A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Gordonstoun girl launches bursary

The foster care girl who won the battle against her local
authority to take her place at private school Gordonstoun in
Scotland, yesterday launched an eponymous bursary fund to help
similar children to go to the school.

Suzanne Turley’s much publicised battle against Wrexham
social services, which argued the teenager would benefit from
attending a local college, generated £83,000 in public
donations from around the world. The fees for her two years in
college cost £38,000, and the extra money will be used to
establish the Turley Bursary, which should be in operation next
year.

Turley said: “Just because a child is in care it does not mean
that they should remain disadvantaged all their lives.”

Source:- The Times Wednesday 11 July page 3

Judge eases Bulger risk for web firms

Internet service providers should not face automatic criminal
sanction if their customers publish information about the new
identities of James Bulger’s killers, the high court ruled
yesterday.

Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, president of the family division,
admitted her original order was unfair to ISPs and altered the
injunction protecting Jon Venables and Robert Thompson.

No banned photographs have yet appeared on the internet.

ISPs will not be in breach of the injunction if they can show
they took “all reasonable steps” to block publication.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 11 July page 3

Anger at decision on youth jail brutality
decisions

The crown prosecution service was told it was “leaving children
unprotected” when it announced that none of the prison officers
alleged to have beaten up offenders would stand trial, by the
Howard League for Penal Reform.

Last August police were called to investigate allegations
against officers at Portland for brutalising inmates over a period
of 14 years.

The service confirmed yesterday there was insufficient evidence
for officers to stand trial.

Concern over Portland persuaded the home office to stop sending
inmates under 18 to the youth jail.

A decision on whether five officers will remain suspended is to
be made today.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 11 July page 5

Blunkett pledges tough action after riots

Local councils are being urged to expand summer sports, art and
theatre projects, in a bid to improve race relations, following
outbreaks of rioting in northern England.

David Blunkett told MPs yesterday that the actions of thugs
involved in “wanton destruction” would not be tolerated.

The home secretary said he wanted to look at ways which would
allow police to deal with disorder more effectively.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 11 July page 2

Minister urged to rescue council

Special powers could be used by the government to take over
Hackney Council after a warning yesterday that financial problems
were going from bad to worse.

Local government secretary Stephen Byers said last night he was
studying an Audit Commission report which urged him to intervene.
Inspectors found the council to be “demonstrably worse” than
anticipated in a review last November.

Its budget this year is based on the assumption that around
£48m in assets will be sold to make ends meet, but so far
sales of only £3.8m have been identified.

Byers can ask other authorities to take over key services or
send in government agencies and private contractors to assume
control for a limited period.

The Audit Commission warned last year that social services and
education obligations would not be met without big spending cuts.
But the council’s dilemma has been how to balance the cuts
and provide essential services.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 11 July page 10

Asylum raids ‘will hit race
relations’

Plans for the large-scale deportation of failed asylum seekers
later this year poses a serious risk to race relations, according
to London’s mayor Ken Livingstone.

A report by the Greater London Authority suggests that between
352,000 and 422,000 refugees and asylum seekers are forming nearly
5 per cent of the capital’s population.

More than 75,000 are in London illegally after being refused
refugee status and the home office has plans for deporting 30,000
to their country of origin in 2001-2 and more in 2002-3.

The GLA report said: “If these targets are seriously pursued,
immigration service staff will almost certainly need to make
regular forcible incursions into the heart of many of
London’s ethnic minority communities – backed up by Met
officers effectively under their instructions to remove failed
applicants.”

“There must be a serious risk that this will at some stage
threaten harmonious community relations in London.”

The report also calls for cash to replace the voucher system,
which it claims exacerbates poverty, social inclusion and community
tension.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 11 July page 10

Asylum pledge for women

Women subjected to circumcision in their home countries will be
eligible for asylum in Britain, Lord Rooker told peers.

The new home office minister said Britain was “quite ready to
recognise as refugees those who have been persecuted by non-state
agents, as well as those persecuted by the state”.

Applicants would have to prove that female genital mutilation
was “knowingly tolerated by the government or that the authorities
were unable to offer effective protection”.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 11 July page 10

Steep rise in child suicide attempts

Bullying, sexual and physical abuse, bereavement and exam
despair have contributed to a steep rise in the number of children
attempting to commit suicide, according to the charity Childline
yesterday.

Calls from suicidal children have doubled, increasing from 346
in 1990-1991 to 701 in 1998-1999. About a third tried to kill
themselves shortly before or during the call, usually by overdose
or slashing their wrists.

Up to half of young people attempting suicide would try
again.

Analysis of the 701 suicidal callers found most had chronic
problems of abuse, neglect and low self-esteem.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 11 July page 11

Kilshaws want to adopt again

The British couple at the centre of the internet adoption of
twin girls earlier this year said yesterday they were determined to
adopt again.

Judith and Alan Kilshaw paid a baby broker £8,000 for
American twin girls.

The couple said the scandal over Belinda and Kimberley, who have
now been returned to America, has not deterred them from their
quest for a daughter.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 11 July page 2

Death Valley runner gives children a life

Father finishes 38 marathons in six weeks to raise £100,000
for charity

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 11 July page 9

Guardian Society

On the chosen path

Management scheme targets deprived neighbourhoods

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 11 July page 4

Heard on the grapevine

New measures for assessing the impact of regeneration

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 11 July page 4

Valued views

Gauging opinion on learning disability

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 11 July page 4

Sweeping the streets

Shaks Ghosh, homelessness campaigner poised for powerful new
role

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 11 July page 11

Clear sighted

David Brindle on calls for a balance between best practice and
the need to rebuild a feel good factor in public services

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 11 July page 12

Made to love

A pioneering project that, for 20 years, has been helping to
find families for children with problems

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 11 July page
112-11

A window into the mind

Magazine launched to publicise creativity of mental health

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 11 July page
111

Scottish newspapers

Drug addicts warned on flesh eating disease

Drug users in the west of Scotland have been warned to be on the
alert after an outbreak of a rare flesh eating disease. Two cases
of necrotising fasciitis, more commonly known as the flesh eating
disease, have been diagnosed among intravenous drug users in the
past week during routine checks. The disease commonly begins in an
established wound or broken skin before spreading to lower tissue.
Flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea and toxic shock syndrome can occur. If
the disease is not caught early enough drastic surgery including
amputation is often necessary. About 1,000 cases of nectrosing
fasciitis are diagnosed in the UK each year with 60 to 80 proving
fatal.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 11 July page 7