Articles by Date : January 01 2004 - January 31 2004

Children's hearings still prone to delay
The children's hearings system in Scotland is still "slow and inconsistent", the minister for young people has said in response to a report from the.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Behan made CBE as social care sector receives Reid's thank-you message
Health secretary John Reid last week thanked health and social care professionals for their "tremendous efforts" and congratulated those recognised.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Health trusts to be marked on the quality of child protection systems
The NHS is taking steps to improve medical professionals' awareness of child protection issues. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Carers pleased with bid to cut red tape
New proposals to bring an end to the burden of regulation on adult placement carers by switching the focus of inspection to adult placement schemes.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Camden shocked by Held's resignation
Jane Held, director of social services at Camden Council, has resigned unexpectedly. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Pressure to avoid fines may force older people into unsuitable settings
Delayed discharge fines could force older people into accommodation that does not serve their needs, according to two public health academics. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Internet amnesty opposed by most
Six out of 10 visitors to Community Care 's website believe an amnesty for internet paedophiles would not help to reduce child abuse. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Cash for extended schools drying up
Extended schools may be unable to continue providing extra services if long-term guaranteed funding is not provided, according to a new report. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Charity 'lacked the information' to act
Child protection charity the NSPCC has defended its failure to act on a tip-off from a member of the public about a child who died hours later by.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Trust fends off care home price charge
The North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust has not broken the law in the level of payments it makes to a private care home company,.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Social workers are 'too busy to help'
Only one in 10 young people rate social services as good, according to new research. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Social workers need cultural training
Social workers in the North East are failing to provide culturally sensitive services to asylum seekers because of a lack of training. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

'Health tourists' to face treatment bill
The government has confirmed controversial plans to crack down on "health tourists" and refuse NHS treatment to failed asylum seekers. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Friday 9 January 2004
Three older women were moved from their hospital beds during the night. Labour promises more money for childcare. more
(09 January 2004 10:05)

Children's Fund programmes to be frozen next year as budgets are cut
Children's Fund programmes have been warned by the government that their budgets will be cut in 2004-5, and told not to take on any new commitments.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Asylum bill survives amendment plea
The government's asylum bill received its second reading in the House of Commons last month, despite attempts to change it. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Magazine is fertile ground for carers
Social workers at Blackburn with Darwen Council have adopted a novel approach to tackling the shortage of foster carers by advertising for families.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Action urged after pensioners tragedy
Age Concern is calling for changes in the law so that there is no repetition of the recent case where two pensioners died after having their gas.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Scots act in wake of Huntley case
A blacklist of people unsuitable to work with children is to include retrospective checks on employees, the Scottish executive has revealed. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Caleb Ness report is flawed, claims union
The Edinburgh branch of trade union Unison is calling for a public debate on the report into the death of 11-week-old Caleb Ness, claiming it.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Prison, probation services shake-up
Prison and probation services will be brought together under a National Offender Management Service (Noms) to be established in June, home secretary.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

This year I will...
Community Care asked social care professionals whether they would be making any new year's resolutions to make life easier at work. Katie Leason.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Not only in America
How do the US social care and health systems help people with eating disorders? Any pointers might serve us well here in the UK, where more than one.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Asylum seekers sleeping rough a year after government tightens law
Three quarters of organisations working with asylum seekers have seen their clients sleep rough as a result of the controversial section 55 of the.... more
(08 January 2004 15:49)

They have to be special
What do parents of disabled children want of residential special schools? Researcher Jenny Morris finds out. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Time for a budget lesson
Council social services managers have to compete with other departments for cash. They can only do this successfully if they have their figures.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Councils aim for three-year deal
Local government employers in England and Wales have announced plans to seek a three-year pay deal with trade unions. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Police vetting and data sharing in Huntley case to be investigated
An inquiry into the way in which information on Ian Huntley's background was kept and used by the police has been announced by the home secretary,.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Anything but fine
The nightmare of older people left to languish in hospital when they had no need to be there could not have been allowed to continue. That was never.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Essex loses appeal over compensation
The Appeal Court last month rejected Essex Council's case against a landmark ruling in adoption practice. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Proposal for internet porn amnesty fuels debate on abusers' treatment
Operation Ore has shown how difficult it is to gain convictions against users of child pornography. Now a debate is raging about the way forward..... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

The battle for benefits
Mel Rawding first sought disability living allowance for her young boy in 2000. The claim is now a fight. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

McTernan on politics
In his final column, John McTernan looks at what might be Labour's legacy. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Only with freedom do children learn
We must fight against the fear of crime and feelings of protectiveness for the sake of our children, writes Bill Stone. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

The door opens on a lack of opportunity
Release from prison is oftentraumatic for men, yet it should be a turning point for them. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Pointless policy
Shifting people with learning difficulties out of long-stay hospitals is no better than making them go in the first place. They need to be involved.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Behind the headlines
Our regular panel comments on a topic in the news. more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Failure to protect
Is it time to scrap the Data Protection Act 1998 and start again? The flaws and inadequacies in this piece of legislation have recently been thrown.... more
(08 January 2004 00:00)

Former cabinet minister calls for 50 per cent increase in maternity pay
Maternity pay should be increased in order to give all mothers a choice over whether to work or stay at home, according to former cabinet minister.... more
(08 January 2004 13:14)

Thursday 8 January 2004
Inquiry into Ian Huntley case to begin next week. Majority of mothers now work. more
(08 January 2004 09:49)

London Development Agency chief quits
The chief executive of the London Development Agency, Michael Ward, has announced that he is standing down from the post after three and a half years. more
(07 January 2004 16:56)

Head of inspection at commission appointed
The director of Nottingham social services has been appointed as head of inspection, regulation and review at the new Commission for Social Care.... more
(07 January 2004 00:00)

Held resigns in surprise move
Jane Held, director of social services at Camden Council, has resigned unexpectedly. more
(06 January 2004 16:19)

New body to bring probation and prison services together
Prison and probation services will be bought together under a new National Offender Management Service to be established in June, home secretary.... more
(06 January 2004 16:24)

Union calls public debate on Caleb Ness inquiry
The Edinburgh branch of trade union Unison is planning a public debate on the O'Brien Inquiry report into the death of Caleb Ness, claiming that it.... more
(06 January 2004 15:53)

More than 30 young people killed themselves in prison
Thirty-one young offenders aged 25 years and under killed themselves in prisons in England and Wales during 2003, according to the latest statistics.... more
(06 January 2004 15:27)

Longest waiting list in the NHS
The closure of long-stay hospitals for people with learning difficulties is supposed to be a priority for the NHS, but many will not meet the.... more
(06 January 2004 16:36)

Children's Fund budgets to be cut
Children’s fund programmes have been warned by the government that their budgets will be cut in 2004-2005, and told not to take on any new.... more
(06 January 2004 13:00)

Jeffery apologises for Children’s Fund finance mess, but warns of cuts to come
Children’s fund programmes have been warned by the government that their budgets will be cut in 2004-2005, and told not to take on any new.... more
(05 January 2004 18:02)

Bail tagging for 17 year olds
Young people aged 17 charged with an offence can be tagged while they are on bail, under powers which came into force across England and Wales.... more
(05 January 2004 17:58)