 2004... The ring-fencing of money for the Supporting People programme could be abolished under new government plans, a senior official at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has revealed. Wendy Jarvis, head of housing care and support, told...

readers' views; Key worker scheme does not impress.
April 1, 2004... Three out of four visitors to Community Care's website believe the government's new programme to help key workers afford homes in expensive areas will not relieve the housing crisis. This week's question asks: Have the National Care...

substance misuse; Report links care and drug abuse.
April 1, 2004... One in five drug users has been in care during childhood and over half have been excluded or suspended from school, a survey from charity Addaction has found. The survey, of people who have misused drugs and alcohol but who have sought...

fencing must stay up.(misappropriation of funds)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Only two months ago the government published an independent review of its housing and social care initiative Supporting People which suggested that some of the funds were being used for purposes other than those intended. Services previously...

legal; Silence remains golden for Lords.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Anew legal clause which would have allowed a person to be convicted of murder or manslaughter on the basis of their silence has been defeated in the House of Lords. During the third reading of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill,...

exclusive by ruth winchester; Workers support registration but have doubts over implementation.
April 1, 2004... One in seven qualified social workers won't register with the General Social Care Council "until forced to", exclusive Community Care research has revealed. Although 96 per cent of the 1,000 qualified social workers who responded knew it...

sector registers approval.
April 1, 2004... The new social care regulatory bodies could be the biggest thing to hit the workforce since the Community Care Act 1990. Despite this, a survey of more than 1,700 social care staff in the UK by Community Care shows plenty of confusion about the...

workforce; More staff needed to change light bulb.(social services administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The number of social care workers needed to change a light bulb was called into question this week - despite the ability of a home care worker to perform such a task being at the heart of the government's social care recruitment campaign. ...

practice; Guidance issued on forced marriages.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Social workers should consider that issues associated with forced marriage could lie behind truancy, self-harm and depression in some cases, states new practice guidelines. The Association of Directors of Social Services and four government...

domestic violence; Specialist courts offer better support.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Specialist domestic violence courts provide better support for victims and more effective ways of dealing with domestic violence and should be extended to work in crown courts, a new independent report concludes. Five of the special courts...

voluntary sector by Natasha Salari; Groups go to court over council cuts.(social services administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Voluntary groups in Leicester have won the right to challenge the council's decision to cut funding due to budgetary constraints. Last week, six groups won their fight for a judicial review of the decision. About 30 voluntary organisations...

children Bill by Lauren revans; Charity warns over Bill's weaknesses.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Measures contained in the Children Bill may not be enough to improve the protection of vulnerable children in the future, children's charity Barnardo's has warned. Director of the charity's child care operations Chris Hanvey said he was...

housing; More cash to build affordable homes.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The deputy prime minister has allocated [pounds sterling]3.5bn to the Housing Corporation to build 67,000 affordable homes over the next two years. The funding includes the [pounds sterling]690m Key Worker Living programme to recruit and...

In defiance of the family.(domestic violence against children)
April 1, 2004... Supporting people with learning difficulties to make life-changing decisions often brings professionals into conflict with the client's family. Graham Hopkins talks to social workers Jane Munton-Davies and John Goosey (left) about one such...

research into practice.(social services administration)
April 1, 2004... Nearly every year a high-profile child protection case raises concerns about information that was overlooked, misinterpreted or was not shared between agencies. How social workers can assess parents and children effectively in child protection...

a capital offence.(social services administration)
April 1, 2004... A recent letter I received highlights the way that the benefit system often obstructs social work goals. "A couple who foster, who also have two young children of their own, have had their council tax benefit stopped because of a row over...

what's wrong with a broad education?(Curriculum)
April 1, 2004... David Miliband, the schools standard minister, is struggling again. A recent Ofsted report cast doubt on the adequacy of numeracy and literacy teaching to many 11 to 14 year olds. It is not just teachers who are at fault. Too many schools...

happy to be registered.(social services administration)
April 1, 2004... You, our readers, have once again impressed us with your optimism. With just 12 months left to go before registration for some groups becomes a legal requirement, social care professionals are upbeat about the new regime's impact on their lives...

performance; Public wants to see more inspections.(Social services administration)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Nearly 40 per cent of the public believes that social care services should be inspected monthly and almost three-quarters think that inspectors should arrive unannounced, according to the results of a new Mori poll. The survey was...

'Too many laws fail to improve system'.( asylum legislation )(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... The government has been accused of producing too much asylum legislation rather than making the system work better. "The government has passed too many bills on the grounds that legislation is a substitute for the system working well," said...

patients need a voice.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Patient and user involvement has been made an article of faith by this government as it seeks to develop health and social care services. The new inspection commissions for social care and for health have reinforced this stance. But in the...

neighbourhoods hold the key.(Youth services)
April 8, 2004... Young people are often blamed for street crime and antisocial behaviour. Terms such as "yob culture" are common parlance. Yet how different life can be for a young person growing up in a neighbourhood that does not see young people as solely to...

my stepfather abused me.(Sexual abuse)
April 8, 2004... My mother and father came to England from the Caribbean during the late 1950s. Following a turbulent relationship they separated and my father returned to the Caribbean where he remained until his death. My mother became a single parent of...

deep wounds.
April 8, 2004... Self-harm in young people often only comes to light when they turn up in a hospital A&E department. But that tells only a fraction of the story, write researchers Pamela Storey, Jane Hurry and Cathy Brownjohn Serious self-harm is one of...

half measures.(alcohol harm reduction strategy)
April 8, 2004... all round It has been fermenting for a long time but the government's alcohol strategy has proved a weak brew, particularly for professionals involved in treatment services. Katie Leason reports Bottoms up was probably not the toast...

life on ; the edge.
April 8, 2004... Only by listening to those who self-harm do we stand a chance of helping them control their urges. Anabel Unity Sale hears the stories of three young people who self-harm. And on page 40, expert Pamela Storey and colleagues describe new...

running scared.(Alcoholism treatment)
April 8, 2004... The government is far more fearful of the "nanny state" tag than necessary. It mistakenly believes that the public will not accept interference in matters of personal choice, writes Anna Coote The newly published alcohol harm reduction...

homelessness; Barnardo's wants tougher B&Blaws.(Bed and breakfast )(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Thousands of children will remain in temporary accommodation despite the government's pledge that no family will spend long periods in B&Bs from this month, children's charity Barnardo's has warned. From this week, English local...

Asylum tag fails children, says expert.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Many social workers do not realise the Children Act 1989 covers asylum-seeking children, an asylum expert told the conference. Also, some social workers did not see child trafficking as a child protection issue, said Laurence Chester,...

home care ; A year with no help and still couple wait.(Doncaster Council, Home care services)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Doncaster Council, criticised last year by the Social Services Inspectorate over its home care, has left a sick man caring for his terminally ill wife on his own for 12 months. John Chappell, who has to undergo dialysis four times a day and...

families; Father-friendly UK wanted by charter.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... A three-year initiative for a father-friendly Britain was launched this week. The charter aims to get the UK's public services and workplaces to create more flexible working opportunities for fathers and encourage them to be more involved...

carers; Government backs new rights bill.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... The government announced its support for the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Bill last week. The bill will give carers new rights to opportunities for work, education and life-long learning. Community care minister Stephen Ladyman announced...

children bill by lauren revans; Charities fear information-sharing will lead to loss of clients' trust.
April 8, 2004... Voluntary sector organisations providing statutory services will be required to share information about children under plans in the Children Bill to develop databases, Sure Start minister Cathy Ashton has confirmed. However, voluntary...

immigration; Browne steps into Hughes's shoes.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Former Department for Work and Pensions minister Des Browne has been appointed as minister for citizenship and immigration following Beverley Hughes's resignation last week over the immigration controls fiasco. Hughes resigned after...

learning difficulties; Bath drowning case may be re-opened.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... A care worker could be prosecuted over the death of a man with learning difficulties in 1998 after the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that it is considering whether to reopen the case. Malcolm Rowley, who had the physical capacity of...

asylum seekers; Risk assessment will determine rights.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Asylum seekers applying for refugee status in the European Union could be divided into two classes in the future, depending on the risks they face in their home countries. The EU Council of Ministers (justice and home affairs) adopted the...

workforce; Health visitors seek to stop service cuts.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... The Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association is fighting the Vale of Aylesbury Primary Care Trust's proposals to cut the health visiting service by 20 per cent so as to save [pounds sterling]200,000 a year. The association...

care homes; 'Councils must be given more cash'.(residential nursing homes)
April 8, 2004... Councils in north west England believe the government needs to find extra funding if they are to pay residential nursing homes a "fair" rate for providing care and stem the flow of home closures. Research by social care market analysts...

disabilities; Hate crime hits third of disabled Scots.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... A third of disabled people in Scotland suffer hate crime attacks at least once a month, a new survey has revealed. The poll of 158 disabled people also finds that almost half had experienced verbal abuse, intimidation or physical attacks as...

health; Public forums 'not yet working well'.(health services )(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Many of the new bodies set up to allow the public to monitor the quality of health services are not functioning properly, according to forum members. Patient and public involvement forums, which replaced community health councils on 1...

hung out to dry.(The Children and Family Court Advisory Service)
April 8, 2004... The official code of conduct for social care workers places a duty on staff to highlight poor standards, abuse or a lack of resources that may affect services. Certainly, the use of the term "using established processes and procedures" is not...

children's guardians by derren hayes; 'Poor treatment' of Cafcass board member may deter new applicants.(Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service)
April 8, 2004... The former board member of the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service at the centre of a whistleblowing dispute fears her poor treatment could put others off serving in similar roles. Judy Weleminsky said she was worried...

workplace; Extra pay for some West Sussex staff.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... West Sussex Council has agreed to pay child care social workers higher salaries to boost recruitment and retention, it has emerged. The council has written to all social work staff in children's services to announce that, following a...

young people; Connexions hailed by Audit Office.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... The Connexions Service represents a radical change in the delivery of guidance to young people, according to a National Audit Office report published last week. Head of the NAO Sir John Bourn said Connexions had made "significant progress"...

child protection; Possible ID card for children's workers.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... A children's worker passport that would be carried by professionals who have been vetted is under consideration by the Department for Education and Skills. Althea Efunshile, director for safeguarding children and supporting families at the...

children; Encouragement from carers key.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Encouragement from carers, teachers and social workers is the most important factor in the educational achievement of looked-after children, research has found. A National Children's Bureau study blames underachievement by looked-after...

youth justice; Stoke Heath death inquiry unlikely.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Apublic inquiry into the death of Joseph Scholes at Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institution is unlikely to go ahead despite calls from campaigners and peers, it emerged last week. Speaking at a House of Lords debate on the issue, Lord...

youth justice; New chief frowns at overuse of strip cells.(united kingdom. Youth Justice Board)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Special cells in young offenders institutions should only ever be used sparingly, according to the new chair of the Youth Justice Board. "I have always argued there has to be very sparing use of isolation and things like stripping and strip...

care homes by derren hayes and katie leason; 'Official' letters frighten homes into making 'data protection' payments.
April 8, 2004... Care homes are being targeted by bogus companies into paying more than [pounds sterling]100 to register under the Data Protection Act 1998. Letters being sent to care homes and other businesses are proving to be so official-looking and...

substance misuse by katie leason; Alcohol Concern flags up fears over National Treatment Agency's future.(National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse)
April 8, 2004... The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse has vehemently denied rumours that its future could be in jeopardy. Rumours about the NTA came to light in a document released by Alcohol Concern, in response to last month's alcohol harm...

mental health by katie leason; Patients rely on charities for new clothes as trusts 'shirk obligations'.
April 8, 2004... People with mental health problems who spend a long time in hospital receiving treatment are being denied suitable clothing by mental health trusts. Many patients have to rely on the hospital to provide their clothes as they are unable to...

research into practice.
April 8, 2004... Change does not come about easily: at times it has to be fought for. This is certainly the experience of disadvantaged and socially excluded communities that find themselves fighting tortuous bureaucratic processes in order to gain funding for...

'zonked out' by medicine.(treatment of mentally unstable bryan ludlow)
April 8, 2004... A man with mental health symptoms has resumed cannabis use rather than suffer the side-effects of his prescribed medicine Situation: Bryan Ludlow is a 27-year-old man who regularly smokes cannabis. He is self-employed as a joiner. He...

older people; Hidden catch to council tax bonus?(elder services)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Older people might have to wait months for the [pounds sterling]100 contributions towards their council tax bills promised in last month's budget, it has emerged. Admitting that a "legislative basis" was needed to make the payments to...

children bill; Lords greet bill but seek more money and independence for commissioner.
April 8, 2004... While backing the Children Bill, many peers have doubts about database information access and the scope of the children's commissioner's role. Lauren Revans reports Despite the Children Bill's warm welcome in the House of Lords last week,...