Community Care articles from April 2009

Community Care archives from April 2009

News.
April 16, 2009... Every week we will suggest actions that you can take immediately to Stand Up Now for Social Work. This week: 1 Visit The Monitor at www.communitycare.co.uk/monitor, and send us examples of good and bad coverage of social work from your...

News.(The Monitor: Social Work and the Media blog)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... Community Care today launches a blog to scrutinise media coverage of social work and correct inaccurate reporting. The Monitor: Social Work and the Media, available at www.communitycare.co.uk/monitor, will cast a critical eye over national...

News.(social workers' health as a condition of registration)
April 16, 2009... Campaigners demand DH abides by ruling on fitness mithran.samuel@rbi.co.uk Disability campaigners have urged the Department of Health to scrap requirements for social workers to show they are in good health as a condition of...

News.(social workers' misconduct)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... conduct Social workers struck off for inaction and stealing sally.gillen@rbi.co.uk Two social workers were struck off by the General Social Care Council conduct committee last week in two separate cases. One worked with involving...

News.(carers being given complimentary passes to 10 museums)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... Pass to knowledge Shropshire carers will enjoy free visits to 10 museums thanks to a complimentary pass scheme organised by Telford and Wrekin Council, the Carers Contact Centre and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Carer Chris Mayo (second...

News.(abuse of girls in Church of England's children's home)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... child protection Government rules out Kendall House inquiry The Church of England says it will co-operate with any inquiry but government rules one out sally.gillen@rbi.co.uk Campaigners are pressuring for a public inquiry...

News.(increase in foster placements, Equality Bill, rules on intercountry adoption)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... LOOKED-AFTER CHILDREN Edinburgh Council has reported a rise in vulnerable babies referred to foster placements over the past year. Ninety-nine infants under six months were referred in 2008, double the number from the previous year. Half...

News.(Surrey Council lost its bid for a judicial review of children's services assessment)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... Surrey Council lost last week its bid for a judicial review of last year's Ofsted assessment of its children's services. The council had been rated as inadequate overall in children's services, in safeguarding and in its capacity to improve...

News.(vacancy rates among social workers)
April 16, 2009... 10.9% of soci al work posts are vacant Highest vacancy rate in London boroughs; the lowest in the North East andrew.mickel@rbi.co.uk One in nine social worker posts in England are vacant, according to exclusive research by...

News.(Baby P case)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... child protection Haringey disciplines staff over child protection cases mithran.samuel@rbi.co.uk Three social workers have been disciplined by Haringey Council. The north London authority found child protection cases had not...

News.(probation year for graduate social workers)
April 16, 2009... training Experts call for probation year for graduate social workers Social work professors defend generic degree and want an expanded two-year foundation course daniel.lombard@rbi.co.uk All social work graduates should have a...

News.(restoring morale to children's social work, general practitioners' sufficient training, education for refugees)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... CHILDREN The new president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services has promised to restore morale to children's social work and improve post-qualifying training. Kim Bromley-Derry, director of children's services at Newham...

News.(Cambridgeshire Youth Parliament's Neil Adams)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... political promotion Neil Adams, an MP on the Cambridgeshire Youth Parliament (right), joined the staff at 10 Downing Street for a day to shadow the work of senior government press officer Stephen Coomber (left). Neil, a trainer for the Promote...

News.(National Skills Academy for Social Care's Liz McSheehy)
April 16, 2009... First skills academy chief pledges to raise standards and boost morale Liz McSheehy to emphasise the value of training and ensure good practice is known to a wider audience Education: Studied social science at the University of London....

News.(employers' pay offer)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... Local government unions have said that they may be unable to agree to the 2009-10 pay offer by the employers' deadline of 1 June. National Employers for Local Government Services has offered 0.5% for staff in England, Wales and Northern...

Co-production in adult services.(Proven Practice)(collaborative relationship between user and provider of services)
April 16, 2009... The Social Care Institute for Excellence's weekly analysis of research findings behind specific social work practices the evidence base for social care practice he government has committed itself to personalising social care. The...

A funky night out.(Features)(exclusive social event for the community's key workers)
April 16, 2009... London is hosting a relaxing night of music and fun for the capital's key workers. Anabel Unity Sale dons her best attire and attends Dawn Goddard, (left) probation officer, Westminster "Working for the probation service can be very...

Working Lives.
April 16, 2009... the best and worst decision I ever made Hurried decision on heating wasn't so hot A placement in a nursery school brings back fond memories for Kath Delaney-Wetherill while a story from one Christmas serves as a reminder to avoid...

Ite_SSRqs all.(Features)(vacancy rates among social workers)
April 16, 2009... Staff shortages in children's departments are being tackled with a [pounds sterling]73m cash boost, but similar problems in adults' services are overlooked, finds Andrew Mickel No one is under any illusion that there is not a shortage of...

Research Realities.(professional training of social workers)
April 16, 2009... FAO Ed Balls and Alan Johnson Thank you for writing to me. In 40 years of social work I have never before received a personal letter from a secretary of state, so this is a significant event. It made me wonder why I had never heard...

Side swipe at common practice.(The Risk Factor)
April 16, 2009... D Weighing up the risks * Independent living Sheila was clear that she wished to continue living in her own home. * Detention criteria not met She did not meet the threshold for detention under the Mental Health Act and...

We should celebrate the value older people can offer society.(My practice)
April 16, 2009... Recruiting retired social workers is a shrewd move; as one London group shows the over-60s have much to offer, writes Mark Drinkwater ast month the Local Government Association announced a drive to recruit 5,000 former social workers back...

Opinion Columns.(closing Reading University's social work department)(Essay)
April 16, 2009... course called to accounts The decision to shut Reading University's social work department was made in the the interest of the balance sheet, not need The recent disclosure that our local university (Reading) is closing its doors to...

News.(vacancy rate for social workers)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... the vacancy vicious circle The 10.9% vacancy rate for social workers across England's councils, revealed by our exclusive investigation, is shocking but not unexpected. We have known for some time that recruitment and retention has been...

News.(Baby P case in Haringey)(Brief article)
April 16, 2009... who's really responsible? The latest developments in the Baby P case once again emphasise the complexity of the situation. Haringey Council has dismissed an agency practitioner and suspended two staff social workers "for not dealing with...

Don't sideline quality social work.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 16, 2009... letter of the week Ruth Cartwright, BASW professional officer, England ohn Dixon, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services accuses the British Association of Social Workers of scaremongering over the possible...

On the record.(Features)
April 16, 2009... Most social workers recognise the value of recording but the act of doing so is dogged by confusion and mystery. This need not be so, writes researcher Liz O'Rourke Recording is regarded by most practitioners as a necessary evil. It is...

Dance of perfection?(Working Lives)(Candoco dance troupe)
April 16, 2009... Candoco dance troupe has been amazing audiences with its mix of able-bodied and disabled dancers, writes Mark Drinkwater Candoco is a contemporary dance company that specialises in mixing disabled and able-bodied dancers. Candoco was...

News.
April 16, 2009... Latest data show sharp rise Community Care's research shows a marked increase in vacancies compared with the most recent data collected by the Local Government Association. From 2002 to 2006 the vacancy rate for children's social...

News.(adults' services vacancy rates)
April 16, 2009... Adults' services vacancy rates similar to children's services The difference in vacancy rates between children's and adults' social workers is negligible, with 12.1% of adults posts vacant compared with 13.0% of children's, our figures...

Features.(social care projects)
April 16, 2009... The Excellence Network is Community Care's awards scheme that recognises achievement in social care. Honoured teams will be invited to the presentation at this year's Community Care LIVE on 13 May The first of five features showcasing the...

News.(care for disabled persons)
April 16, 2009... No replacement for mum Whatever the care package, it still often takes a selfless parent to ensure that a disabled person has a good quality of life We've all met them, the parents - almost invariably mothers - who have cared for their...

Circuit.(Good Practice)(motor cross track providing education for disadvantaged youth)
April 16, 2009... A motor cross track in Preston provides education for disadvantaged teenagers and rewards their efforts with a ticket to ride. Amy Taylor reports ddie Sloane was aware of the land on Preston docks long before it became the site for his...

Good Practice.(social security legislation)
April 16, 2009... Caveats and small print limit benefits of new welfare laws One new law helps people meet their mortgage payments, and another aids care leavers on income support. But, Gary Vaux says, the devil is in the detail wo new pieces of social...

Features.(social care projects)
April 30, 2009... The Excellence Network recognises achievement in social care. Honoured teams will be invited to the presentation at this year's Community Care LIVE on 13 May Organisation Papworth Trust project Foundations for Living Client group...

News.
April 30, 2009... Every week we will suggest actions that you can take immediately to Stand Up Now for Social Work. This week: 1 Sign our petition. There are only a few weeks left to sign our petition calling on The Sun to report more responsibly about...

News.(managing child welfare)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... comcare.news@rbi.co.uk Local government chiefs have called Lord Laming's review of child protection a "missed opportunity" to save children. A joint response by four local government membership bodies was sent to ministers last week...

News.(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... picture caption [pic has been sent to adam email and also stevie has it] Ray Clarke is the 600th person to be given one of Essex County Council's personal budgets. The retired cargo superintendent, 70, of Hedingham Road, Halstead, who...

News.(Mike Leadbetter)(In memoriam)
April 30, 2009... Mike Leadbetter: a gentle giant and a true pioneer of dignity The death of Mike Leadbetter, no surprise to those who knew how ill he has been, is a dreadful loss. A huge loss for his wife Pam and two sons, Lin and Jan; for the many...

News.(courts being open to the media)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... Family hearings in the county courts and the High Court are open to the media from 27 April. The move aims to increase transparency amid growing public interest in child care proceedings. Only accredited journalists with a UK press...

News.(Philip Ellison murder)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... maria.ahmed@rbi.co.uk A man has admitted killing Philip Ellison, the Lancashire Council social care worker stabbed to death during a visit to a supported housing project in April last year. Robert Searle, 52, was detained indefinitely...

News.(Doncaster Council's children's services)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... Weak leadership, underfunding and historic conflicts between councillors, managers and other agencies have been blamed for serious failings at Doncaster Council's children's services. That was the verdict of two separate reports made public...

News.(anti-discrimination bill, young prisoners, )
April 30, 2009... LEGISLATION The Equality Bill, which aims to fight all forms of discrimination in Britain, was published this week. The draft legislation brings together nine existing duties and extends them to gender reassignment, age, sexual orientation...

News.(social care personalisation)
April 30, 2009... The adult social care workforce strategy for England has failed to address fears about changes in social work roleunder personalisation, sector leaders have warned. The 50-page strategy, published by the Department of Health on 23 April,...

News.(Association of Directors of Adult Social Services's Jenny Owen's campaign to improve public perceptions of social work)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... Owen backs campaign to give profession a fair press daniel.lombard@rbi.co.uk The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has given its full backing to Community Care's campaign to improve public perceptions of social work....

News.(social care budgets)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... news in brief FUNDING One in seven councils has reported a squeeze on adult social care budgets because of the recession, an Adass survey of 66 English authorities has found. It also showed "significant increases" in referrals for...

News.(specialisation in social work training)
April 30, 2009... Taskforce chair warns against training split bronagh.miskelly@rbi.co.uk Social work training should not be split into separate adult and children's specialisms, according to the chair of the Social Work Taskforce. Moira Gibb told...

Sector welco mes job creation plans.(News)
April 30, 2009... Long-term unemployed young people are to be offered social care training to set them on a career path. Louise Hunt reports "I'm really enjoying the scheme and learning new things each day" Hidy Larcher (left) is taking part in Barking...

Commissioning needs CQC scrutiny.(Letter to the editor)
April 30, 2009... 30aprilletters Top 5 stories Top 5 blogs Top 5 CareSpace discussions fter years of reviewing pricing models and hearing that we must all make contingencies, I fear we have reduced fees to dangerously low levels. I suspect...

News.(David Behan's call for social workers to stand up against public criticism)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... Stop playing the victim, Behan tells social workers Social care chief in rallying call for professionals to fight back against public criticism daniel.lombard@rbi.co.uk The government's social care chief, David Behan, has called on...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
April 30, 2009... Petition latest - nearing 6,000... (use Sun logo) Campaign latest Ten reasons to speak to the media (use campaign logo) Simeon says (use twitter logo)

Opinion Columns.(social workers' role in social care personalisation)
April 30, 2009... we need to speak Social workers feel excluded from contributing to the development of the personalisation agenda. This must change Let's get this right: the British Association of Social Workers is fully committed to Putting People...

Working Lives.(Kimberley: Young Mum Ten Years On)
April 30, 2009... As the title suggests, Kimberley: Young Mum Ten Years On revisits its star, Kimberley, 10 years after she first hit the small screen as a teenager in the critically acclaimed documentary Fifteen. If the earlier programme was all about a...

Effective early years intervention.(Opinion Columns)
April 30, 2009... The Social Care Institute for Excellence's bi-weekly analysis of research findings behind specific social work practices overty is the greatest risk factor for children's outcomes in the early years. More than 2.9 million children in the UK...

Sealed off from scrutiny.(Features)
April 30, 2009... Family court judges and magistrates take decisions on custody and access that can adversely affect child safety. But who holds them to account if they make a mistake? Amy Taylor reports Lord Laming's March review of the child protection...

Features.(funding social services)
April 30, 2009... A growing "us and them" situation is developing between vulnerable adults who qualify for council services and those who own enough assets to be deemed capable of paying for their own care. As cash-strapped councils prioritise their limited...

News.(access to social services)
April 30, 2009... the end of social work? Government rhetoric about choice and personalisation sounds radical but it also may sound the death knell for social work It's only a few years ago that we were wrestling with how to attract social workers to...

Features.(social services)
April 30, 2009... Natasha Salari 30.4 general feature: Excellence Network This is the 3rd one and it's on User Involvement Organisation: Staffordshire University Project: Service Users and Carers Group Client group: Older people (photo with...

Oldest wingers in town.(Good Practice)(Norwich City Football in the Community Scheme's Extra Time project)
April 30, 2009... Norwich City Football Club is helping older people keep well and happy by providing sporting opportunities and group activities. Anabel Unity Sale reports from the touchline When football fanatic and chef Delia Smith shouted the immortal...

Features.(youth justice guides)(Recommended readings)
April 30, 2009... COPY FOR CC INFORM GOOD PRACTICE SPREAD BOX - YOUTH JUSTICE YOUTH JUSTICE Intro par: A selection of these is given below. 1. Guide to youth justice and parenting responsibility by Cris Hoskin and Sarah Lindfield, Parenting and...

News.(Working to Put People First, the adult social care workforce strategy)
April 30, 2009... We can't afford to wait Reshaping the adult care services workforce "so that it has the right people with the right skills undertaking the roles and tasks which people using services want". This is one of the key principles behind Working...

News.(family courts to be opened to the media to increase public confidence)(Brief article)
April 30, 2009... road to understanding From this week, family courts will be open to the media under a drive to increase public confidence. Reporters will be able to attend more hearings but, in the main, won't be able to write about specific cases.Debates...

Working Lives.(Liz Willets)
April 30, 2009... The pros and cons of personal experience A job in a children's hospice gave Liz Willets a chance to use her own experience positively but it was a different story when she tried to help arrange care for an older person The best ...

A sorry state of affairs.(The Risk Factor)(restorative justice)
April 30, 2009... Weighing up the risks * Assessment undertaken A formal risk assessment was undertaken. * Victim's positive reaction The victim was clear that he wanted to participate in the restorative meeting. * Thorough preparation to...

Opinion Columns.(Department for Work and Pensions' benefits system)
April 30, 2009... how mean is the dwp? The benefits system penalises people for behaving responsibly and saving for your future - even if they have a major disability A part-time job seemed a good idea at the time. I was a mature student with cerebral...

A sense of community.(Features)
April 30, 2009... Troubled children and adults with issues ranging from substance abuse to personality disorder all benefit from therapeutic communities. Andrew Mickel reports on how service users change their behaviour by taking control of their situations ...

Personalisation is hollow talk when so many are neglected.(Opinion Columns)(Viewpoint essay)
April 30, 2009... The move towards personalisation may flounder if care services can't treat older people with respect, writes consultant Geoff Ettridge ver the past few weeks I have been troubled by several reports relating to the neglect - and sometimes...

Features.(support for social care)
April 30, 2009... A growing "us and them" situation is developing between vulnerable adults who qualify for council services and those who own enough assets to be deemed capable of paying for their own care. As cash-strapped councils prioritise their limited...