Community Care articles from June 2002

Community Care archives from June 2002

staff can benefit from best value.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... viewpoint Dave Burnham believes Best Value offers staff opportunities to drive forward improvements in social services Best Value has not become the driving force for improvements in public services that the government had hoped for. There...

contact at all costs.(Children (Leaving Care) Act)
June 6, 2002... The Children (Leaving Care) Act places duties on local authorities to keep in touch and assist young people with education, training and employment regardless of where they move to, which raises several thorny problems. Natalie Valios...

cracking; the code.(code of conduct for social care workers)
June 6, 2002... The General Social Care Council has been charged with writing the draft code of conduct for the social care profession, with a remit to consult with all stakeholders - leading to a unique dialogue with service users. Polly Neate reports ...

AN ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN.(Brian Roycroft)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
June 6, 2002... Social work has lost one of its most distinguished leaders. Brian Roycroft, a highly successful former social services director and a force for change in the care of children was a hugely popular figure, writes Bob Holman Brian...

whose responsibility?(social workers in children's hospitals)
June 6, 2002... Paediatric hospital social workers are often squeezed between the medical staff they work alongside and their council counterparts. Ruth Winchester examines the unclear professional boundaries and how this can contribute to child protection...

time to say goodbye.(teenager in residential home plans future)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... this life In the last of her series on her time in a residential home, teenager Heidi Osborne looks to the future I'm glad to say that the unsettling summer of 1999 and the bad behaviour of some of the boys who came to stay in our...

Politics Martyn Kohler of Help the Aged is optimistic about the power of the pensioner lobby but irked by politicians' lack of interest.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... The pensioners' parliament gathered in Blackpool for three days in May. Organised by the National Pensioners Convention, 3,000 older people met to consider pensions, health and care, and transport. It was a lively and vibrant gathering,...

too little too late.(care leavers' legislation)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... The new care leavers' legislation will achieve little unless there is a significant increase in resources allocated to children in care, which will require a major shift in society's attitudes, writes Alison Taylor Patricia Amos made...

partnership in care.(child protection in Sri Lanka)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... letter from sri lanka Kate Waldock has helped to organise a five-day training programme that aims to encourage dialogue and information exchange about child protection between child care professionals Child protection services in Sri...

two strikes and out.(Social Security Fraud Act 2001)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... welfare rights The system for people convicted of benefit fraud has been changed yet again, writes Gary Vaux A lot of media attention was given to Tony Blair's idea that parents could lose child benefit if their children misbehaved. While...

jail can be especially punishing for women.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2002... Yvonne roberts remembers a campaigner who successfully fought to improve conditions for women in prison One of the less obvious results of the imprisoning of Patricia Amos because of the truanting of her two daughters, Jackie and Emma,...

free to choose?
June 6, 2002... Is there a difference between long-term care and long-term caring for older people?Claire Royston, a consultant psychiatrist, argues that there is, and that it centres on our understanding of consent, capacity and autonomy...

On their own.(autism services)(Statistical Data Included)
June 13, 2002... Services for children with autism have improved, with identification and diagnosis occurring earlier. But for adults with autism there are few services and residential placements, leaving many individuals and families with no support, reports...

Isolation is morally wrong.(asylum seekers)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... viewpoint The government's desire to see asylum seekers isolated from society is abhorrent, says Sandy Buchan Heralded by the government as a radical reform of asylum policy, the new Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill does little to...

What carers want to know.(treating people with dimentia)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Good multi-professional care in the field of dementia is essential, so all practitioners must understand what is needed, say social care researcher Jill Manthorpe and health researcher Steve Iliffe Questions Frequently asked questions...

voluntary sector; New rules for community fund.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The community fund has introduced new criteria for large charities wanting to claim funds. Large charities applying for money from the fund will be expected to cover more than one region. But there will be no upper limit on the amount that...

joint review; Stoke services at the crossroads.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Stoke-on-Trent social services are serving some people well but its prospects for improvement are uncertain, according to a joint review. While the department has many strengths, the local authority is "at a crossroads" and needs to make...

who wears the crown?(health and social workers look to higher ups)
June 13, 2002... Alex Dobson investigates the tendency of staff in health and social work to defer to the judgements of those who are seen as higher up the professional ladder, sometimes unbalancing child protection systems The child protection system is...

international; Europe's police look at ritualistic killings.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... P olice and sociologists met at the European Police Office (Europol) headquarters in the Hague earlier this month to share intelligence on a number of killings across Europe that appear to have been ritualistic in nature. These include the...

sex offenders; Disruption threat to Scottish programme.(if Peterhead Prison closes)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Sex crimes in Scotland could rise if the Scottish executive goes ahead with plans to close Peterhead Prison, Aberdeenshire Council is warning. Earlier this year, the executive announced it planned to close the unit and move the 300 sex...

training; Degree's emphasis on practice expected to win younger recruits.
June 13, 2002... The new social work degree's focus on practice learning has been welcomed, but some practitioners doubt whether younger students are what is needed. Sally Gillen reports Practice makes perfect. Or at least that is what the Department of...

recruitment; Record checks may be outsourced.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The Home Office is refusing to confirm or deny reports that it plans to outsource some of the work involved in processing applications for criminal records checks to a centre in India. A range of short-term measures is being considered,...

Child protection; 'Speak to children', social workers told.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... An independent investigation into the death of a six-year-old Bedford boy has called on professionals to make sure they speak to children in cases where domestic violence is suspected. It is one of 10 recommendations made by Ron Lock,...

Older people; Health needs social care, conference told.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Social care is as important to the health of older people as the NHS, a conference on the older people's national service framework was told earlier this month. Helen Robinson, the Department of Health's branch head for the older people's...

Child protection; NSPCC television campaign approved.(National Society for Prevention of)(Cruelty to Children)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Complaints about an NSPCC advertisement depicting a cartoon boy bouncing back from his father's attacks have not been upheld by the Independent Television Commission. The ITC received 127 complaints about the advertisement that showed the...

Policy; Social care institute sets out priorities.(Social Care Institute for Excellence)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The Social Care Institute for Excellence has named three priority areas it intends to focus on over the next year. Work will be carried out on good practice in fostering, involving service users and carers in the planning and provision of...

children by lauren revans; Charities call for share of budget cash to be ring-fenced for children.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Children's charities have called on the government to ensure a significant proportion of the new money promised in April's budget is spent on children's services. The National Children's Bureau, the NSPCC and NCH - backed by the...

Youth justice; Nottingham pilots voluntary orders.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Nottingham Council is working in partnership with the police and a social housing provider to operate a pilot scheme aimed at tackling young people on the verge of antisocial behaviour. The council's group disorder unit, Nottingham...

POLICY; Rural areas benefit from New Deal.(jobs for unemployed youth)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The New Deal programme for young unemployed people has found work for more than 50 per cent of clients in rural and semi-rural areas, says a new report. The report by the Economic and Social Research Council says the New Deal's...

Standards by Lauren Revans and Derren Hayes; Five management firms to compete for performance action contracts.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The Department of Health has named the five companies short-listed for contracts to be performance action teams in four failing councils (see News, page 6, 6 June). They are multinational management consultancies Arthur Andersen, KPMG,...

sex offenders; Treatment centre to be sold off.(Wolvercote Clinic in Epsom, Surrey)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... A unique rehabilitation centre for paedophiles is to close because its premises have been sold by the government for development. A Home Office spokesperson says no decision has been taken on when the Wolvercote Clinic in Epsom, Surrey,...

readers' views; Councils not guilty of neglect on race.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Fifty-seven per cent of visitors to Community Care's website believe local authorities take race equality issues seriously despite a Community Care survey showing only a handful have produced race equality schemes. This week's question...

council Pay:time to act.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The prospect of a national strike of local government workers looms large. It is unsurprising as an NOP poll this week reveals that almost 70 per cent considered leaving their jobs in the last year because their workload and pressures increased...

Climbie inquiry; New evidence to reopen phase one.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The Laming report looks set to be delayed following news that phase one of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry is to reopen after the late submission of a "potentially important" document from the Social Services Inspectorate. The document, an...

child protection; Abuse victims tell the truth, MPs told.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Asolicitor who specialises in child abuse cases has claimed "there are no people in prison for child abuse who are blameless." Giving evidence last week to the third meeting of the Home Affairs Select Committee into child abuse in...

asylum seekers; Help removed for European refugees.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Individuals with citizenship or refugee status in other European Union states who try to claim support in the UK from local authorities could be refused assistance under new proposals. Under an amendment to the Nationality, Immigration and...

social services; Lauren Wright case chief to retire.(Norfolk social services director David Wright to take early retirement in November)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The director of social services at the centre of the Lauren Wright case has announced he is to step down. David Wright, who has headed Norfolk social services for the past 12 years, is to take early retirement in November. The...

Child protection; Birmingham blamed in 'disturbing' case.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... A man who complained that Birmingham Council failed to safeguard his three children while they were being looked after by his former partner has had his complaint upheld by the local government ombudsman. In what she describes as a...

Foster care; Former care worker wins tribunal award.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... A former care worker has been awarded [pound]20,000 by an employment tribunal after claiming his life was destroyed by allegations that he made obscene suggestions to a girl in foster care. Paul Gillon, from Seaton Delaval in...

Recruitment by Lauren Revans; Social care chiefs back; London campaign.(Care in the Capital Week)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Local government and social care organisations are backing a Community Care campaign to improve the image of social work in London and attract more people into the profession. Key stakeholders including the Association of Directors of...

workforce by Sally Gillen; Most local government workers want to quit their job, says survey.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Almost 70 per cent of local government workers considered leaving their jobs in the past year, according to a survey of 4,500 staff. The NOP survey, commissioned by public sector union Unison to look at attitudes to pay and working...

Carers; Volunteers want official recognition.(Adding Value: Carers as Drivers of Social Change report)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Carers contribute an average of 18 hours of voluntary and community work per month, saving the country up to [pound]1bn a year, a new survey has revealed. The Adding Value: Carers as Drivers of Social Change report by Carers UK also finds...

children Alex dobson; Charities applaud recognition of domestic violence in contact orders.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Children's charity the NSPCC has welcomed amendments to the Children and Adoption Bill that will make courts take into account the impact of domestic violence on a child when making contact orders. The changes will apply to applications for...

regeneration by Lauren Revans; Partnership not the only approach to neighbourhood renewal, says report.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... The government should not assume that local strategic partnerships are the most effective vehicle for delivering neighbourhood renewal, according to a new report from the Audit Commission. Instead, it suggests agencies involve themselves in...

survival is magical.(Brief Article)(Column)
June 13, 2002... this life Richard Jameson believes that theatre has given him the strength and humour to survive mental illness If it wasn't for theatre, I would neither have fallen ill nor recovered. This force has a healing and harming effect....

carers' promise.(National Carers Week in the UK)
June 13, 2002... To mark National Carers Week, our specialist articles in this issue are devoted to carers. Council director Andrew Cozens argues that it is time the government delivered on its promise to carers, while overleaf, researchers Jill Manthorpe and...

mental health; Samaritans prepare for World Cup blues.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... Heightened emotions as a result of the World Cup could lead to more depressed people contacting the Samaritans. A spokesperson for the charity said that events of national significance always resulted in an increased number of calls, and...

involuntary action.(relatives in UK minority ethnic communities often end up doing social services work)
June 13, 2002... Strong family ties in many minority ethnic communities mean that relatives often end up doing the work that should be provided by social services. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown's family is a case in point I didn't realise this until I started...

best for the child?(removing children from abusive parents)
June 13, 2002... The scenario where a stepfather behaves viole ntly towards a stepson is well known to social workers. But children in this situation should not automatically be removed. Graham Hopkins discusses one such case handled by Fran Stellitano...

viva cliche!(report-writing)(Column)
June 13, 2002... the write stuff At the end of the day, writes Graham Hopkins, well placed cliches can convey so much in a report It's the same old story isn't it? In a nutshell, we've had all and sundry sitting in their ivory towers telling us that we...

in the spotlight.(treatment for drug and alcohol users)
June 13, 2002... A programme for drug and alcohol users, which uses self-help and user involvement philosophies to help clients overcome their addictions, has achieved notable success in Hampshire. Graham Hopkins reports "Been there, done that" usually...

Asylum bill is Labour's disgrace.(Brief Article)(Column)
June 13, 2002... Yvonne roberts says the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill is a racist and unworkable piece of propaganda My child, aged seven, goes to an inner London primary school in which over half the children come from ethnic minorities,...

Put the poorest first.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2002... When it comes to child poverty, the government has usually put its money where its mouth is. The Prime Minister's absurd suggestion of taking child benefit away from the parents of errant children apart, the general tendency of government...

What is special about inclusion?(children with special needs in mainstream schools)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... viewpoint Putting children with special needs in mainstream schools can lead to unhappiness, writes Robin Jackson Jenny Morris' argument that residential special schooling is educationally, socially and ethically undesirable (Community...

in search of; 'normality'.(crisis intervention and out-of-hours mental health services)
June 20, 2002... Those planning and implementing crisis and out-of-hours mental health services need to ensure that service users' views are sought and acted upon, writes researcher Heather Hurford Crisis resolution teams are required to be in place by...

visiting powers.(health visitors and child protection)
June 20, 2002... Health visitors form a vital link in the child protection chain, but as with professionals in other fields, that link was missing when Victoria Climbie needed it. Natalie Valios reports Play the word association game and you might...

we are not all the same.(helping adults with learning difficulties)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... this life Mabel Cooper says social work training should involve getting to know more people with learning difficulties When I first came out of long-stay hospital in 1980 I had a social worker, but I think he was not able to do his job. He...

london; calling.(recruiting social workers)
June 20, 2002... As part of Care in the Capital week, Havering director Anthony Douglas, author of the Is Anybody Out There?report into social care recruitment in London, charts a course through the mounting problems in recruitment and calls on...

mental health; Crisis warning over acute care services.(Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health reports on hospital mental health services)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health has warned that hospital mental health services are in decline, with increased user dissatisfaction and loss of quality staff. The centre warns that the situation in acute care is close to crisis and...

Child protection by sally gillen; Climbie case social worker denies charge of obstructing Laming inquiry.(Carole Baptiste; obstruction of court case)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... A former Haringey social worker who ignored a summons requesting her presence at the Victoria Climbie inquiry appeared in court last week charged with failure to attend. Carole Baptiste, who was responsible for supervising Victoria's...

older people; Relatives to fight unit closure plan.(Leslie House 21 Group fights Church of Scotland's plans to close residential units)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Relatives have formed a pressure group to fight the Church of Scotland's plans to close a residential unit for older people in Fife claiming that the decision could lead to the death of some residents. In April, the Church of Scotland,...

workplace; High levels of job satisfaction among London's social workers, survey finds.(Unison survey results)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
June 20, 2002... New research reveals that eight out of 10 social workers in the South East are satisfied in their jobs, but low pay is still a cause for concern. Katie Leason reports "When I grow up I want to be a social worker." It is not a phrase often...

codes of conduct; Regulation bodies to approve codes.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The first ever set of codes of conduct and practice for social care staff and employers will be put before the UK's four social care regulatory councils this month. The codes, which will be the cornerstone of the forthcoming social care...

workforce by Rachel Downey; Report calls for planning strategy to deal with London recruitment crisis.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... A long-term workforce planning strategy for social care and health is urgently needed to stem the severe recruitment crisis in London, urges a new report commissioned by Community Care. The report on the recruitment and retention of social...

Adoption; Lords passes right to adopt amendment.(Adoption and Children Bill amendment)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Felicity Collier, chief executive of BAAF Adoption and Fostering, is optimistic that an amendment to the Adoption and Children Bill allowing unmarried couples to adopt children will gain the backing of the House of Lords. She was speaking...

voluntary sector; Call for government to pay core costs.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The chief executive of a voluntary-sector professional body has warned that government plans to expand the sector's role in the delivery of public services will falter unless it agrees to pay core costs. Stephen Bubb, of the Association of...

child protection; Sentence cut for Lauren Wright killer.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... A woman who was jailed for 15 years last November for killing Lauren Wright, her six-year-old stepdaughter, has had her sentence cut at the Court of Appeal. Tracey Wright was sentenced for the manslaughter of Lauren, who died after a blow...

funding; Councils to get more; powers to borrow.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... New draft legislation on local government regulations promises to give local authorities more freedom for funding and commissioning services. The draft Local Government Bill includes proposals to give councils the power to borrow money to...

Asylum seekers; Blunkett angers campaigners with proposal for separate schooling.(David Blunkett)
June 20, 2002... The government's asylum bill proposes changes to the way asylum-seeking children are educated. Anabel Unity Sale reports on the disquiet inside and outside parliament Home secretary David Blunkett is facing a testing time. He is trying to...

Housing; Providers can shape future of new fund.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Housing providers have a vital role in informing social services about the importance of the government's Supporting People policy, delegates were told at a conference last week. Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing's annual...

children by Alex Dobson; Welsh children's commissioner calls for complaints and advocacy system.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The children's commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke, has announced a far-reaching review of arrangements to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of young people in Wales. During a speech to the all-Wales social services conference...

workforce by SALLY GILLEN; Campaign launch highlights shortage of social workers in London.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
June 20, 2002... Community Care launched a major campaign this week aimed at highlighting the deepening recruitment crisis in London. Care in the Capital Week is focusing public attention on how vulnerable people are being left without consistent and...

asylum seekers; Survey says public support refugees.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The public are four times more likely to have positive rather than negative attitudes towards asylum seekers and refugees, according to research published at the beginning of Refugee Week, which runs from 17 to 23 June. A poll by Mori...

joint reviews; Swindon failing users, says report.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Swindon Council social services department has been warned in a joint review report that it will need to significantly change because it is only serving some service users well. The joint review by the Audit Commission and the Department of...

awards; Community workers shine in honours list.(Orders of the British Empire and Members of the British Empire)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Local Government Association chief executive Brian Briscoe joined rock legend Mick Jagger in receiving a knighthood last week in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Briscoe has been LGA chief executive since it was established five years...

workplace by katie leason; Unison local government conference backs motion rejecting care trusts.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Unison members have voted to step up their campaign against the formation of care trusts. At the union's local government conference this week they backed a motion rejecting care trust status as the best means of promoting closer working...

child protection; Guidance for abuse investigations.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The Home Office and the Department of Health have published joint guidance for agencies involved in managing complex child abuse investigations. It focuses on issues highlighted in the Lost In Care report into child abuse in North Wales...

readers' views; Staff morale has sunk over last year.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... More than 90 per cent of visitors to Community Care's website say morale has become worse in their team during the last year. This week's question asks: Do you support the call from Unison's local government conference for a national...

solutions are out there.(recruitment and retention in social care)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The problems of recruitment and retention in social care are at their most intense in London. But the fact that London is one city should help its 33 boroughs to work together on strategic solutions, both directly focused on recruitment...

children; Call for trust funds for care leavers.(Institute for Public Policy Research paper)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The government should consider introducing trust funds for care leavers, according to a discussion paper being debated this week by the Institute for Public Policy Research. The influential left-of-centre think-tank argues that allowing...

fears need to be allayed.(Unison's campaign against care trusts)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Unison's local government conference has voted to step up the union's campaign against care trusts, indicating the extent to which absorption of social services by the NHS is still feared at the grass roots. In our view Unison has gone a step...

Housing; Report vindicates independent living.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Housing has a key role to play in the provision of intermediate care, according to a new report. Research by the Nuffield Institute, commissioned by older people's housing provider Housing 21, evaluates an intermediate care service run by...

domestic violence; Scots schools to teach prevention.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... Schools play a key role in tackling domestic violence, according to Margaret Curran, minister for social justice in the Scottish parliament. She made her comments when announcing a new school-focused initiative at a conference hosted by the...

care standards; Timetable too tight says training body.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2002... The national training organisation for social care professionals is warning that the deadline for new qualification requirements for care home managers may be too tight. By 2005, all care home managers must have separate management and...