A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By
Sally Gillen and Reg McKay.

Climbie
case had an ‘inexperienced’ social worker

An
inexperienced social worker in charge of Victoria Climbie’s case was assigned
nearly twice as many “at risk” children as recommended, the inquiry into the
child’s death heard yesterday.

Lisa
Arthurworrey, who has been suspended from her job at Haringey Council, was
responsible for 19 children – seven more than guidelines allow.

Her
lawyer Jane Hoyal told the inquiry: “She was perhaps the most inexperienced
officer in her office and, in hindsight, was given one of the most complex
cases that a child protection officer could be allocated.”

Arthurworrey
is being blamed for failing to realise that Victoria was being horrifically abused.

Source:
The Independent September 28 page 11

Care
home head held over deaths

The
manager of a care home for older people was being questioned at Grays police
station in Essex yesterday in connection with three deaths. The unnamed woman,
who works at the Whitecroft care home in Orsett, Essex, was arrested on
suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.

Source:
The Independent September 28 page 11

Scottish
newspapers

McLeish
attacked over homelessness

First
minister Henry McLeish came under fire from opposition parties after new
figures appeared to show a sudden and unexpected increase in homelessness. 

Official
statistics showed that applications for housing from people claiming to be
homeless rose by 2,000 in the first three months of this year compared with the
previous quarter. This is set against the rate of homelessness decreasing
steadily between 1999 and 2000. 

A
spokesperson for the first minister described the figures as a “statistical
blip”.

Source:
The Scotsman September 28 page 11

Radio
DJ pleads guilty to child sex abuse

A
Radio Clyde FM sports commentator is facing a possible jail sentence after sex
offences against two young boys in the late 1970s. 

At
Hamilton Sheriff Court yesterday, Dougie Macdonald pleaded guilty to lewd and
libidinous practices against two boys aged 12 and 13 years by inducing them to
perform sexual acts, as well as inducing them to commit sexual acts with two
unnamed girls. 

The
court heard that Macdonald had an offence from 1981 of a similar nature.
Sheriff Canavan deferred the sentence and the decision about placing Macdonald
on the sex offenders’ register till he has received social inquiry and
community service assessment reports. Macdonald, who is well known for his
charity work, will be sentenced next month.

Source:
The Herald September 28 page 10

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