Community Care articles from June 2005

Community Care archives from June 2005

Asylum seekers; 'Authorities failing to combat racism'.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Many young asylum seekers and refugees experience racism at school and in their communities, according to new research. The survey, carried out by Save the Children covered nearly 100 child and adult refugees and asylum seekers living in...

Runaways; More outreach needed, says study.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Vulnerable young runaways are continuing to fall through the net of available support services. A study by the Children's Society, finds older runaways, who repeatedly "stay away" from home, are particularly difficult to engage. The lack of...

Care homes fear impact of working time rule changes.
June 2, 2005... The care home sector will be set for a shake-up if the European Union ends the option for UK staff to work more than 48 hours a week. The European working time directive states a maximum working week, (averaged out over a year), should be 48...

If you ask me...(Viv Pember)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 2, 2005... Viv Pember has learning difficulties and uses one of Cardiff Council's community day services Who has had the biggest influence on you? My friend Lynn. Which professional has been most use to you? Sheila Money, the manager of the day...

ON ; THE ; MOVE.(people at charities)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... DAME ELIZABETH BUTLER-SLOSS has joined the board of governors at children's charity Coram Family. She recently retired as president of the High Court's family division. Home Farm Trust, a charity for adults with learning difficulties, has...

Policy; Ministers fight it out for 'respect'.(battle over who has control of policies in Tony Blair's cabinet)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Prime minister Tony Blair is to end a battle between ministers over who has control of policies to create a more respectful society. Blair will chair the first meeting of the cabinet committee on antisocial behaviour. It had been thought that...

Public sector pay to be linked to service improvements.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Aset of principles which will dictate the future of public sector pay has been unveiled by the government. The principles suggest pay and benefits packages be geared to improving services and driving productivity. Priority is also given to...

The Simon Heng column A service user's view of social care.(Column)
June 2, 2005... The green paper on adult services has failed to address the poverty trap One theme of the adult services green paper is the inclusion of service users in their communities. This includes the enhancement of working and voluntary...

Training materials.(Problematic CD-Rom)(Audiovisual Review)
June 2, 2005... PROBLEMATIC Information Plus ISBN 0954461479, [pounds sterling]39.95 From www.information-plus.co.uk This CD-Rom turns the format of a radio phone-in into a game in which teenagers win points for giving good advice to virtual callers...

WHY I LOVE MY JOB.(Catherine Cowans)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Catherine Cowans is a carers' support worker in the direct payments team at Durham Council My job involves giving information, advice and setting up direct payments for people assessed as requiring a community care service. I mostly work...

Will more foundation schools and city academies be good for children?(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Angie Lawrence Single mother This strategy will increase inequality in education. Academies benefit the few at the expense of the many, and are really a form of privatisation. The individual needs of children will be neglected. Extended...

Benefits; Blueprint for future of welfare revealed.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The welfare system should be reformed to help disabled people design and deliver their own services, according to new research. The report, from think-tank Demos and charity Scope, calls on the government to use its reforms of incapacity...

Book reviews.(The Tidal Model: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals)(Active Ageing in Active Communities)(Book Review)
June 2, 2005... THE TIDAL MODEL: A GUIDE FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Phil Barker and Poppy Buchanan-Barker, Brunner-Routledge ISBN 1583918019, [pounds sterling]17.99 The stresses and strains of life are likened to ocean travel linked with the risks...

Book reviews.(A Life Inside: A Prisoner's Notebook)(Social Work Theoris in Action)(The Home Stretch: From Prison to Parole)(Book Review)
June 2, 2005... A LIFE INSIDE: A PRISONER'S NOTEBOOK ISBN 1903809983, [pounds sterling]7.99 THE HOME STRETCH: FROM PRISON TO PAROLE ISBN 1843544385, [pounds sterling]7.99 Both by Erwin James, Guardian Books Erwin James has created two compelling...

Cild protection; Clark pathologist 'below standard'.(Dr Alan Williams)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... A Home Office pathologist who claimed there was "overwhelming evidence" of a double murder in the Sally Clark baby case fell short of expected medical standards, a disciplinary panel was told this week. Dr Alan Williams was appearing before the...

Children; Sure Start research raises eyebrows.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Expectations that the number of referrals to social services would increase in areas where Sure Start local programmes are in operation were unfounded, according to research. The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Durham for...

Day i decided to eat.(anorexia nervosa)
June 2, 2005... this life After winning a six-year battle against anorexia, Alex Williams is convinced there is no going back I have spent six years in recovery from anorexia but will never forget my experience of the illness that lasted for the same...

Disabilities; Minister steps up inclusion efforts.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Employers were called upon to "redouble their efforts" to recruit talented and skilled disabled people by minister for disabled people Anne McGuire. In her first speech since she took on the brief, McGuire told the TUC's Disability Conference...

Under occupied.(disabled persons in public bodies)
June 2, 2005... Michael Hirst and Patricia Thornton look at the employment of disabled people, particularly in public bodies, in the light of new laws that place a duty on employers to promote the equality of disabled people The Disability Discrimination...

Homelessness; Bid to improve housing situation for young offenders leaving custody.(Youth Justice Board to provide housing for young homeless offenders)
June 2, 2005... Councils have been failing to house young offenders on release. But the Youth Justice Board is trying to persuade them to provide better housing. Helen McCormack reports Homelessness among young offenders leaving custody is finally being...

Be a successful; new manager.
June 2, 2005... The move into management is a significant step in anyone's career, not to mention terrifying one, writes Nathalie Towner. You will suddenly be responsible for a team of people who will be looking to you for direction, and senior management will...

Discipline needed.(mental health workers)
June 2, 2005... The role of primary mental health workers is developing at pace but until now there has been little information about service issues facing the discipline. David Eaton explains his research findings Up to a quarter of children and...

Learning difficulties by Amy Taylor; Setback for providers looking ; to promote independent living.(Alternative Futures loses appeal to deregister its residential homes)
June 2, 2005... A learning difficulties charity last week lost an appeal to overturn the Commission for Social Care Inspection's refusal to let it deregister 11 of its residential homes. In a case that will have implications for care homes across the country,...

Learning difficulties; Valuing People ; cuts spark alarm.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Cuts to the government's learning difficulties policy team may hamper efforts to ensure the Valuing People programme is implemented. Sources close to the Department of Health say it is no longer possible to identify any policy officer working...

Local government; Plymouth avoids child death inquiry.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Plymouth Council has won a High Court battle to prevent an inquiry into its role in the death of a baby whose mother was jailed for cruelty. A judge quashed a coroner's call for an investigation into the role of "systems neglect" in the death...

Mental health; Probe into why cop killer was at large.(Glaister Earl Butler)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... An inquiry is to be held into why Glaister Earl Butler, a mental health service user convicted last week of killing a policeman, was considered suitable for community-based care. Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust said Butler was...

Mental health; Manchester police probe client's death.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Police are investigating claims that a mentally ill patient died after he was given painkillers to subdue his behaviour. Bolton, Salford and Trafford NHS Mental Health Trust has suspended three members of staff after the 77-year-old man died...

My practice.(reducing risk of older people falling)
June 2, 2005... Health and social services are forging ahead with their efforts to reduce the risk of older people falling, writes James Lampert Our service for older people who have osteoporosis or have had falls is developing. One recent improvement is...

Too big, too rich.(voluntary groups and government)
June 2, 2005... Bob Holman appreciates the work of all voluntary groups but is concerned that the larger agencies, despite their millions, are impervious to the welfare of the small, local projects at the sharp end There is much to admire in both statutory...

Profile.(Mohammed Sayed)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Mohammed Sayed supports Asian people with mental health problems Job title: Social worker, Asian community mental health team, Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust. How long in the job? Eight years. Career highlight: When a patient made a...

Registration; Few registered on time in N Ireland.(Northern Ireland)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Less than 14 per cent of the social care workers expected to register with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council had their applications processed by the 1 June deadline. The council said this week it had registered 480 social workers and...

Residential care; More adults placed outside their areas.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The number of adults placed in residential care out of area rose by 3 per cent between 2003 and 2004, according to the Department of Health. They show that 49,100 residents were placed outside their home authority in 2004, representing 18 per...

Standards; Review points to need for reform.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... The case for an overhaul of national minimum standards for care providers has been strengthened by research showing they do not measure important outcomes for users. The study of 52 care homes for people with learning difficulties finds there...

substance misuse; Abuse rife among users of drugs.
June 2, 2005... Nearly two-thirds of female drug users contacting treatment services in Scotland report having previously been physically abused, researchers have found. And more than a third of women contacting Scottish drug treatment services have been...

Supporting people; Cuts restricting new project work.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... One of the country's biggest supported housing associations has warned that vulnerable people are losing out because Supporting People cuts are preventing providers developing any new projects. English Churches Housing Group chief executive...

Tenants or users?(confusion over what constitutes residential care and supported tenancies)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... When Valuing People was published four years ago housing was flagged up as one of the key areas where choice and independence for people with learning difficulties could be provided. To bring about such choice some charities applied to cancel...

The price of efficiency.(government funding to social services)
June 2, 2005... "Cost-neutral" was how the government described funding for the ambitious proposals set out in the adult green paper. "On the cheap" was the phrase preferred by many commentators. Liam Byrne, the new health minister, has belatedly promised to...

Template for a cut in offending.(tackling adult reoffending in same way as youth offending teams)
June 2, 2005... viewpoint Youth offending teams are lighting up the route to ways of tackling adult reoffending, argues David Stonehouse As the manager of a youth offending team (Yot) I have been heartened by suggestions that Yots could be a blueprint for...

Our lips; are sealed.(charities providing services and campaigning)
June 2, 2005... Many charities campaign on behalf of their clients as well as offering them services face to face. But there are fears that government efforts to involve the sector in delivery will silence radical voices.Anabel UnitySale reports ...

Workforce by Mithran Samuel; Quality staff to quit councils as they seek careers in independent practice.(Helen Ogilvy)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Social work risks becoming a two-tier profession, as experienced staff go independent to escape poor working conditions at councils. That was the warning last week from Helen Ogilvy, co-chair of the British Association of Social Workers, who...

Workforce; Association chair to 'restore' profession.(Gordon Jones of British Association of Social Workers)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2005... Reviving social work in local government will be top of the agenda in Gordon Jones's year as chair of the British Association of Social Workers. Jones, head of older and disabled people's services at Bridgend Council, said the community care...

Workforce by Simeon Brody; Arthurworrey should have taken greater responsibility, says barrister.(Lisa Arthurworrey)
June 2, 2005... The social worker allocated to Victoria Climbie's case was told at a tribunal hearing last week that she should have taken more responsibility for the case because she knew her manager was "useless". Barrister Philip Coppel, acting for the...

Year in ; year out.(James Pearce, manager of day services at Hampshire Council, UK)
June 2, 2005... James Pearce tells Sarah Wellard why, although his role as manager of a day service for people with learning difficulties is a temporary one, change is very much on the agenda When a temporary manager arrives to take charge of an...

Point ; of no; return.(young offenders returning to their hometowns)
June 2, 2005... Young offenders from small communities often face huge problems when they go back to their towns and villages on release from prison. Louise Tickle found they have a straight choice: either move away or stay and encounter hostility, poor...

Teenage mothers ; and the blame game.
June 2, 2005... Yvonne roberts The story of three teenage mothers under one roof is a dream for the Daily Mail Jemma,14; Jade 15 and Natasha, 18 live with their mother, Julie Atkins on [pounds sterling]31,000 worth of benefits. Jemma has a son T-Jay; Jade...

recruitment; Scottish campaign fails to inspire public.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Social work directors in Scotland have admitted disappointment at the response to the executive's recent poster campaign to recruit more social workers and care staff. A survey carried out by the executive to analyse the effectiveness of the...

accommodation; Supported housing funding encouraged.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... The Housing Corporation has relaxed its rules for funding supported housing in a bid to halt a slump in new development. Under the new rules housing providers will no longer have to provide long-term guarantees about revenue funding in order...

public order; Most people prefer the preventive way.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Two-thirds of adults believe that preventive action is the most effective way of tackling antisocial behaviour, according to a report published this week. Research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that only 20 per cent of adults...

child protection; Paediatricians shun community work.
June 9, 2005... The number of paediatricians who want to work in child protection is at a "worrying level", according to a new survey of the profession. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health report states that although there was a "rapid" rise in...

alzheimer's; 'Inappropriate drug use' for dementia.
June 9, 2005... An Alzheimer Scotland report this week raised concerns over the care provided for people with dementia in the nation's care homes. It says many of the approximately 19,000 care home residents with dementia are being inappropriately prescribed...

legal; Parents deny baby murder charges.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... A father charged with murdering his baby daughter admitted shaking her and pressing her chest but said he did it to wake her up. A post-mortem had found that four-week-old Asha Sabaratnam's ribs were broken in at least 20 places and that she...

legal; High Court rejects confidentiality bid.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Adocumentary about a psychiatric patient who has a personality disorder is to be screened following a landmark High Court ruling upholding the patient's right to freedom of expression. St Helens Council and the Official Solicitor sought an...

readers' views; Most want to go ; self-employed.
June 9, 2005... Nearly four out of five visitors to Community Care's website said they would consider becoming an independent social worker to escape poor working conditions at councils. This week's question asks: Should asylum seekers whose claims have failed...

medicine; Users lobby over Alzheimer's drugs.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been bombarded by almost 8,000 objections to its call for the NHS to stop prescribing four Alzheimer's drugs on cost grounds. The objections, which dwarf those who responded in...

benefits; Third of all tax credits overpaid.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Almost [pounds sterling]2bn of tax credits have been overpaid to nearly two million hard-up families - an average of [pounds sterling]1,000 per household, government statistics reveal. An HM Revenue and Customs report shows that a third of all...

Exclusive; Asylum seekers still in N Ireland's jails.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... The government has failed to tackle Northern Ireland's practice of detaining asylum seekers in prisons despite pledging to do so almost a year ago, Community Care has learned. Last July Lord Rooker, the then minister of state for regeneration...

If you ask me...(Services of Social workers )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Christina Wood is a parent of six adopted children aged two to 15 with learning difficulties Who has had the biggest influence on you? My late mother, who made learning fun. Which social care professionals have been most use to you?...

ON ; THE ; MOVE.(Appointments and resignations )(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... JESSICA CHAPPELL is to be seconded to the new role of head of children's disability services at the London Borough of Council. Currently, she is head of mainstream support services at the council's education department. Chief executive of...

three ; into one does go.(Fundraising depends on raising your profile, which requires recruiting staff to do it, which costs money)
June 9, 2005... Fundraising depends on raising your profile, which requires recruiting staff to do it, which costs money. So three small charities with a similar client base decided to share a member of staff. Graham Hopkins reports People often come into...

Social workers go to prison to help young offenders' welfare.
June 9, 2005... The decision by the Youth Justice Board to employ social workers at young offender institutions could open up job opportunities in youth justice, writes Derren Hayes. From September, all 17 young offender institutions in England and Wales will...

Marginal decisions.(welfare rights movement)
June 9, 2005... welfare rights In the first of two articles, Gary Vaux looks at how hard it can be to receive disability living allowance One of the achievements of the welfare rights movement has been the steady extension of disability living allowance...

Workplace stress worries two out of three in public sector.
June 9, 2005... Mental health charity Mind has added to the mounting body of evidence on the damaging impact workplace stress is having on UK workers. Its survey of TUC safety representatives found two out of three in the public sector are concerned about the...

a discredited system.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Given New Labour's penchant for replacing functional systems with experimental alternatives, its determination to stick with the ailing tax credits system is starting to look like bloody-mindedness. New figures show that about 5.6 million...

KINDNESS OR COLONIALISM?(adoption from different cultures-an insight view)
June 9, 2005... The UK lags behind other developed countries that allow significant numbers of inter-country adoptions. But are western countries exploiting poorer countries or providing a way out of poverty for thousands of children, asks Emily Buchanan ...

asyluscheme dealt a blow by charity's withdrawal.m seekers by helen mccormack; Home Office 'work-to-eat' .
June 9, 2005... The YMCA has pulled out of the Home Office's plan to force failed asylum seekers to work in exchange for living support amid fierce condemnation of the scheme. In an apparent u-turn, YMCA England said it would not be running a pilot project in...

book reviews.(Book Review)
June 9, 2005... STUART: A LIFE BACKWARDS Alexander Masters, Fourth Estate ISBN 0007200366, [pounds sterling]12.99 "I fail to see - because I do not happen to be a 'Somebody' - why my diary should not be interesting," writes the unreliable fictional...

career clinic.(a friendlyapproach to a colleague)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... A member of my team has bad personal hygiene problems. She doesn't appear to care or notice but the rest of the team certainly has - I've heard them complaining about it - and service users must be aware of it, too. I know it makes her...

child protection by amy taylor; Children board to review agencies'; involvement with 'witch' case girl.
June 9, 2005... An independent review will be carried out into agencies' handling of a case involving a girl tortured by her carers who believed she was a witch, after they were found guilty of child cruelty charges at the Old Bailey last week. Penny Thompson,...

child care; Get men involved more, says report.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Staff working in early years settings should be trained on how to involve fathers as both volunteers and staff, a report says. The study, by the Pre-School Learning Alliance, says that fathers would be more involved in child care if the...

child protection; Doctor in Clark case escapes a life ban.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... A doctor who failed to disclose vital post-mortem evidence in the Sally Clark murder trial has escaped a life ban from medicine. A General Medical Council panel found Dr Alan Williams guilty of serious professional misconduct and banned him...

education; Exam targets urged for children in care.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Campaigners have called on schools to be given targets to improve the educational achievement of looked-after children after wide differences were revealed across England. Merton Council in London achieved the best GCSE results last year with...

funding; Department suffers in Inverclyde rejig.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Social work services at Inverclyde Council have been starved of resources and suffered inertia during management reorganisation, an Audit Scotland report has found. The Best Value review severely criticises the leadership, management and...

housing; Councillor opens his doors to homeless.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... A councillor is tackling his area's housing shortage by renting his own properties to homeless people. Paul Marfleet, cabinet member for finance and personnel at Denbighshire Council in Wales, said he was just trying to do a small bit to help....

reach for the on switch.
June 9, 2005... The government must decide soon whether the work carried out by the 11 areas trailblazing an information-sharing system for children is to form the template of a national database. Anabel Unity Sale reports on progress made by three of these...

back to; nothing.(Albania)
June 9, 2005... Thanks to winning an Isabel Schwarz travel fellowship, Rose Palmer has gained more of an understanding of what her young asylum seeker clients face if they are returned to Albania - a vacuum in terms of practical and emotional support. Katie...

job file: technical assistant, sensory impairment.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Who's doing it? Anita Walsh. Where? East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Job description: Assessing the needs of visually or hearing impaired people and arranging equipment and assistance. Skills/qualifications needed: Ability to use sign...

learning difficulties by simeon brody; Tribunal clears way for care needs to form basis of right to benefit.
June 9, 2005... Many people with behavioural problems may now be entitled to disability living allowance. It follows a ruling that eligibility depends on the extent of a person's care needs rather than diagnosis of a medical condition. In an appeal involving a...

learning difficulties by maria ahmed; Probe into claims of council neglect after disabled man, 20, dies in unit.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... The case of a disabled man with learning difficulties who died at 20 after his needs were allegedly neglected has been reported to the Healthcare Commission. Tom Wakefield, who had cerebral palsy and progressive scoliosis, died in an adult...

local government; Employers' group axed in costs cull.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... The Local Government Association is to scrap the Employers' Organisation in a shake-up to cut costs and centralise accountability. The organisation's policy and negotiations role on council employment issues is now under direct LGA management,...

older people; Police investigate deaths at care home.(Police and the Commission for Social Care Inspection)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Police and the Commission for Social Care Inspection are investigating five deaths this year at a Norfolk care home. The probe into Horsford Court, near Norwich, will focus on reviewing resident care and medical records, although the home has...

older people; Coalition demands independent tsar.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Charities say an older people's commissioner for Wales should be independent and have the power to investigate cases of abuse. Age Alliance Wales, which includes Age Concern Cymru and Alzheimer's Society Wales, supports the establishment of a...

wisdom of solomon.(intercountry adoption)(Column)
June 9, 2005... Inter-country adoption involves suffering but also offers hope to individuals from poorer countries. So those writing about it must avoid imagining they occupy the moral high ground, says Peter Beresford This is a hard article to write. It...

policy; Think-tank launches social justice vision.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Universal early years services, more generous benefits to cut child poverty and free personal care will deliver social justice in Britain, a leading think-tank said this week. In Social Justice: Building a Fairer Britain, the Institute for...

private fostering; Children want more professional contact.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2005... Children who have been privately fostered want regular contact with social workers to make sure they are safe and the chance to talk to them in private, a report reveals. The Commission for Social Care Inspection found that many privately...