Community Care articles from July 2004

Community Care archives from July 2004

soft drug in a class of its own.(Cannabis)
July 1, 2004... The reclassification of cannabis was intended to give a more credible message to young people about the relative dangers of drugs. However, there is a serious risk that the reclassification from Class B to Class C will cause confusion, and that...

backchat.(Manchester Council)(Royal College of Physicians)(Andrew Turner)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... [At a time when most local authorities are pushing schools to draw up healthy eating plans following the panic about child obesity, Manchester Council is bucking the trend. It has been offering GCSE students free but fat-laden curries in order...

back being boss.(John Burton)
July 1, 2004... Management consultant John Burton goes back to the coal face and finds that it pays to prove yourself in helping out with day-to-day tasks while gaining a hearing for strategic reforms I was recently "temping" as a part-time manager of a...

www.communitycare.co.uk.(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Go to Community Care's website for an internet service updated every working day for: Up-to-date information on the latest job alerts and a directory of employers. The views of the profession on the hot topics of the day in "Have Your...

If you ask me...(Interview)(Disabled services)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 1, 2004... Graham Findlay is executive committee member of Cardiff & Vale coalition of disabled people Who has had the biggest influence on you? Intellectually, Mike Oliver, when I read about the social model of disability in Social Work and...

follow that cab!(Clive Redmond)
July 1, 2004... this life Clive Redmond felt as if he was on a road to nowhere during a taxi journey to a service users' group I recently moved into my own Mencap bungalow in Redditch. I believe my parents wanted me to have first-hand experience of...

The Simon Heng Column A service user's view of social care.(Handicapped discrimination)
July 1, 2004... This month, the government announced that, with the Disability Rights Commission, it would put in place a new framework for Partnership Action on Disability so that disabled people would receive fair treatment from the NHS. When I became...

Towards better leadership.(Tips)
July 1, 2004... Vic Citarella of Topss England explains how leadership and management can be developed in the social care sector It's always encouraging when a project's successful outcomes lead to real developments. I've been chairing the Topss...

mental health; Man killed relative after trust blunder.(cases of mentally disabled persons)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The death of a woman at the hands of her mentally ill grandson could have been prevented if the primary care trust had listened to his family, claims mental health charity Sane. It follows an independent inquiry by Lambeth PCT into a series...

children; Bid to force schools to meet needs fails.(Foster children)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Attempts to place a legal duty on schools to identify and meet the needs of looked-after children in the Children Bill failed last week - but could resurface at a later stage. The bill already obliges local authorities to promote the...

the great divide.(Children Bill)(social services and housing )
July 1, 2004... An in-depth look at the relationship between housing and social care Over the next eight pages,we focus on: 26-29: How do social services and housing department staff view each other's work? 30: Could children be put at risk as a...

the missing link.(Children Bill)
July 1, 2004... The crucial connection between decent housing and the protection of vulnerable children has been overlooked in the Children Bill, reports Natalie Valios Keeble draws comparisons between a case in her Northampton constituency and the...

building ; support.(Potteries Housing Association)
July 1, 2004... For women working the streets until the early hours to pay their crack-dealing pimps for their next hit, the likelihood is that the next day is going to be a wipe out. Given this kind of schedule, keeping an appointment with someone who can...

older people by natalie valios; Government accused of dragging its feet over bid to tackle elder abuse.(Action on Elder Abuse)(Elder services)
July 1, 2004... The government is being urged to tear up its response to the health select committee inquiry into elder abuse and start again. Action on Elder Abuse said the lacklustre reaction indicated a failure to "hear or fully understand the...

Sector on verge of salary 'crisis'.(human resource management problems of social services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... There will be a major crisis in social care services unless pay rates rise, according to a new report by the Social Care Employers Consortium (SCEC). Clare Smith, chair of the SCEC, which represents 58 social care employers in the...

care homes; New fire guidelines 'restrict residents'.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Fire safety checks are preventing care home residents doing everyday tasks and are stifling their independence, it has been claimed. The criticism follows recommendations arising from the Rosepark care home fire in Lanarkshire in January...

Scottish website for front-line staff is boost for best practice.(Supporting Front Line Staff)
July 1, 2004... Anew website supporting front-line Scottish social workers in their jobs is launched this week. The website, www.adsw.org.uk/ supportingstaff, is part of a three-year initiative by Association of Directors of Social Work and the Scottish...

recruitment; Director seeks surprise decisions.(Children's services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Local authorities have been urged to sidestep traditional routes of promotion and make some "surprise appointments" in new children's services departments. The plea came from Tony Hunter vice-president of the Association of Directors of...

child protection; Bichard tightens up the rules on reporting cases of under-age sex.
July 1, 2004... A protocol developed in Yorkshire could form the basis of national guidance to help social workers identify potential child abuse, according to Sir Michael Bichard. Sally Gillen reports on reaction Flawed police IT systems alone were not...

ON THE MOVE *.(Rowena Young, dylan harrison, Phil Swann appointments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Government Association, as its new director. Rowena Young is to become director of the new Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the Said Business School at Oxford University. dylan harrison, former Sure Start director with North...

vulnerable adults; Mediation may be part of new bill.(Elder services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Mediation and conflict resolution may become part of the new vulnerable adults bill proposed by the Scottish executive last week (news, page 7, 24 June). Speaking at a conference on vulnerable adults last week, deputy minister for justice...

workforce by sally gillen; Fees dispute prompts Unison call for members to delay registration.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Unison is advising its members to delay registering with the UK's social care councils until it resolves a dispute over who should pay fees. Stephen Smillie, chair of the social work issues group in Scotland, said the pubic sector union...

voluntary sector; Groups urged to be wary of politicians.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Contracts and relationships with the statutory sector could destroy voluntary groups, a public policy think-tank chief has warned. Robert Whelan, deputy director of Civitas, said: "Voluntary organisations should take no money from...

asylum seekers by amy taylor; Government abandons section 55 rule denying support to claimants.
July 1, 2004... The government has announced a climbdown on its policy of denying asylum seekers support unless they make their claim within three days of arriving in the UK. Under the revised approach, the National Asylum Support Service will provide...

learning difficulties; Mother loses bid to look after her child.(Foster home care)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Amother with severe learning difficulties has lost an appeal to play a part in her daughter's life. Sheffield Council placed the child in foster care at two days old and won a care order in May 2004 to put the child up for adoption,...

workforce; Bristol trio cleared of care allegations.(cases of Mental health services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Three Bristol social workers accused of mishandling the care of a man with mental health problems have been cleared by an internal council inquiry. The social workers and a consultant psychiatrist were accused of failing in their duty to...

exclusive by shirley kumar; Centrepoint sounds alarm over fate of teenagers as B&B priorities shift.(Housing policy)
July 1, 2004... Pressure on councils to move families out of bed and breakfast accommodation has taken attention away from 16 and 17 year olds living in similar conditions, homeless charities have warned. Centrepoint said that councils were reshuffling...

families; Research boost for Sure Start schemes.(family services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Sure Start is improving parents' relationships with their children, according to findings from a study commissioned by the government of its flagship social inclusion project. But there is also evidence that local programmes are struggling...

child protection; Work on register 'already under way'.(Children's services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Children's minister Margaret Hodge has confirmed that work on a central register for people working with children is under way. She told a child protection conference in London this week that her department would have completed a scoping...

housing; Corporation urged to raise its game.(Housing Corporation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Housing Corporation has "lost its vision" and there is confusion over which agency is responsible for social housing, a new government report reveals. The eighth report on the effectiveness of the organisation, from a committee of MPs...

readers' views; Majority wants rethink on advocacy.(Mental Capacity Bill)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Seven out of 10 visitors to Community Care's website believe the new Mental Capacity Bill will not give people who lack mental capacity adequate access to advocacy. This week's question asks: The children's minister has suggested a central...

a qualified success.(asylums)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Nothing better illustrated the populist style of this home secretary than the law introduced to deny asylum seekers support if they were too slow to declare their intentions upon arrival in this country. The requirement under section 55 of the...

children bill; Police chief voices protection doubts.(Child welfare)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Asenior police officer has raised doubts about police involvement in structural changes outlined in the Children Bill. Detective superintendent Chris Bourlet, deputy head of child protection at Scotland Yard, told a child protection...

discrimination; Disability Act under fire from judge.(Handicapped discrimination)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Parliament needs to take "rapid remedial action" to reform disability discrimination laws to stop a "deluge of litigation" hitting the courts, Lord Justice Brooke warned during a landmark ruling earlier this week. Describing the Disability...

workforce; Social care director opens pay debate.(Human resource management)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The incoming national director for social care has refused to rule out a change in the way social workers' pay and conditions are negotiated. Speaking to Community Care, Kathryn Hudson stressed the need to look at different ways of...

fine weather ahead.(Financial forecasting)
July 1, 2004... In the final part of his guide to social services finances, Paul Cook offers guidance in the crucial area of financial forecasting BYLINE: Paul Cook is an independent consultant who has run social services finance at five major...

If I were children's minister.(Jonathan Pearce)(Adoption UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... ... children's minister By Jonathan Pearce, director of Adoption UK, a nationwide charity working to support adoptive parents before, during and after adoption

my practice.(Social services management)
July 1, 2004... To provide a service that meets an individual's needs you have to see beyond their label, says day centre manager Nichola Edge All individuals with learning difficulties should have rights, choice, inclusion and independence. However, risk...

TAKE one.(Christine Lewis)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 1, 2004... An approved social worker shares her experience of the job Christine Lewis Job title: Approved social worker. Location: Three Rivers Mental Health Team, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust. Salary: [pounds sterling]24,000. ...

disabilities; Limited Connexions in special schools.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Some special schools are hindering disabled young people's use of Connexions support, according to research. The study, by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, finds that many disabled young people attending special schools...

child protection; Haringey criticised over scalding case.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... An independent serious case review into the scalding of a two-year-old boy has criticised Haringey Council in London. The boy, who cannot be identified, pulled a kettle of boiling water over himself in February 2003, burning 28 per cent of...

research.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The effectiveness of Scottish Vocational Qualifications in Care Free from carescotland@sqa.org.uk or 0141 242 2344 Purpose: To assess the impact of SVQs on candidates' work performance, and to analyse the assessment process, writes Ray...

mental health; Dementia drug a 'waste of money'.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Adrug used to treat Alzheimer's disease is a waste of money and has little benefit on patients' lives, according to a study published by The Lancet last week. "Doctors and health care funders need to question whether it would be better to...

TV review.(Child abuse)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... This World: Child Rescuers 20 June, BBC2 According to UN estimates about one million children are sexually exploited every year around the globe. That's the equivalent of the total population of Manchester, Leicester and Coventry...

book reviews.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Thomas Coram, Gent Gillian Wagner, The Boydell Press ISBN 1843830574, [pounds sterling]25 This is the story of a man of integrity born into an age of corruption, writes Chris Hanvey. Thomas Coram, sailor, shipwright, founder of...

health BY Craig Kenny AND Haroon Ashraf; Political parties outline their plans for the care services of the future.(National health Services)
July 1, 2004... The government's new five-year NHS improvement plan promises to further integrate social services with health care bodies. According to the plan, increasing the integration of social care commissioning and provision with health care will...

The BIG.(Mental Capacity Bill)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Is the Mental Capacity Bill on the right track for empowering vulnerable adults? Shaun Webster CHANGE self-advocacy group It's a disaster for people with learning difficulties. It takes away the independence we got from Valuing...

costs of inequality.(Discrimination)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Combating poverty is a worthy aim of any government and one that New Labour has had some success with. But inequality also blights people's lives and needs to be tackled, writes Bob Holman

coming soon...(Conferences, meetings and seminars)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 1, 2004... CONFERENCE 15 October, Birmingham Family and friends care - facing the future ISWA, 01562 827 878 sheila@iswa.ltd.uk WORKSHOP 5 July, London Thinking outside the box. Study day on mental health issues for people...

child's play.(Evaluation of Children Bill)
July 1, 2004... Nancy Kelley is a policy officer for Barnardo's, where she is working to develop campaigns led by children and young people. Her background is in children's rights and mental health advocacy. She has worked for the children's rights...

report.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Images of Abuse - A review of the evidence on child pornography Emma Renold and Susan J. Creighton with Chris Atkinson and John Carr, NSPCC ISBN 1-84228-030-9, [pounds sterling]7-50 Written as a formal report, this book draws together...

one small step, one giant leap.(Evaluation of Rehabilitation centers)
July 1, 2004... A knee injury kept a 76-year-old woman depen dent on a wheelchair for five years. But after an operation to help her walk, her lack of confidence and anxiety inhibited her rehabilitation. Paddy Goslyn (left) and colleagues told Graham Hopkins...

PROFILE: ty goddard.(Interview)
July 1, 2004... Sarah Wellard talks to Ty Goddard about his career and how he became head of extended schools in Brighton lthough he doesn't admit to harbouring political ambitions, Goddard has politics in his blood. Despite his post as manager for...

a sure start in sweden.(Child care services)
July 1, 2004... Bronwen Cohen is chief executive of Children in Scotland and visiting professor at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, University of London. From 1986-96 she was the UK member of the European Commission's Childcare Network and is co-author of...

no room at the inn.(Housing discrimination)
July 1, 2004... It has been a damaging few weeks for the social housing sector, which has finally been called to account for its failure to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable groups in society. First, the Audit Commission is to investigate the...

parties swap places on compassion divide.
July 1, 2004... Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader of the Conservative party, has set up shop away from Westminster in Lambeth, one of the poorest boroughs in the country. His new think-tank, the Centre for Social Justice, is as much about doing, he says, as...

are social workers becoming extinct?
July 8, 2004... Despite the fact that social workers are soon to have their title protected, I think that we are seeing the intentional gradual demise of social work as a profession. Those who trained in social work in the 1960s, 70s and 80s believed they...

youth justice; Community Care campaigns to impr ove treatment of young offenders.(Community Care)
July 8, 2004... Research for our Back on Track campaign pinpoints the concerns that staff working with young people have with the large numbers of children in jail and the poor treatment they receive. William Little reports Since the start of this year...

If you ask me...(Mabel Cooper)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 8, 2004... Mabel Cooper is chair of the London Consultative Group, a self-advocacy group for disabled people Who has had the biggest influence on you? Mary Slattery, my first adult placement carer. She made us more independent. And Jane Abraham,...

The Simon Heng Column A service user's view of social care.(Wages and salaries evaluation)
July 8, 2004... Sometimes I wonder about how we, as a society, place a value on the jobs that people do. In general, the more intellectual a job is, the more it seems to pay. There are glaring exceptions, of course. Professional footballers are paid an...

drugs bust?(The National Treatment Agency)
July 8, 2004... FOR THE pAST THREE YEARS, THE NATIONAL TREATMENT AGENCY HAS TACKLED DRUG ABUSE IN ENGLAND WITH SOME SUCCESS. FAR MORE PEOPLE NOW receive EFFECTIVE TREATMENT THAN EVER BEFORE. but not everybody thinks the agency has what it takes to solve...

supporting people; Audit commission's judgements queried.(Supporting People programme)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Councils are questioning how much care the Audit Commission is taking over its inspections into the Supporting People programme after a "handful of second draft reports" revealed that the commission was cutting and pasting sections. One...

ROUND AND ROUND THEY gO.(Evaluation of the Human resource management)
July 8, 2004... Never in the same role for long, interim directors parachute into clean up the department or hold the fort until the appointments committee secures the right person for the big job. Derren Hayes meets the bosses who don't want to hang around...

learning difficulties; Chronic shortage of qualified staff.(London South Bank University)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... The health and social care sector is struggling to recruit trained staff in the learning difficulties field, a conference heard this week. Speaking at a conference last week, London South Bank university dean of health and social care...

a life more; ordinary.(Community mental health services)
July 8, 2004... Five people with learning difficulties moved into supported living in the community. Did their quality of life improve? Sarah Coates and co-authors Sara Barna and Linda Walz report on what happened Over the past 30 years many large,...

death of the; department.(Social services)(Wiltshire Council)
July 8, 2004... The social services department has been a doughty champion of social work and social care but the institution that has kept social workers at the heart of government thinking on care for a generation now faces oblivion. Ray Jones explains where...

obstacles ; on the pathway.(Children Act 2000)(Leaving Care)
July 8, 2004... Bob Broad analyses research suggesting that the life chances of care leavers have improved since legislation to help them was implemented three years ago. But, with the end of ring-fenced funding, prospects for further improvements are in doubt...

Young, troubled and banged up.(Community Care)(Juvenile law)
July 8, 2004... Community Care is calling for a dramatic reduction in the number of young people we put behind bars. Janet Snell launches our Back on Track youth justice campaign with a report on the damage prison is doing to vulnerable children. And...

health; Call for control on foundation trusts.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... As 10 more foundation hospitals were approved last week, social services directors warned that more safeguards were needed to prevent them becoming "rogue partners". Andrew Cozens, president of the Association of Directors of Social...

elder abuse; Protective steps to be strengthened.(Laws, regulations and rules)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... The government has indicated it will beef up measures to tackle elder abuse following criticism of its lacklustre response to a recent report by MPs (news, page 10, 1 July). Community care minister Stephen Ladyman held discussions with Age...

leap of faith needed.(Administration of juvenile justice)
July 8, 2004... Custodial sentences imposed on young people are rising again, even though prison is supposed to be used only as a last resort. Lisa Harker says there are other options if the will is there to explore them There is a depressing inevitability...

disability; Activists to meet commission over bill.(Disability rights activists)(Disability Discrimination Bill)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Disability campaigners were due to meet the Disability Rights Commission this week to discuss their concerns about the draft Disability Discrimination Bill after staging a five-hour protest in the commission's Manchester office last month. ...

children by amy taylor; Connexions to remain independent service within children's trusts.(Steve Jackson)
July 8, 2004... Fears that young people's service Connexions is to be phased out as children's trusts come on stream were allayed last week by a senior civil servant. Speaking at a conference on Connexions and young people with disabilities, Steve...

Durham boosts pay in children's services to tackle staffing crisis.(Durham County Council)
July 8, 2004... Durham County Council social services has solved severe recruitment problems in its children's workforce by increasing pay, while leaving pay rates for its adult services workforce at the same level. Newly qualified staff working with...

Employment law changes bypass charities.(Nonprofit organizations)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Organisations in the charity and not-for-profit sector are struggling to keep abreast of new and revised employment legislation. According to a recent survey, half these organisations spend at least 52 days each year trying to keep up with...

child protection; Directors under fire from commissioner.(Peter Clarke)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Two directors of education have been severely criticised in a report by children's commissioner for Wales Peter Clarke for their authority's failure to act against paedophile drama teacher John Owen. David Matthews, current director of...

asylum seekers; Warning on seeking medical evidence.(Tim Barnden)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Social workers and mental health professionals should refuse to provide expert evidence in asylum cases if they feel it is inappropriate, a solicitor urged last week. Tim Barnden, of south London-based solicitors Glazer Delmar, warned that...

Inspection plans split professionals.(Children's services)
July 8, 2004... Doubts over the proposed integrated inspectionframework for children's services are yet to be allayed, reports Craig Kenny Consultation on plans for a new integrated inspection framework for children's social services and local education...

mental health; Reading psychiatric unit to stay open.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Families of 11 male long-term psychiatric patients have won their campaign to stop health chiefs closing a purpose-built psychiatric unit. Acorn House in Reading was due to close after only 13 months, despite worries that the 11 male...

child protection; Scotland's 10-year grooming sentence.(Protection of Children from Sexual Harm and Prevention of Sexual Offences Bill)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Grooming of children for abuse will be punishable by a maximum 10-year jail sentence, under a range of proposed legal reforms launched last week by the Scottish executive. The changes, outlined in a three-month consultation paper, include...

children's services; Guaranteed role for voluntary sector.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Local authorities must support the development of voluntary and community sector infrastructure to allow organisations to have a say in children's services, under new government proposals. A Department for Education and Skills discussion...

'System must combat ethnic discrimination'.(Juvenile offenders)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Young people from ethnic minorities are still over-represented within the youth justice system, according to research produced for the Youth Justice Board published this week. The report, which examines 17,000 cases, finds a higher...

MPs back call for inquiry into death.(Stoke Heath Young Offender Institution)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... More than 30 MPs have added their support to the call for a public inquiry into the death of Joseph Scholes, who died in Stoke Heath Young Offender Institution in March 2002. Labour MP Chris Ruane tabled an Early Day Motion at the end of...

readers' views; ID cards backed for children's workers.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2004... Visitors to Community Care's website voted 71 per cent in favour of a central register of licensed children's workers carrying identity cards. This week's question asks: "Are you happy with the amendment agreed in the House of Lords to...