Articles by Date : January 01 2002 - January 31 2002

Blunkett moots 'buddy scheme'
Refugee organisations have welcomed the news that home secretary David Blunkett is considering a "buddy scheme" for refugees to help them integrate.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

New child protection agency will be considered in inquiry's second phase
The Victoria Climbie inquiry is to consider whether the setting up of a new child protection agency would help address inconsistencies in the.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Benefits Agency workers to strike
Up to 60,000 staff in jobcentres and benefits offices across England, Scotland and Wales are expected to go on strike next Monday and Tuesday over.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Plan for supporting witnesses surfaces
The introduction of special measures for vulnerable adult witnesses were expected to move a step closer to reality this week with the long-awaited.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Report says council repair services fail
Many council's repairs and maintenance services are failing their tenants, according to a new report by the Audit Commission. more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Joint inspection for care and health
Plans for a single body to inspect social care and health services were signalled by health secretary Alan Milburn in a speech on.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Rewards of a regime
The disruption to people's lives caused by manic depression can be lessened by a regime of self-management. more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

This Sporting Life
Benjamin Disraeli once said: "The essence of education is the education of the body. more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Temporally committed
Terry Philpot talks to Eileen Shearer about her role in overseeing the protection of children and vulnerable adults within the Catholic Church and.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Freed by gadgetry?
Innovative firms are latching on to the fact that there is a growing market for products and systems that boost older people's independence. But do.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Conservative homes proposal rejected
Two-thirds of respondents to an online poll rejected the proposal from Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith calling for a relaxation of the.... more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Violent parents must not be allowed unsupervised contact, say charities
Abusive or violent parents must be prevented from having unsupervised contact with their children, according to a coalition of children's charities. more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

More than half of poverty figure made up of families with children
Children’s charity NCH Scotland has called for urgent action after a report found families with children make up 54 per cent of all those.... more
(23 January 2002 14:40)

news analysis of prospects for justice of people with learning difficulties after the Stephen Downing case
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 was intended to offer a better standard of justice to vulnerable adults, but has it been fully.... more
(23 January 2002 15:08)

news analysis of GPs` opposition to prescribing heroin to addicts
Drugs campaigners say prescribing more heroin to addicts will lead to reduced crime and better health outcomes. Family doctors are less convinced..... more
(23 January 2002 16:08)

Events and tasks for 2002
For your diary... the main social care events, policy implementations and plans so far announced for the year. January - Smart cards for.... more
(10 January 2002 00:00)

news analysis of treatment of people with learning difficulties in the justice system and GPs` opposition to prescribing heroin to addicts
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 was intended to offer a better standard of justice to vulnerable adults, but has it been fully.... more
(23 January 2002 16:29)

Director rejects Laming suggestion that councils should lose control of children`s services
A suggestion by Lord Laming that if responsibility for children's services were taken away from local authorities, those services might improve,.... more
(23 January 2002 16:58)

Foundations undermined
The central principle of the Children Act 1989 is that the child's interests must always be paramount. more
(24 January 2002 00:00)

Climbie inquiry to look at new child protection agency proposal
The Victoria Climbie inquiry is to consider whether the setting up of a new child protection agency would help address inconsistencies in the.... more
(22 January 2002 10:20)

Only four care trust pilots to go live
Only four of the 16 care trust demonstrator sites announced by the government last year are actually expected to go live in April this year, writes.... more
(22 January 2002 14:00)

Charity given short reprieve from closure
Lambeth SHAD, a charity providing 24-hour support and housing assistance for people with disabilities, has been given a four-week reprieve from.... more
(22 January 2002 15:16)

Older people still subject to restraint
Older people in care homes continue to be subject to various forms of restraint, according to a report by older people’s charity Counsel and.... more
(22 January 2002 15:31)

Increased protection for vulnerable adult witnesses moves closer
The introduction of special measures for vulnerable adult witnesses was expected to move a step closer to becoming a reality this week with the.... more
(22 January 2002 15:59)

Children`s services at Brent worse now than at time of Climbie case
A new inspection report has found that children's services at Brent council are worse now than at the time of Victoria Climbie's case, the Laming.... more
(22 January 2002 16:14)

Benefits staff set to strike
Up to 60,000 staff in job centres and benefits office across England, Scotland and Wales are expected to go on strike next Monday and Tuesday over.... more
(22 January 2002 17:16)

New asylum seeker forum holds first meeting
The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum met for the first time in Glasgow this week in a bid to bring together Scotland’s statutory and.... more
(22 January 2002 16:56)

Plans for new drugs court in the spotlight
Plans for a pilot drugs court in Fife were discussed on Monday as deputy justice minister Richard Simpson met key drug workers at the ‘Next.... more
(22 January 2002 17:05)

Children`s Society rescue package moves closer
The Welsh taskforce charged with devising a rescue package in the wake of the Children's Society decision to pull out of Wales says it has made.... more
(23 January 2002 10:29)

Minister meets police to discuss new guidelines for investigating abuse cases
Home office minister John Denham was due to meet the Association of Chief Police Officers on Tuesday to discuss guidelines aimed at ending.... more
(23 January 2002 14:29)

Poor behavers to be targeted by executive, minister promises
Tackling the perpetrators of anti-social behaviour is a top priority of the Scottish executive, according to minister for social justice Iain Gray. more
(18 January 2002 15:24)

A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers
Including headlines from Saturday and Sunday. By Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson. more
(21 January 2002 09:58)

Two authorities prepare for legal action over abuse cases
At least 47 people are to sue Sunderland council over alleged abuse they claim they suffered as children in the care of the local authority, writes.... more
(22 January 2002 14:05)

Abandoned baby`s parents meet social services to discuss his future
The parents of baby Charlie Penny, who was abandoned in Portugal last week, have been talking to Bournemouth social services about the child's.... more
(21 January 2002 14:23)

Walsall leaders summoned to explain failings
Leaders of Walsall council were summoned by local government minister Nick Raynsford to explain how they will address ``deep-seated failings``,.... more
(21 January 2002 14:46)

Poor community resources blamed for patients being placed in Carstairs
Patients are regularly placed inappropriately in the high security State Hospital Carstairs due to a lack of community resources, the.... more
(21 January 2002 16:54)

Richmond cleared of wrongdoing in foster case
A council that removed a black child from a white foster family who she had lived with for a year, and placed her with adoptive parents of the same.... more
(22 January 2002 17:18)

A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers
By Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson. more
(22 January 2002 09:56)

Social work manager was suffering from mental illness
Haringey team manager Carole Baptiste admitted yesterday that the mental problems she suffered from in 2000 would have been developing in 1999 in a.... more
(17 January 2002 11:41)

Adult Day Services and Social Inclusion
Edited by Chris Clark. Jessica Kingsley Publishers £15.95 ISBN 1 85302 887 Adult Day Services... more
(17 January 2002 14:18)

Cash crises jeopardise free personal care in Scotland
The Scottish executive’s plans for the care of older people face a series of cash crises that could jeopardise the introduction of free.... more
(17 January 2002 14:05)

Children under 12 could be set to avoid prosecution
Thousands of children under the age of twelve years in Scotland will not be prosecuted for crimes if a radical plan published by the Scottish Law.... more
(17 January 2002 14:31)

NSPCC to redeploy half of laid-off staff
Half of the 88 NSPCC employees due to be made redundant at the end of February are expected to accept alternative posts with the children's.... more
(17 January 2002 00:00)

Charities demand law change to protect children of offending parents
Campaigners are demanding the government change the law to prevent abusive parents, including schedule one sex offenders, from having unsupervised.... more
(17 January 2002 15:01)

Government consults on role of children`s rights director
The government has issued draft regulations to establish the scope of the children's rights director's role in England. more
(17 January 2002 15:33)

A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers
By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson. more
(18 January 2002 09:55)

Rough sleeper counts were valid, professionals claim
The government's controversial count of rough sleepers has been supported by two local government professionals involved in the process, who.... more
(18 January 2002 14:36)

Bolton praised by inspectors for quality services
Bolton council’s social services department has good quality services for all user groups and has excellent prospects for further.... more
(18 January 2002 14:43)

Social workers fight for loans under homes initiative
Two thousand key workers in areas with high housing costs outside London are to benefit from £10,000 equity loans towards their first home,.... more
(18 January 2002 15:01)

New standards launched for people with addiction problems
New national care standards for people with addiction problems have been launched in Scotland by deputy justice minister Dr Richard Simpson. more
(18 January 2002 15:12)