A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Asylum seekers’ protest
halted

Up to 250 asylum seekers refused food
yesterday in protest at being held in detention centres following
last week’s high court ruling that it is unlawful to detain
immigrants at a former RAF camp in Cambridgeshire while their
claims are processed.

Prison Service staff dressed in riot gear
ended the protest at 9pm last night after a 12-hour stand off at
Halsar holding centre in Gosport, Hampshire.

At Campsfield House near Oxford, 90 of the 100
detainees refused food and took part in passive demonstrations.

The moves follow the decision last week that
to hold asylum seekers at Oakington detention centre in
Cambridgeshire is unlawful.

Immigration officers explained to detainees at
Haslar and Campsfield that the high court judgement did not apply
to their detention centres.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 11
September page 2

Greenham general advises
Eurotunnel

A retired general who masterminded plans to
protect American cruise missiles at Greenham Common in the 1980s is
helping Eurotunnel to counter the threat from asylum seekers.

Security consultant for Eurotunnel general Sir
Roger Wheeler said that he had to devise a way of defending a
nine-mile perimeter fence at Greenham from “20,000 women trying to
get in”.

Having spent two nights at Coquelles, Wheeler
has recommended a number of ways in which Eurotunnel can step up
security measures. This included blind spots not covered by close
circuit television cameras that were being exploited by immigrants
trying to board the cross-Channel train for Britain.

Wheeler advised on new advanced surveillance
equipment used by the military to guard high security bases. He
suggested ways of improving command and control arrangements at
Coquelles to ensure the duty manager and technical manager at the
site had the authority to make decisions in the event of an
emergency.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 11
September page 2

Free care for only 200 in
England

An estimated 200 older Scottish people would
benefit from free personal care if they moved south of the border,
according to the Scottish executive.

The statement followed the disclosure at the
weekend that under Scotland’s plans for free personal care,
older Scots who moved to English nursing homes would take the
entitlement with them.

An executive spokesperson confirmed last night
that the entitlement would only apply when a pensioner transferred
from a care home in Scotland to a care home in England –
about 200 cases a year.

Last night Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrats
spokesperson for older people, called for the same policy to apply
in England and Wales.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 11
September page 10

Filipino nurses tell of exploitation
and abuse in private care homes

More than 120 Filipino nurses have been
rescued from private nursing homes after allegedly suffering from
racism, abuse and exploitation.

The Filipino women in their twenties told the
TUC conference in Brighton that privately owned nursing homes in
Wiltshire had forced them to work up to 60 hours per week
performing menial tasks despite their qualifications to degree
level.

General secretary of the public service union
Unison Dave Prentis said the women had been paid £11,000 a
year compared with £16,500 they would receive working for the
NHS.

Prentis said their treatment was “absolutely
scandalous”.

He added: “This is a disgraceful way to treat
highly qualified nurses. The NHS is crying out for their
skills.”

Source:- The Independent
Tuesday 11 September page 8

Scottish newspapers

Tenants unmoved by housing
plan

Fewer than one in five tenants believe that
the controversial transfer of Glasgow Council’s housing stock
is definitely a good idea according to a poll carried out by Mori
on behalf of the council.

Less than a third of the 81,000 tenants
responded, and of those only 16 per cent said that the move would
be “definitely better”, 30 per cent said the transfer would
“probably be better”, while almost half admitted they were
unsure.

Bob Allan, chief executive of Glasgow Housing
Association which was created to take over the management of the
houses, said that the poll demonstrated that “people want an early
resolution”.

The Glasgow Campaign to Defend Council Housing
said the poll indicated that people were not ready for a ballot on
the transfer which should be delayed as a long as necessary.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 11
September page 10

McLeish to extend free care for
all

First minister Henry McLeish is set to extend
his offer of free personal care to any older person resident in
Scotland regardless of their country of origin.

Free personal care will be available to anyone
registered to live in Scotland using similar criteria to council
tax. Those already in care in Scotland who transfer to England or
Wales will carry their entitlement to free personal care with
them.

The Scottish executive has dismissed fears
about older people migrating north saying that this already happens
and involves only a small number who move to be closer to
families.

Source:- The Scotsman Tuesday 11
September page 1

Cosla invites Glasgow to
return

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
has invited Glasgow Council to rejoin following its resignation
earlier this year when councillors were unhappy with Cosla’s
negotiations with the Scottish executive and a subsequent hike in
annual fees.

Following a meeting between Cosla and leaders
of Glasgow Council, the council agreed to recommend that a best
value review should be carried out to decide whether the council
should rejoin.

Source:- The Scotsman Tuesday 11
September page 6