A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson.

Ouseley warns of racial deadlock

The author of a scathing report that highlighted problems in
Bradford such as segregation and institutional fear in a report
last year, has said little progress has been made in the city.

Lord Ouseley, former chairperson of the commission for racial
equality, said he feared young people in the city were as
disillusioned as ever, and the recommendations he made in his
report had been largely ignored. He blamed council leaders for
failing to act.

The report was compiled before the race riots in July that
caused £25 million of damage, and condemned the city’s
entrenched racial divisions.

Source:- The Independent Tuesday 23 April page
6

Tax rise will cost public services £1.2
bn

Gordon Brown’s decision to raise national insurance
contributions by 1 per cent was attacked by the Conservatives last
night, after Downing Street admitted that the change would cost
public sector employers £1.2 billion a year.

MPs were warned at the same time that 40 per cent of the extra
cash could go into higher pay and prices, which could reduce the
scope for better, faster treatment for patients.

Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith dubbed the rise of
national insurance as “a straightforward tax on the income of
workers and an outright tax on the jobs of firms who employ
them”.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 23 April page 3

Nurse recounts indignity of dead in ‘third
world’ NHS

A senior NHS nurse admitted the shame he felt towards the
standards of care he provided in an over-stretched casualty
department where corpses were locked away untended on trolleys
because nobody had time to take them to the mortuary.

Mike Hayward, charge nurse responsible for the accident and
emergency department at Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth,
told the annual nursing conference in Harrogate that on a
particular morning shift two months ago he had 30 urgent cases
waiting for admission, but every inch of corridor space was taken
with patients on trolleys.

“That day I witnessed the most shocking example of sub standard
care I have ever seen in my nursing career and I’m ashamed,”
he said.

Four patients who died after unsuccessful resuscitations were
left on trolleys in side rooms because there was no time to deal
with them.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 23 April page 6

Bruising ‘pattern’ is pointer to child
abuse

Children who have been physically abused can be identified by
the pattern of bruising on their bodies, a report claims today.

Researchers have established indicators based on the size and
location of bruises. The scoring system will help doctors to assess
whether a child has been abused, the report in Archives of Disease
in Childhood says.

Professor Jo Sibert from the University of Wales said: “Bruises
on the arms and legs are found on children who have been taking
part in ordinary activities, although it is possible huge bruises
could be a different matter.”

“But if you see a child with a black eye or bruising on the
face, it triggers concerns that it might be from abuse,” he
added.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 23 April page 6

Damilola jury out

The jury in the Damilola Taylor murder case has begun
considering its verdicts at the Old Bailey.

Two 16-year-old brothers deny murder, manslaughter and assault
with intent to rob.

Damilola died in November 2000 in Peckham, south London, after
being wounded in the thigh with a piece of glass.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 23 April page 8

British leaders urged to fight racist
advance

Britain’s political leaders will hold discussions over how
to fight right wing extremists seeking to emulate the success of
Jean-Marie Le Pen in France.

Gurbux Singh, chairperson of the Commission for Racial Equality,
has arranged talks with Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy,
Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and shadow home secretary
Oliver Letwin. He will present them with a letter calling for
“united front against racism, xenophobia and the politics of
disunity”.

Nick Griffin, chairperson of the British National Party,
predicted a “knock on effect” yesterday, and he said he was
convinced his party was ready to ‘follow the same
trajectory’ as the French National Front.

He hopes to win seats in Burnley and Oldham where there was
racial violence last summer.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 23 April page 1

Scottish newspapers

Stop the detention of asylum children

An influential group of cross-party MSPs has demanded that the
practice of locking up children in Scotland’s only detention
centre for asylum seekers be scrapped.

Following a visit to Dungavel Detention Centre last week, the
MSPS have said there was “no justification” for detaining children.
Instead, the MSPs propose that families with children should stay
in the community, with a daily reporting requirement if considered
necessary, while their applications for asylum are being
considered.

In a hard-hitting the report, the MSPs chaired by Shona
Robinson, also criticised the current arrangements for taking too
long, the lack of explanation given to asylum seekers when moved
from the community into detention and the overall impact on mental
health of detention and the length of time taken to consider
applications.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 23 April page 9

Welsh newspapers

Get Him Out!

Residents of a valley community in south Wales say that they do
not want the 11-year-old boy branded a ‘mini crime
wave’ staying in their community.

The boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been placed
in the Merthyr Tydfil area by Cardiff social services after
appearing before magistrates in Cardiff over 152 times.

He is due to appear in court again today when he will be
sentenced for more than 20 offences including car crime, theft and
burglary. A local councillor said that residents did not want a
potential troublemaker dumped in the area, particularly one with
high profile problems.

A spokesperson for Cardiff children’s services said they
were not prepared to comment on individual cases.

Source:- South Wales Echo Monday April 22 page 5

Witness tells of abuse and his fears of a ‘cult
network

The Clywch inquiry into the activities of alleged paedophile,
John Owen, was told yesterday that he may have built up a cult
among the young stars of the Welsh TV programme ‘Pam fi Duw’?

Owen who had taught at a school in south Wales where the abuse
was said to have taken place, later became an award winning
children’s television writer.

The first alleged victim to give evidence at the inquiry told of
his fears that Owen had built up a network of young admirers while
working on the programme. He said that he was concerned that what
had taken place at school when Owen was his teacher would happen
again.

The witness was one of four boys who alleged to police last year
that they had been sexually abused by Owen when he was their drama
teacher at Ysgol Rhydfelen in Pontypridd.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 23 April page 1

More help for charities

The Charity Commission has set up a new unit to support and
regulate charities that work or are based in Wales.

The unit, which is based in Taunton, will develop the
commission’s role in the principality by providing a more
tailored and in-depth approach to work with charities and umbrella
organisations. One of the aims of the team that will run the unit
is to develop knowledge of specific challenges and opportunities
facing the voluntary sector in Wales.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 23 April page 9