Community Care articles from December 2006

Community Care archives from December 2006

Raped but refused asylum.
December 7, 2006... Cristel Amiss tells Josephine Hocking how her small group helps asylum seekers who have been raped"Imagine being forced to leave your country in terror after being raped by soldiers or police acting on behalf of the state. "You arrive in the UK...

The Simon Heng column A service user's view of social care.(Column)
December 7, 2006... Iagree with Peter Beresford's recently reported view that the disability movement in this country has found itself at something of a crossroads. At a time when disability legislation, including the new disability equality duty, promotes...

If you ask me...(Chris Parkington)(Interview)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Chris Parkington is blind and volunteers for Stockton Blind People's Voice and other agenciesWho has influenced you the most?My teacher, Miss Lawton, at Norton High Street junior school. She taught me that everyone has a particular talent.Which...

Standards Inspectors to focus on at-risk children.(Christine Gilbert )(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Support for vulnerable children will be given more attention in children's services inspections under proposals from Ofsted's new chief inspector of schools.Christine Gilbert has told children's services directors that inspectors have been...

HIV Asylum aid 'may break poverty link'.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... The link between HIV and extreme poverty could be broken by giving asylum seekers the right to work and more benefits, a report claims.Campaign group the National Aids Trust and aid agency Crusaid found the average weekly income of applicants...

News.(Foyer Federation)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... FUTURES PERFECTThe Birmingham Focus Futures team celebrate retaining the annual Foyer Federation five-a-side football tournament, beating Hereford Foyer's team 5-2 in the final. The tournament is open to foyers from across the UK, all of which...

News.
December 7, 2006... news in brief? training Derby University is inviting social care staff to enrol on a course to help professionals deal with death. The Verification of Expected Death course includes training in communication and supporting people and the roles...

Delayed discharge Appeal to councils on cancelling care.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Councils should end the practice of cancelling care packages when patients enter hospital as it has the effect of extending their stay, an NHS standards chief has said.Mark Jennings told Community Care that the NHS Institute for Innovation and...

Disabilities 'Discrimination rife' in NHS despite duty.(National Health Service)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... The NHS is lagging behind councils in implementing the duty to promote disability equality, which came into force this week, the Disability Rights Commission has said. The DRC uncovered widespread discrimination in health services against...

Older people Pilots make case for prevention funding.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Department of Health-funded pilot schemes providing preventive services for older people have already shown evidence of the economic benefits of earlier intervention, the care services minister has said. Ivan Lewis said the [pounds...

Personal care Ruling may herald end to waiting lists.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Scottish councils may be unable to operate waiting lists for free personal care following a landmark ombudsman's ruling last week. The decision by the Scottish public services ombudsman to uphold the claim of Mr C that Argyll & Bute Council...

Older people Pilots make case for prevention funding.
December 7, 2006... Department of Health-funded pilot schemes providing preventive services for older people have already shown evidence of the economic benefits of earlier intervention, the care services minister has said. Ivan Lewis said the [pounds...

Personal care Ruling may herald end to waiting lists.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... Scottish councils may be unable to operate waiting lists for free personal care following a landmark ombudsman's ruling last week. The decision by the Scottish public services ombudsman to uphold the claim of Mr C that Argyll & Bute Council...

Charity leaders must follow butler's lead.(Josephine Butler)
December 7, 2006... Those currently debating the purpose of the voluntary sector and its strategies would benefit by studying a leader who died 100 years ago on 30 December, 1906. Josephine Butler was an unlikely friend of prostitutes but she had an impact on...

Christmas book review special.(Book review)
December 7, 2006... Sally AnfilogoffConsultant, findasitterI'll be looking forward to reading Have The Men Had Enough? by Margaret Forster (Penguin). Her books are lovely, well crafted peeks into the lives of ordinary people leading extraordinary lives. A family...

My practice.(day care)
December 7, 2006... Making preparations for Christmas in a large day service is not easy. How do you cater for people aged between 18 and 72 with varying abilities?For me, Christmas in day services is a hard task. How do we ensure we meet everyone's preferences...

Support Disabled people 'losing autonomy'.(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... The social care system's increasing focus on acute care is leaving millions of disabled people with no control over their lives, the Disability Rights Commission has said.In a scathing report last week, it warned the gap between those receiving...

The ascent of man.
December 7, 2006... It wasn't obvious from looking at them but the 22 people sitting through their induction course at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) were breaking the mould in social care training. The men and women of all ages, backgrounds and races, some...

Features.(residential care)
December 7, 2006... an inspector in the familyTwo former inspectors talk to Natalie Valios about being on the other side of residential care, as relatives rather than inspectors, and the distressing experiences that ensued John Burton is a social care consultant...

News.(young offenders)
December 7, 2006... exclusive by maria ahmedFunding doubts spark social worker flight from young offender units Social workers placed at young offender institutions under a government scheme are leaving because funding for their posts has not been secured beyond...

Frontlines.(Farepak PLC)
December 7, 2006... One of the things which has been illustrated clearly by the Farepak fiasco has been the degree of ignorance still of what it means to live on a low income. In discussions, a common refrain has been "well why don't they just use a bank or a...

The greatcare divide.(old aged people)
December 7, 2006... Who will care for me if I cannot look after myself when I grow old? This fundamental question is faced by individuals, as well as by society as a whole. Last year a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showed that collectively we are not...

Christmas is coming.
December 7, 2006... management in practiceMANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE7 December 2006CHRISTMAS IS COMINGAnd while that means a break for many staff, some still have to plan for and work through the festive period to keep services running. Here, operations manager Giles...

So here it is.(social workers)
December 7, 2006... management in practiceIt's that time of year again, and while workers in the City are thinking of their Christmas bonuses and staff across the country are preparing for their work's party, managers and workers in local authorities are...

OPEN FORUM.(dementia care policies)
December 7, 2006... It's been hard to miss the furore surrounding the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (Nice) decision to deny drug treatments to people in the early and late stages of Alzheimer's disease because of cost. This is a...

Picking up the pieces.
December 7, 2006... Iam married to Peter and became his carer in February 2005 when it was apparent that social services were not giving him enough support. I didn't ask to be a carer, I agreed to be his wife. I had to give up working full-time because, once, I...

Features.(Oxford's Helen House)
December 7, 2006... house of hugsThe popular misconceptions of children's hospices are challenged in a BBC TV documentary series about Helen House in Oxford. Louise Tickle spoke to some of the staff and parents who appear in the programmeEveryone gets hugs at...

News.
December 14, 2006... amy pre-budget 11 DecThe chancellor has missed an opportunity to strengthen the Every Child Matters agenda by focusing on education at the expense of other children's services in his pre-budget report, a leading children's services director has...

Children in care caseloads hinder care plan ambitions.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Looked-after children may be missing out on support because the practitioners who monitor their care plans are overloaded, according to new research.A survey by the Department for Education and Skills and the Children and Family Court Advisory...

News.
December 14, 2006... asylum seekersSouthwark seeks full reimbursement S everal councils are currently in disagreement with the Home Office over funding reimbursements for services for asylum seekers over the past two years, it has emerged this week.Southwark...

News.
December 14, 2006... Bafta winning actress Paula Sage presents Mencap leisure development officer Ian Steward with an award for innovation at the charity's staff awards, alongside chief executive Jo Williams. Steward works for the Mencap leisure service in Reigate,...

Is society prejudiced against disabled people?(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Angie LawrenceSingle motherThere have been improvements over the past 10 years, but they have been slow to happen and there is still much to be done. The main area is employment, this being key to improving people's financial lot in life. In...

News.
December 14, 2006... fosteringScots consider limit to children numbers Foster care charities in Scotland have welcomed news that the Scottish executive is considering limiting the number of children placed with individual carers. Its draft National Fostering and...

News.
December 14, 2006... workplaceLate deal averts Glasgow strike A three-day strike over potential pay cuts to Glasgow Council care staff was averted last week thanks to an 11th-hour deal between the authority and unions. Just three days before the council-wide action...

News.
December 14, 2006... On books that would make an ideal Christmas present:"The Golly in the Cupboard by Phil Frampton - as well as being an important historical record of being brought up in care, it is beautifully written and gives a marvellous evocation of a...

News.
December 14, 2006... Discussion forumTo have your say on the most topical issues in social care visit the discussion forum on Community Care's website. Some recent commentsOn what is happening to social work:"We social workers have a daily fight to justify...

After Cathy.(homeless services)
December 14, 2006... ?website extraFor a special report into assaults on mental health and learning ?difficulties staff go to our website at www.communitycare.co.uk/specialreports. Go to our discussion forum to debate how far should trusts go in monitoring the...

If you ask me...
December 14, 2006... Who has influenced you the most?When I was diagnosed HIV positive I visited the Rodin museum in Paris and felt so strongly about his sculptures I wanted to make art.Which professional has helped you most?Denise Flowers, specialist care manager...

News.
December 14, 2006... youth justice by maria ahmedTory MP vows to scupper children's homes proposal for young offendersA Conservative MP this week vowed to block a Home Office proposal to place young offenders in open children's homes.Speaking in parliament, David...

News.
December 14, 2006... Maria pre-budget p6The government has strongly indicated that councils will have to meet mounting demand for adult social care services through increased efficiency savings and not from central funding.Chancellor Gordon Brown's pre-budget...

News.
December 14, 2006... user involvementInspection powers for service usersService users are to gain powers to inspect social care premises after the idea was backed in a consultation on user scrutiny of health and social care services.The government said this week...

News.
December 14, 2006... Mithranbrentp11Brent Council may mount a legal challenge against the north London borough's primary care trust over a cuts plan which would transfer an estimated ?9m in costs from health to social care.The threat was voiced in a paper to a...

News.
December 14, 2006... Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service teams with higher than average unit costs will see their budgets slashed to match the efficiency levels of the best, as part of a radical restructure announced this week.The move is part of...

cafcass by mithran samuelHigh-cost family court teams face budget cuts and less time on cases.
December 14, 2006... High-cost Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service teams are to have their budgets slashed and be expected to match the efficiency levels of low spenders.The move is part of a package of measures, published in a report this week,...

News.
December 14, 2006... Mithranclickp11100,000 people visit www.communitycare.co.uk every month for the latest social care news and views. The top stories you read last week were:1 Disabled people twice as likely to be poor. 2 Issues affecting vulnerable children. 3...

News.
December 14, 2006... West Sussex director of social and caring services John Dixon will become the first vice-president of the new Association of Directors of Adult Social Services. Dixon, currently co-chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services...

News.
December 14, 2006... fallen on her feet Edie Cape, 82, shows her appreciation of (from right) specialist nurse Ann Davies, physiotherapist Annette Storr and occupational therapist Karen Hunter from the falls team at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, who...

News.
December 14, 2006... amy nibs 11 decA judicial review being brought by Hillingdon Council against the government's alleged underfunding of services for unaccompanied asylum-seekers aged from 18 to 24 is set to take place in January. The council has claimed that the...

News.
December 14, 2006... news in brief? Finance Wales's 22 local health boards have a collective debt of ?27.9m, figures published by the Welsh assembly government show. Cardiff is ?11.5m in the red while Swansea has received a ?3.4m loan from the assembly government...

News.
December 14, 2006... ? residential care Older people due to move to a care home should be given more of a say in the process, a Help the Aged report argues. Guidelines set out in the national minimum standards need to be extended to ensure a smooth transitions, the...

News.
December 14, 2006... Nibsp11Only one in ten mental health care sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has a written policy on continence care, a report has found. By contrast, the Royal College of Physicians study says 73 per cent of primary care sites and 90...

news in brief.
December 14, 2006... ? social care awardsA full list of Community Care awards winners and shortlisted projects will be posted today (Thursday) at www.communitycare.co.uk? Asylum seekers A judicial review being brought by Hillingdon Council against the government's...

News.
December 14, 2006... Sallyexpat2Earlier this year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office decided to fund a repatriation officer at Heathrow airport (news, page 10, 6 July), to help tackle the numbers of expatriates returning home, many of whom need social care...

News.
December 14, 2006... SallyexpatboxFacts and figures:5.5m Britons live abroad and 500,0000 live overseas for part of the year.A British national emigrates every three minutes.112 countries are estimated to have a population of more than 1,000. The top three...

News.
December 14, 2006... Sallyexpatp10UK policymakers must devise "fair and workable rules" on what on what British public services Britons living abroad are entitled to, to minimise destitution, a think-tank said this week.Following fears that UK social care and...

When the laughter has to stop.(Tony Robinson on government aid for older care)
December 14, 2006... He may be best known for playing loveable buffoon Baldrick in TV comedy Blackadder or presenting the good-humoured archaeological antics of Time Team but there is one issue Tony Robinson is very angry about."My dream would be to see a hundred...

Homelessness young people buck downward trend.(Statistical data)
December 14, 2006... The number of households in England accepted as homeless has continued to fall even though youth homelessness increased over the summer.The Department for Communities and Local Government statistics reveal 19,390 households were judged to be...

News.
December 14, 2006... Sixty two per cent of visitors to Community Care's website thought their councils were not ready to promote equality for disabled people, under the new legal duty.This week's question asks:- Are you working or on call on Christmas Day?To make...

Celebrity claimants.
December 14, 2006... I've been working abroad for a while, and had a dreadful accident. I lost my leg while working in a gold mine in Australia. I'm also in the middle of a very messy divorce. Can you tell me what help I can get?" (Miss H M M, London.)There are not...

Standards Owers unhappy with Surrey unit.(Anne Owers)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... There is no funding for sex offender treatment programmes at a women's juvenile unit in Downview prison in Surrey, an inspection report published this week has found.Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons, said the lack of such programmes...

Features.
December 14, 2006... David Donnison 14.12 feature:cathycomehome (SUBS: Mark would like this one treated carefully - including keeping the itals in)Looking back 40 years to the first showing of "Cathy Come Home" and the founding of Shelter, launched on the wave...

Features.
December 14, 2006... According to Shelter, 1.6 million children are growing up homeless or in bad housing. This is why Cathy Come Home continues to be relevant 40 years after it was first shown, not least to social work. So we asked three people, for whom the film...

frontlines.
December 14, 2006... Routine tends to go out the window at Christmas. Many of us struggle to cope with the stress, the hype and the search for presents for people who have all they could possibly need and more.But most of us enjoy it and survive. Whatever your...

The Simon Heng column A service user's view of social care.(Gordon Brown's budget ignores funding for adult services)
December 14, 2006... Last week, Gordon Brown's pre-budget statement told us that the UK economy was doing so well that he could afford to increase public spending. The highlight is to be a ?36bn, four-year increase in the education budget. In the past 10 years, the...

Features.
December 14, 2006... Thebubbling under? Fathers 4 Justice: The fathers' rights campaign group was forced to hang up their superhero capes for the last time in January after the media reported an alleged plot to kidnap the prime minister's youngest son.? Al...

Review of the year busy government sees initiatives undercut by funding shortfalls.(government aid for older people's service is reducing)
December 14, 2006... Older peopleFinance was the dominant theme of older people's services, and adult care more generally, in 2006. The white paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, published in January, promised a shift from acute to ?preventive care. However, the...

News.
December 14, 2006... Simeon - risk Social care services must "shift the balance" of risk to allow older people to take informed risks in order to improve the quality of their lives, inspectors have said.A discussion paper by the Commission for Social Care...

Older people call to let clients have say on risk.(Commission for Social Care Inspection)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Social care services must "shift the balance" of risk to allow older people to take informed risks that would improve their quality of life, inspectors have said.In a discussion paper, the Commission for Social Care Inspection says approaches...

News.
December 14, 2006... homelessnessSupport chasm in key area of need Support for homeless people is least adequate in the areas of alcohol and drug misuse and mental health problems, according to research out this week.A survey of homelessness agencies by charity...

News.
December 14, 2006... Two councils have been severely criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman for their failings in the care of a looked-after young person with learning difficulties.Ombudsman Tony Redmond found Essex Council, which looked after the young man,...

Diagnosis only a start.(borderline personality disorder)
December 14, 2006... I have been aware of borderline personality disorder (BPD) since I was 19 but it was only recently, while doing research into whether the condition exists, that I have come to understand its meaning. There seems a lack of scientific evidence....