Couple investigated over 12 deaths at care home

Couple investigated over 12 deaths at care home

A married couple arrested on suspicion of murdering elderly residents at a care home are now being investigated in connection with 12 deaths, police have said.

Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph

Minister wades in to back colleague

Health secretary Alan Johnson was on typically genial form when he addressed the Labour party conference on Monday evening. But there was nothing light-hearted about the political lifeline he threw his beleaguered ministerial colleague, Ivan Lewis.

In a deliberate and very public vote of confidence in Lewis, defying strong suggestions that Gordon Brown plans to sack him, Johnson told those at the Manchester reception: “We really need ministers like Ivan Lewis, working across government and working with you to come to sensible conclusions.”

Read more on this story in Society Guardian

Pledges on child poverty and cancer

In what has been the most policy-light conference since Labour took power in 1997, the substantive announcements had clearly been reserved for the prime minister’s speech.

They ranged from a potentially hugely expensive – but decidedly long-term – move on child poverty, to smaller and more populist measures that departments insisted were at least technically already paid for within their budgets.

Read more on this story in The Financial Times

Mother jailed for murder after drowning her four-year-old daughter

A mother who drowned her disabled daughter in a bath because she was embarrassed by her cerebral palsy was jailed for life yesterday.

Read more on this story in The Times

Doctors told to curb use of Ritalin in hyperactive children

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be treated with drugs such as Ritalin only in severe cases and never when they are younger than 5, under official health guidelines issued today.

Read more on this story in The Times

Campaigners lose key stage in compulsory retirement battle

Campaigners for age equality today lost a key stage in their legal battle to banish the compulsory retirement age in the UK.

Age Concern had gone to the European court of justice in Luxembourg to argue that compelling people to stop work at or after 65 without compensation breaches EU equality requirements.

However the charity’s claim was rejected by the advocate-general.

Read more on this story in Society Guardian

Britain’s children have no trust

Children are growing up not trusting anyone, an influential peer has warned, as Britain’s society becomes increasingly suspicious and risk-averse.

Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph

Lessons in healthy lifestyles and sex education could replace traditional
academic subjects in a shake-up of primary school teaching planned by Ed Balls.

Read more on this story in The Daily Mail 

A union is to campaign to re-open a Remploy factory shut in a mass closure programme, after discovering almost half the disabled staff who worked there have not found another job.

The GMB lobbied Labour party delegates today, arguing there is a strong case for saving the factory in York, which used to make chemical warfare suits for the military.

Disabled children excluded from play facilities, campaigners say

Disabled children and young people are missing out on chances to play alongside able-bodied youngsters, a new report has claimed.

Campaign group Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) said children with disabilities often feel excluded from leisure activities because of “negative attitudes” – from both children and adults.