Articles by Date : December 01 2002 - December 31 2002

Planning for sex
A scheme in south London is providing mentors for service users, parents and staff in an effort to tackle the unease surrounding sex and sexuality.... more
(19 December 2002 10:58)

Big apple therapy
Letter from New York. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Direct payment dilemma
Our multidisciplinary panel considers the case of a man with learning difficulties whose carer parents are getting too old to cope. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Research into practice
Professionals are often ill-equipped to handle the conflict inherent in child protection, says research author Brian Littlechild. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Present and correct
For some managers giving a presentation is meat and drink, for others it's no picnic. Christine Doorly, Sheena Doyle and Kathryn Stone turn the.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Four directors rewarded in New Year's Honours list
Four social services directors are among the people given awards in the New Year’s Honours list. more
(31 December 2002 14:58)

Couple win damages from council for adoption that 'ruined their lives'
A couple who claimed their life was ruined by an adopted boy have won their claim for damages from Essex council. more
(18 December 2002 10:44)

Nursing care rates increased
New rates of nursing care support have been announced by the department of health to come into effect in April. more
(31 December 2002 15:59)

Adoption chief cleared of bullying
A former employee of Baaf Adoption and Fostering, who claimed that she was bullied and harassed by the organisation’s chief executive Felicity.... more
(23 December 2002 16:18)

Adoptive parents win damages
In A and B v Essex council [2002] EWHC 2707 (QB) adoptive parents successfully sought damages from the local authority who had placed children with.... more
(23 December 2002 14:39)

A round-up of the year's events in 2002
All the year's events rounded-up by Lauren Revans and Amy Taylor. more
(23 December 2002 13:11)

Inspectors find promise in two departments
Dudley and Durham social services departments' prospects for improvement are promising, according to joint review inspections, writes Amy Taylor. .... more
(30 December 2002 00:00)

Adoptive parents to be allocated key worker
Every prospective adopter will be allocated a ‘key worker’ to support them through the adoption process, under draft regulations unveiled by the.... more
(23 December 2002 11:38)

Nursery nurses to be compensated for wrongful imprisonment
The home secretary is set to pay compensation for wrongful imprisonment to two former nursery nurses who won a libel case after being accused of.... more
(23 December 2002 11:17)

New details of Sure Start spending
A breakdown of the £4 billion government investment in Sure Start by 2005-6 set out in the spending review was announced by education secretary.... more
(23 December 2002 00:00)

Friday 20 December 2002
Parents implore Danielle's uncle to reveal the location of her body. Three Asian men given life for murdering white teenager. more
(20 December 2002 10:01)

Community groups break with government over cohesion strategy
A leading regeneration organisation has criticised government guidance on community cohesion for councils, describing it as a "knee-jerk" response to.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

'Lead by example' care institute told
The Social Care Institute for Excellence has been told by service users that it should lead by example and ensure that users and carers participate.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

'Scots system is fine but can improve'
The children’s hearing system in Scotland is "fundamentally sound", according to a recent review. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Report says council is in top 25 per cent
Wokingham Council’s social services department is in the top quarter of England’s social services, according to a joint review report published last.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Directors warn on direct payments
Direct payments should only be used to employ close relatives in exceptional circumstances, the Association of Directors of Social Services has urged.... more
(19 December 2002 11:02)

No extra cash for children in prison
Funding for social services departments will not be reviewed in light of the High Court ruling that the Children Act 1989 applies to children in.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Social skills lag behind exam results
More must be done to ensure all pupils benefit from improvements in Scotland's schools, the Inspectorate of Education warns in its report on.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Young people 'live in fear of attack'
Fifty per cent of neighbourhood crime is committed by young people, the chief executive of Crime Concern told a youth crime conference last week. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Councils launch judicial review
Torbay and Ealing Councils have started judicial review proceedings against the Audit Commission over the comprehensive performance assessment, and.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Plans to let head teachers issue fines to parents of truants are 'dangerous'
Head teachers could be placed in a compromising position under government plans to give them powers to fine parents who ignore or condone truancy, a.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Britain misses out on refugees' skills
Many refugees working in Britain have less skilled jobs than those they left behind in their home countries, according to a study. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Refugee housing policy is 'confused'
The government should establish detailed settlement plans that recognise the different stages of refugee housing need, a new report by the Housing.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Unison warns over safety of inspectors
The safety of child care inspectors who carry out inspections of proposed childminders is being put at risk due to negligence by the standards body.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

UK body urged for schools campaign
The Gloucestershire Special Schools Protection League has called for a national organisation to campaign against the closure of schools for disabled.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Fear of violence from Ainlee Labonte's parents led to inaction
Fear of the parents of a toddler who died covered in cigarette burns and weighing 21lb led professionals in Newham, East London, to "almost paralysis.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Study reveals widespread ignorance of Human Rights Act in public sector
People working in public services have little understanding of the Human Rights Act 1998 and what their responsibilities are under it, according to a.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Professionals not aware of funding
More than a third of senior child and adolescent mental health services staff are unaware of the government's £12m fund to improve the mental health.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

GPs' treatment of elderly supported
Three-quarters of visitors to Community Care 's website say older people are not being inappropriately referred to hospital in their area. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

More cash needed to reduce offending
The Youth Justice Board's push for child and adolescent mental health services to help reduce offending rates will only be achieved by increasing.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Government considers joint working teams to improve care for children
The government is looking at setting up dedicated children's teams working across all relevant departments as part of its new strategy for children.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Government 'ignored' agencies' worries on delayed discharge fines
The government's decision to press ahead with legislation to fine social services for delayed discharges was made despite clear concerns raised.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Keep child care at school, parents say
Four in five parents of disabled children are in favour of child care based around schools, according to an unpublished survey of more than 1,000.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Rise in mental health issues at school unit
The number of young people presenting mental health problems at a school clinic has risen sharply in the past two years. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Child sex internet warning
Police investigations into users of child pornography websites could have major implications for the vetting of carers, the former president of the.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Public order issues at the heart of community cohesion plans
Guidance to promote community cohesion focuses on reducing racial tension. But there are fears that it is neglecting the needs of other social.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Promoting Children's Emotional Well-being
Edited by Ann Buchanan and Barbara Hudson. more
(19 December 2002 10:14)

Working Across Boundaries
By Helen Sullivan and Chris Skelcher. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

The road to recovery
A period of mental illness can actually turn out to be part of a beneficial cycle, says Chris Whitehouse. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

No substitute for continuity
Judy Weleminsky argues that continuity of care of vulnerable children is vital and can best be provided by a guardian. more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

A comprehensive mess
Nothing better illustrates the silliness of the comprehensive performance assessment than the cases of Hull and Coventry. The CPA is supposed to tell.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Fostering discontent
The government is in the midst of a major review of foster care arrangements. But it is keeping very quiet about it. Ruth Winchester finds out what.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Looking for closure
Closing care homes can be a minefield, both in terms of the distress caused to residents and staff and the legal issues involved. But home owners can.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

Double the drama
Staff working with people with both drug use and mental health problems often feel ill-equipped, but now an innovative workshop created by an east.... more
(19 December 2002 00:00)

McTernan on politics
Top-performing councils have won new freedoms, but how will they exercise them? more
(19 December 2002 00:00)