Articles by Date : March 01 2004 - March 31 2004

Interview with children's minister Margaret Hodge
Community Care news editor Lauren Revans interviewed children's minister Margaret Hodge about the Children Bill. This is a full transcript of the.... more
(10 March 2004 00:00)

Friday 12 March 2004
Maxine Carr accused of lying to get school job. Town hall strikes nearer after pay talks fail. more
(12 March 2004 09:58)

Readers' views
Last week 70 per cent of visitors to Community Care 's website believed the denial of support to failed asylum seekers would have a significant.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Scottish Supporting People Fund frozen
The Supporting People Fund in Scotland, this year set at £408m, has been frozen for 26 of the 32 Scottish local authorities, according to the.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Training materials
Outcomes into Practice: A Resource Pack for Managers and Trainers and Living Safer Sexual Lives. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Payout disappointment for abused people with learning difficulties
A group of vulnerable adults who were “systematically abused” while in care have been awarded damages of £781,000, even though it was expected the.... more
(11 March 2004 17:43)

Government sets out programme of new juvenile justice measures
Legislation will be introduced to establish an intensive supervision and surveillance order as an alternative to custody for serious or persistent.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

An end to the blame game?
Health and social care are to get a new system for investigating serious incidents that focuses on system failures instead of blaming staff, writes.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Mental health needs a lifeline
Mind's Shahid Sardar is critical of the current strategy for mental health services for people from ethnic minorities, which, he says, puts too much.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

First challenge to care orders fails
A woman who had her child taken into care after medical experts gave evidence that her daughter had been the victim of attempted smothering has.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Review clears staff in Caleb Ness case
The five Edinburgh city social workers involved in the Caleb Ness case are not to be disciplined. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Child protection measures extended
Measures to protect children from domestic violence have been announced by the government. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Warning to parents on identity issues
Professionals need to ensure that adoptive parents address race and culture issues with their adopted children, an expert has warned. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Staff critical of Mind service cut
Staff of a Mind mental health crisis service in East Yorkshire have hit out at the charity's decision to close its residential unit. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Inspections 'on the way within a year'
Social services departments could be inspected on their single assessment process (SAP) by next year, older people tsar Ian Philp said last week. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Services 'might be failing prisoners'
Prisons minister Paul Goggins admitted it would be "of great concern" if prisoners were in jail because services had failed to provide support before.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

GPs' 'ignorance' set out by consultation
The attitudes and ignorance of GPs towards mental health service users has been highlighted in a report put together by a strategic health authority. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Edinburgh staff threaten strike
Mental health officers (MHOs) at Edinburgh social work department are threatening to withhold their services from the end of March. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

More help for carers and patients urged
Local authority care support services are frequently failing to meet the needs of people suffering long-term conditions and their carers, new.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Paediatricians put off protection work
The increasing number of complaints against paediatricians is putting many of them off child protection work, a survey from the Royal College of.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

'Unacceptable level' of ethnic exclusion
The "high levels" of exclusion from services that people with learning difficulties from ethnic minorities experience are "unacceptable" and need to.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Law Lord's criticism of bill's appeal process may lead to role for courts
Home secretary David Blunkett is considering backing down on controversial plans to create a single tier of appeal for asylum seekers after they were.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Health services 'are failing homeless'
Homeless people are being left "largely unserved" by health services, according to a report from the charity Crisis. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Care homes attack limited scope of fees investigation as a 'cop-out'
Organisations have hit out at the Office of Fair Trading's decision to exclude fees paid by local authorities for publicly funded clients from its.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Manager admits handling of Huntley referrals was 'totally inadequate'
A senior social services manager has described his department's handling of referrals about a 15-year-old girl's relationship with Ian Huntley as.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Campaigners sound alarm over plan to allow staff to work before checks
Older people who use domiciliary care services face an increased risk of abuse if "cynical" plans to relax criminal records checks are introduced,.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Services urged to raise morale and allow greater say for front-line staff
Low staff morale and problems with working practices need to be tackled if the new Scottish Mental Health Act is to work, according to an assessment.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Government drives forward with radical reform of children's services
A children's commissioner for England, improved data sharing and extra duties for councils head the proposals to improve the lot of young people,.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Schools at the centre of minister's plan for delivering children's services
In an exclusive interview, children's minister Margaret Hodge tells Lauren Revans that schools should be the focus of "an integrated approach to.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

I want real action not paper policies
Karen Shook increasingly requires personal help but is concerned that social care staff will not accept her sexuality. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

My tortured love
Judy Clinton recalls the challenges in raising a disabled child and the guilt and "tortured love" that she felt. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

A portakabin for every playground?
Have the grand visions for children's centres and extended schools been thought through? more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Gunn on politics
Recruiting workers from non EU states harms those countries' development. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Behind the headlines
Our regular panel comments on a topic in the news: this week, Westminster Council's crackdown on beggars. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Season of goodwill
The BBC's Taking Care series brought social care to wider attention, even if the term "social worker" was avoided. Graham Hopkins reviews the.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Role - models
Staff at a mentoring project in north London realised many of the children's problems stemmed from the troubled lives of their parents. Out of this.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

No secrets in practice
In 2000, the government issued guidance on the protection of adults from abuse. The Practitioner Alliance Against Abuse of Vulnerable Adults has set.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Proposals allow for separate development of Welsh services
The Children Bill has set out differences in the development of children's services between England and Wales. more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Bill toughens up private fostering rules
Local authorities will be required to raise awareness in the local community of the need to inform councils of any private fostering arrangements,.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Jury still out on Bill as doubts overchildren's commissioner role linger
The Children Bill set out by education secretary Charles Clarke last week has been broadly welcomed across the social care sector, although concerns.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Workforce and training plans published
The government is to press ahead with controversial plans to separate the training bodies for social care professionals working with children from.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Older people matter too
The government says it is committed to protecting vulnerable adults, but its actions suggest otherwise. It is consulting on plans to scrap rules that.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Something's missing
It would be churlish not to welcome the new Children Bill as much of what it sets out amounts to much-needed reform. But as the dust settles after.... more
(11 March 2004 00:00)

Thursday 11 March 2004
Holly Wells' father had visions of her in a bath. False abuse claims 'could destroy childcare system'. more
(11 March 2004 10:07)

Doctors put off child protection work by false complaints
The increasing number of complaints against paediatricians is putting many off child protection work, a survey from the Royal College of Paediatrics.... more
(09 March 2004 12:26)

Wednesday 10 March 2004
One in four Whitehall jobs to be axed over three years. Soham school head to give evidence to Huntley inquiry. more
(10 March 2004 10:05)

New sector skills umbrella body confirmed
A new UK-wide sector skills council for all social care professionals has been confirmed by the government in its response to the children's green.... more
(09 March 2004 16:40)

Social services admits handling of Huntley was "totally inadequate"
A senior social services manager has described his department’s handling of referrals about a 15-year-old girl’s relationship with Ian Huntley as.... more
(09 March 2004 11:53)

Tuesday 9 March 2004
Doctors and health professionals are being driven from child protection work by threats. Bank gives Big Issue seller a credit card. more
(09 March 2004 09:59)

Children Bill sets framework for reforms
Children’s Trusts will be “virtual” organisations based on pooled budgets rather than new structures, and will not mean any staff have to be.... more
(09 March 2004 09:48)