Community Care articles from January 2005

Community Care archives from January 2005

don't blame; the parents.(social deprivation)
January 6, 2005... The government criminalises parents for their children's truancy. But social policy ought to be focusing on overcoming the social deprivation suffered by these families, says Ming Zhang The government's attitude and approach to school...

supporting people; Councils say budget to be cut by quarter.(Convention of Scottish Local Authorities )(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has warned that the distribution mechanism for Supporting People money over the next three years will have a "devastating" impact on some councils. Spokesperson for social work and health improvement...

ON THE MOVE <261B>.(Nottingham Council)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Stuart Brook, director of social services at Nottingham Council, has decided to leave the council at the end of March after 10 years of service. He has not yet announced his next career plans. The Cabinet Office has announced three new...

PROFILE: adam mooney, ISSP manager.(Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme,)
January 6, 2005... Roisin Woolnough meets a man whose task it is to empower young offenders to change their ways ecoming a criminal profiler was Adam Mooney's childhood dream. He's not there yet but, having spent recent years working on youth offender...

Action learning programmes for voluntary sector need funding.(management development )(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... More funding should be available for action learning programmes in the voluntary and community sector, according to Jane Watts, project manager at the Action Learning for Managers project. Since starting three years ago, the project has coached...

legislation by maria ahmed; Charities slam Drugs Bill for focus on crime at expense of treatment.(Drugscope, Turning Point )
January 6, 2005... Drugs charities have accused the government of using the Drugs Bill as a "political vote winner" for the next election rather than the promotion of effective treatment and prevention measures. Critics are concerned that drugs legislation is...

Families; Court service in ; U-turn on militants.(Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service )(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has reversed its ban on talks with militant fathers' groups, despite reports of increased staff intimidation by activists. Chief executive Anthony Douglas has held talks with Fathers 4...

Do you agree with the government's plans for a UK identity card?(united kingdom)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... LEN SMITH Gypsy activist ID cards are more about power and control than any real effect in the areas claimed for them. False passports seem to be easily obtained at a price, and I'd bet the same goes for ID cards. It is always the vulnerable in...

If you ask me...(refugees)(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 6, 2005... Nasrin Parvaz is a refugee from Iran and a client of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture Who has had the biggest influence on you? Mansour Hekmat, an Iranian political leader. Which health or social care...

performance by Community Care reporters; Integrated children's services must have social care focus, say directors.(Association of Directors of Social Services)
January 6, 2005... Education departments are significantly outperforming their counterparts in children's social services, according to the comprehensive performance assessment for 2004, published last month. In response, the Association of Directors of Social...

public order; Ladyman 'using care system as a threat'.(Stephen Ladyman)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Social work leaders have lambasted community care minister Stephen Ladyman for suggesting that the children of antisocial council tenants should be taken into care. Ian Johnston, director of the British Association of Social Workers, said he...

Next steps.(Peter Williamson)(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 6, 2005... Thinking of moving on? Then read on Peter, 23, is a Supporting People assessment officer at a council in Scotland. What is your job? I work with a range of clients who receive a housing support service or who wish to apply for support....

funding; Northern Ireland provision reviewed.(health and social care )(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... The King's Fund has started a six-month review of health and social care in Northern Ireland. The inquiry, which will be led by chief economist Professor John Appleby, will look at demand for services, resources and the relationship between...

care trusts by mithran samuel; Opposition grows over plans to force ; councils to work with health bodies.(primary care trusts )
January 6, 2005... Local government leaders have warned ministers against compelling councils and health bodies to work together following reports that proposals for care trusts would be included in the adult social care green paper. With the government...

The Simon Heng column A service user's view of social care.(British social conscience)(Column)
January 6, 2005... The home secretary's plans to introduce a bill to outlaw incitement to religious hatred bring into focus the uncomfortable conundrum of liberal British social conscience: freedom of speech versus freedom from oppression. Few things define what...

workforce; Union calls ballot on pension rejig.(UNISON (London, England))(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Public sector union Unison is holding a consultative ballot on industrial action over plans to change staff pension schemes. National officer Owen Davies warned that, unless the government revised its plans, which include raising the minimum...

mental health; Wales confident at draft bill changes.(Mental Health Bill)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... The minister for health and social services in the Welsh assembly says the country will be able to cope with the proposals in the draft Mental Health Bill. Jane Hutt rejected concerns that they would be "unworkable" because Welsh mental health...

Welcome aboard.(staff management)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Induction programmes can let employers explain their expectations to new staff, writes Martyn Sloman Ever had that sinking feeling that things aren't right when you start a new job? If you have, you're not alone. CIPD research has shown...

Youth justice; Child prisoners win right to be heard.(Civil rights)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Children in prison will be given the right to argue against being placed in solitary confinement following an appeal court judgement last month. It follows an attempt by the Home Office to overturn a High Court ruling to allow children the...

captain of my ship.(Richard Jameson )
January 6, 2005... this life Richard Jameson has developed his own techniques to dispel depression and control his mental health The mind can play so many tricks on you, and so seriously, that you can land up in hospital. I suffered from voices and...

it's the same old story.(social care workers)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... If we ever needed an example of saying one thing and doing another, Labour provided one in 2004. Despite ministerial speeches insisting that social care is a top priority, their actions have been detrimental to the workforce. It's a sorry...

local authorities; Wales set to blur the boundaries and share its workforce.(Welsh Local Government Association)
January 6, 2005... Synonymous with poor performance, Welsh social services are due an overhaul. Derren Hayes looks at a blueprint for recovery which suggests shifting the focus from individual local authority services to partnerships between councils There...

policy; Mixed reception for ; Clarke appointment.(Charles Clarke, Home Office)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Charles Clarke's appointment as home secretary could lead to fewer young people being placed in custody, the Howard League for Penal Reform has said. The charity said the former education secretary's experience of presiding over reforms to...

outside ; the frame.(Social services)
January 6, 2005... The burden of protecting children from sexual abusers who fall outside the criminal justice system often rests with social services. Jo Hebb looks at the problems they face and the help they can enlist The Sexual Offences Act 2003 was...

partners in time.(Care Services Improvement Partnership, Social Care Institute for Excellence)
January 6, 2005... The government's proposal to transfer seven agencies to the Social Care Institute for Excellence as part of a Care Services Improvement Partnership has sparked concern. The transfer has raised questions about the relationship between the Care...

readers' views; Two-thirds suspect definition is spin.
January 6, 2005... Sixty-five per cent of visitors to Community Care's website believe the new definition of homelessness is an attempt by the government to make its record on homeless people look better. This week's question asks: Does Charles Clarke's...

THE GOLLY IN THE CUPBOARD <2605><2605><2605><2605><2605>.(Book Review)
January 6, 2005... Phil Frampton, Tamic Publications ISBN 0954764900, [pounds sterling]7.99 Phil Frampton has a story to tell. Abandoned as a child and brought up in Barnardo's homes mainly because his mother was white and his father wasn't, he later fought to...

safe as ; houses.(Charities)
January 6, 2005... The new chief executive of NCH tells Terry Philpot how the charity will benefit from her background working with young people in the housing sector Clare Tickell is the first woman to lead NCH in its 137-year history. Not that she knew it...

sights set too low.(Child care services)
January 6, 2005... The child care strategy lacks the bold commitment to radical change of New Zealand's plans. This is not surprising given how far early years services in the UK have fallen behind, says Lisa Harker Nothing short of a revolution is taking...

not ready to ; go out alone.(psychiatric hospitals)
January 6, 2005... viewpoint Psychiatric hospital ward staff should check on a patient's history before giving them leave, argues Caroline Meaker Staff in psychiatric hospitals do not always know the importance of properly monitoring and reviewing patients'...

goodwill ; is not enough.(Investing in Volunteers )
January 6, 2005... A lack of training and support, especially in smaller charities, can result in untrained volunteers being left by themselves with vulnerable people or those who can pose a risk. But efforts are under way to tackle the risks to both volunteer...

work in progress.(Child care workers)
January 6, 2005... The only trouble with the government's national child care strategy, when it was published last month, was the confusion that followed over its target audience.1 The emphasis of the 10-year strategy appears to be on choice, availability and...

workforce; Liverpool social work strike ends.(Liverpool Council)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... More than 100 Liverpool social workers will return to work next week following almost five months on strike, after reaching an agreement with the council over staff workloads. Unison recommended that children's services staff return to work,...

workforce; 'Scots Bill will not make staff safe'.(Social Services)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... The Association of Directors of Social Work has criticised MSPs' failure to give Scottish social workers the same protection from violence as other emergency staff. The Scottish parliament voted unanimously against two amendments to the...

a breath of fresh air.(Information management)
January 6, 2005... Despite all the advances we make as a society striving for equality, it's remarkable how stuck we are on providing information through visual means: leaflets, posters, newsletters, websites and so on. Martin Clooney* is a blind Glasgow man who...

Children's homes; Minister concerned over standards.( Lord Filkin )(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Education minister Lord Filkin is to meet the Commission for Social Care Inspection following concerns that standards in children's homes are not being met sufficiently or fast enough. During a debate in the House of Lords last week, Filkin...

Adults' services; Wales 'needs more placement schemes'.(National Association of Adult Placement Schemes)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... The National Association of Adult Placement Schemes in Wales has called for Welsh local authorities to give a greater commitment to schemes after they revealed only around half of councils had one. Tim Southern, deputy chair of the Welsh...

Training; Northern Ireland guidelines published.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... The Northern Ireland Social Care Council has published its guidelines on post-registration training and learning requirements (PRTL) for registered social care workers this week. It sets out mentoring, reading and literature reviews,...

Training; Northern Ireland guidelines published.( Northern Ireland Social Care Council )
January 20, 2005... The Northern Ireland Social Care Council has published its guidelines on post-registration training and learning requirements (PRTL) for registered social care workers this week. It sets out mentoring, reading and literature reviews,...

Poverty; Cap on interest charges proposed.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... People will continue to be subjected to extortionate legal lending rates unless an amendment to the Consumer Credit Bill is passed, campaigners for fairer finance warned last week. Debt on our Doorstep, a campaign network of charities and...

Immigration; Judge raps Home Office over carer.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... A senior judge criticised the Home Office this week for being "insensitive" in the case of a Moroccan man who was caring for his disabled brother-in-law and his brother-in-law's two daughters. Last April, the Home Office refused him permanent...

Family courts by mithran samuel and Sally Gillen; Hodge warns guardians' body may have problems with mediation role.
January 20, 2005... The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service may not be able to cope with its new responsibilities to promote mediation in child custody cases, the children's minister has said. Giving evidence to MPs examining the family courts...

Young offenders; Mubarek's killer not reported by nurse.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... A prison nurse has said she thought Zahid Mubarek's murderer was capable of killing someone but did not say so for fear of labelling him. Lindsey Martin, a nurse at Hindley Young Offender Institution, told the Mubarek Inquiry that Robert...

Employers confront skills issue for more flexible children's staff.
January 20, 2005... W ell before the publication of the children's Green Paper Every Child Matters in September 2003, there had been murmurings that the government wanted to develop a generic children's worker whose skills would be transferable across different...

If you ask me...(Fran Branfield speaks)(Interview)
January 20, 2005... Fran Branfield is visually impaired. She is the manager of Shaping Our Lives, a national service user network Who's had the biggest influence on you? Family, friends, some authors and musicians. Which health or social care professional...

PROFILE: Judith Hibbert, head of professional development.(Biography)
January 20, 2005... Judith Hibbert tells Chris Ball how she is passing on the benefits of her accidental multi-disciplinary background udith Hibbert spent the 1960s and 1970s chopping and changing her career, switching from nursing to social work and then to...

TV review.(Television Program Review)
January 20, 2005... Love child ITV1 9 and 16 January 11.15pm Screened in two parts, Love Child proclaims to tell the story of adoption in Britain over the past 60 years. However, by the end of part one it is clear that this is not the full history, but how...

Child protection by sally gillen; Pembrokeshire told to compensate mother after bungled abuse inquiry.
January 20, 2005... Pembrokeshire Council has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]5,000 to a mother of four for failing to follow procedures when conducting child protection inquiries. In a damning report released this week, ombudsman Adam Peat concludes that...

School band.(Channel One)
January 20, 2005... A south London band called Channel One has found a great way of tackling prejudice about people with mental health problems. So much so that it scooped a Community Care Award. Sarah Bartlett reports "W e are doing this because it matters....

Book reviews.(Book Review)
January 20, 2005... CODE OF PRACTICE: ON THE RECRUITMENT, ASSESSMENT, APPROVAL, TRAINING AND SUPPORT OF FOSTER CARERS IN SCOTLAND The Fostering Network ISBN 1897869479, free This is a timely publication following the introduction of UK national standards...

child protection by sally gillen; Records bureau may take control of ; banned worker list in Bichard fallout.(Criminal Records Bureau)
January 20, 2005... The Criminal Records Bureau could take on responsibility for maintaining a new registration scheme for people who are unsuitable for work with children. In the progress report published last week on Sir Michael Bichard's inquiry...

Child protection by sally gillen; Pembrokeshire told to compensate mother after bungled abuse inquiry.
January 20, 2005... Pembrokeshire Council has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]5,000 to a mother of four for failing to follow procedures when conducting child protection inquiries. In a damning report released this week, ombudsman Adam Peat concludes that...

Children; Councils rebuffed over schools' role.(amendment to Education Bill withdrawn)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Local government leaders have expressed dismay at the government's resistance to renewed attempts to make schools more accountable for the well-being of children. Their criticism follows the withdrawal in the House of Lords last week of an...

Child protection by sally gillen; Records bureau may take control of ; banned worker list in Bichard fallout.(Criminal Records Bureau )
January 20, 2005... The Criminal Records Bureau could take on responsibility for maintaining a new registration scheme for people who are unsuitable for work with children. In the progress report published last week on Sir Michael Bichard's inquiry...

can a new day centre dawn?
January 20, 2005... Regarded by some as outdated, day centres may need to re-invent themselves in order to survive - which some are doing, as Anabel Unity Sale reports For such an innocuous concept, day centres can be quite divisive. For some social care...

diary.
January 20, 2005... This week's writer is a senior social worker in a home for adults with learning difficulties Wednesday After a few calm and stress-free days off, I thought it would be nice to ease myself back gently into the frenetic environment that is...

Conciliate or else.(reform of post-separation contact)
January 20, 2005... The vociferous fathers' lobby and changing expectations of fatherhood generally made reform of post-separation contact arrangements inevitable. That the government has taken a pragmatic view, ignoring those fathers' groups that would insist on...

family courts by mithran samuel and Sally Gillen; Hodge warns guardians' body may have problems with mediation role.(Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service)(Margaret Hodge)
January 20, 2005... The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service may not be able to cope with its new responsibilities to promote mediation in child custody cases, the children's minister has said. Giving evidence to MPs examining the family courts...

Dicey plans?
January 20, 2005... The prospect of US-style casinos being built in the UK has been met by alarm. Are the fears justified, asks Dee Dee Doke Lurid tabloid headlines have warned of the dangers that await the UK if proposed changes to its gambling laws are...

Gamble on politics.(New Labour government policy on gambling and benge drinking)
January 20, 2005... The increase in gambling and binge drinking goes hand in hand with a rise in people's feelings of powerlessness about politics. But collective action could reverse this, writes Melissa Benn There's nothing new in the idea of pleasures...

Benefit bites the dust.(round up)
January 20, 2005... welfare rights The replacement of housing benefit takes top billing in Gary Vaux's round up of welfare news Housing benefit: end is nigh? Several local authorities have begun piloting a new "local housing allowance" which is intended to...

Learning difficulties; 'Inappropriate use' of sectioning claim.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Charities have raised concerns that people with learning difficulties are being "inappropriately" detained in psychiatric hospitals under the Mental Health Act 1983. Mencap has claimed there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that people who...

Learning difficulties; 'Most in need might lose out in policy'.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... People with severe learning difficulties could lose out under new government policies unveiled this week, charities have warned. Mencap said a report by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published this week puts independent living at the heart...

Diary.
January 20, 2005... This week's writer is a senior social worker in a home for adults with learning difficulties Wednesday After a few calm and stress-free days off, I thought it would be nice to ease myself back gently into the frenetic environment that is...

Local government; Doncaster devolves but keeps its heart beating in the centre.(Doncaster Council)
January 20, 2005... Experiments in empowering neighbourhoods in the past have been fraught with pitfalls. Mithran Samuel considers what Doncaster Council plans to do differently to ensure success The idea that public services should move closer to the people...

Growing ; on the vyne.(Vyne Road trains service users to be trainers)
January 20, 2005... Vyne Road, a progressive mental health day service, has developed a project that trains service users to be trainers - and which will soon be a stand-alone company. Graham Hopkins reports A fierce three-headed dog, Greek mythology, mental...

Mental health; Commission's commitment to care programme thrown into question.
January 20, 2005... Service users are suspicious of the Healthcare Commission's decision to cut a key mental health indicator - particularly in the light of plans to merge health and social care inspection bodies. Amy Taylor reports The forthcoming green...

Behind the screen.(screening process for prospective parents)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... So the stigma of having a mental illness continues. Under the pretext of protecting children born through IVF, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is consulting on revising its screening process for prospective parents. Proposals...

Public order; Struggle to breathe fire into the Dragon.
January 20, 2005... The creator of a controversial website that lets services in Wales share and access antisocial behaviour data has admitted difficulties in persuading agencies to sign up. The Project Dragon database, funded by the Home Office and the Welsh...

Mental health; Patient wins right to bypass relative.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... A woman with a 20-year history of mental health problems has won a test case to prevent her sister having a say on whether she should be admitted to hospital. Mr Justice Bennett, sitting in the Court of Appeal last week, said the woman, who...

Child protection by sally gillen; Pembrokeshire told to compensate mother after bungled abuse inquiry.
January 20, 2005... Pembrokeshire Council has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]5,000 to a mother of four for failing to follow procedures when conducting child protection inquiries. In a damning report released this week, ombudsman Adam Peat concludes that...

Poor denied access to crisis loans due to lack of national guidelines.
January 20, 2005... Some JobCentres are placing unlawful restrictions on access to Social Fund crisis loans for applicants who say they are victims of theft, according to a report from the National Audit Office. Applications without crime reference numbers are...

Public order; Struggle to breathe fire into the Dragon.(website for sharing and accessing antisocial behaviour data)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... The creator of a controversial website that lets services in Wales share and access antisocial behaviour data has admitted difficulties in persuading agencies to sign up. The Project Dragon database, funded by the Home Office and the Welsh...

Admit it: racism is a mental health issue.
January 20, 2005... Yvonne roberts The government should dig deep to find the money and words to challenge attitudes in the NHS Young black men are six times more likely than their white contemporaries to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 for...

Readers' views; Mental health deadline censured.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Nearly 60 per cent of visitors to Community Care's website thought the 2010 deadline for improvements to mental health services for people from ethnic minorities signalled an unwillingness to force a culture change within the NHS. This week's...

Find the connections.
January 20, 2005... Social care research has to take account of the increasing amount of partnership and joint working, writes Bob Hudson Few would argue against the desirability of an evidence-based approach to policy, management and practice. Yet it is...

A year to hold heads high.(social work to become profession)
January 20, 2005... Social work is about to become a profession. It is vital to take advantage of the new opportunities, says Rodney Brooke In one of the most significant developments for social work in the past 30 years, in 2005 social work will finally...

Child protection by sally gillen; Pembrokeshire told to compensate mother after bungled abuse inquiry.
January 20, 2005... Pembrokeshire Council has been ordered to pay [pounds sterling]5,000 to a mother of four for failing to follow procedures when conducting child protection inquiries. In a damning report released this week, ombudsman Adam Peat concludes that...

Substance misuse; Team head supports Scots drug protocol.(Tom Wood)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... The chair of Edinburgh's drug action team has backed a new protocol for dealing with parents with substance misuse problems but admitted it would be difficult to implement. Tom Wood said it would be a "real challenge" for substance misuse...

Cross-sector projects kindle mutual respect.(collaboration between health care professionals, teachers, social workers)
January 20, 2005... During her time as a teacher and a deputy head Claire Trott was often mystified about social workers' decision-making with child protection cases. "As teachers, we don't always understand the rationale behind decisions in child protection and...

Healing the wounds.(victims of trauma)
January 20, 2005... As aid is rushed to South East Asia, thought must be given to how to provide long-term help for traumatised people across the globe. Shaun Collins reports on the lessons of his work with victims of war in West Africa As professionals, we...

Don't let media dictate policies.(Disability Discrimination Bill)
January 20, 2005... viewpoint Government measures for disabled people are undermined by its pandering to prejudices, writes John Knight The Disability Discrimination Bill may be progressing through parliament, but how much has the government done to improve...

Workforce; Does social care attract rushed, impatient types or does the job turn them that way?
January 20, 2005... Social services are crammed with stressed A-type staff. Is the pace of change too much for the workforce, asks Martin Hemming Social services staff are stressed-out perfectionists, according to a survey. It says 70 per cent of social...

Workforce by Derren Hayes; Scots tribunal orders care home worker to be paid for sleepovers.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Public sector union Unison has said that too many private care home owners in Scotland are still unaware of regulations governing payment of staff for night working. The warning comes after a care assistant at a residential care home for...