Articles by Date : May 01 2003 - May 31 2003

System to identify potential young offenders will not work, says charity
A leading children's charity has raised doubts about a central plank of the government's strategy for dealing with children at risk. more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Home Office under fire over key Criminal Records Bureau decisions
The beleaguered Criminal Records Bureau came under scrutiny by MPs last week during a debate in the House of Commons. more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Rise in special needs cash scrutinised
One-third of local education authorities that have increased funding for special educational needs by over 30 per cent this year are being questioned.... more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Foundation hospitals pose a threat to partnership working, say MPs
Stronger safeguards are needed to protect partnership working between the NHS, primary care trusts and councils to prevent foundation hospitals.... more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Employers want more pay for social workers 'if resources are available'
Social workers' pay should be the first to be boosted in local government, according to the employers' submission to the Local Government Pay.... more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Children and adults in parallel worlds
Is it any wonder that so many people go missing when parents see so little of their children? more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

McTernan on politics
Foundations hospitals are just the beginning of Blair's recasting of the welfare state. more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Behind the headlines
Our regular panel comments on a topic in the news. more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Please treat me equally
As a young person with learning difficulties, Joanne Bowering wants the same rights as other people. more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Research into practice
Bernard Moss looks at a study which points to young people having a strong sense of social awareness, contrary to the perceptions of many. more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Friday 9 May 2003
Judge warns racist rioters they may go to jail. Immigration minister admits catastrophic failure. more
(09 May 2003 10:03)

No place for a market
The support that foster carers receive in the private sector - both financially and through training and social work help - is not a luxury. It is.... more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

On shaky foundations
Much of the debate about foundation hospitals has centred on the likely creation of a two-tier health service in which the three-star NHS trusts.... more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

news analysis of battle councils face to keep foster carers
Some local authorities are struggling to compete with the independent sector for foster carers. Derren Hayes finds out what might help councils.... more
(08 May 2003 00:00)

Community Care wins top industry award
Community Care has scooped the 'Magazine of The Year' award at the magazine journalism industry’s oscars at the Grosvenor hotel, in London. more
(08 May 2003 12:16)

Standard of children's court service has fallen guardians warn
A group of self-employed children’s guardians has told MPs that the quality and standard of employed children’s guardians has dropped since the.... more
(08 May 2003 11:48)

New group to develop Scottish workforce
The Scottish executive has set up a workforce planning group to develop staff and improve the delivery of social services. more
(06 May 2003 19:11)

Agency offers bursaries to social work students
Reed Social Care has become the first recruitment agency to offer bursaries of £3,000 to students on the social work degree. more
(06 May 2003 19:11)

Mental health charity calls for recruitment of service users
Radical solutions are needed to tackle staff shortages in mental health services, says the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. more
(06 May 2003 19:12)

Government to pilot new social services job roles
New types of multi-agency workers are to be piloted in six local authorities. more
(06 May 2003 19:12)

Councils meet to discuss employees' pay
Local government employers held a series of meetings to discuss staff pay and rewards in the run up to their submission to the new Local Government.... more
(06 May 2003 19:10)

Social services staff underpaid and overworked, says union
Three recent surveys by public sector union Unison reveal that more than 80 per cent of social workers, senior care workers, home care workers and.... more
(06 May 2003 19:10)

Chancellor’s call for more regional pay receives mixed reception
Local authority leaders have welcomed Gordon Brown’s plans, outlined in his recent budget, for more regional and local pay flexibility. However,.... more
(06 May 2003 19:13)

New social work register comes on line
The new social work register was launched at the beginning of last month. more
(06 May 2003 19:13)

Staff shortages hit mental health inpatient units
Inpatient units for children and adolescents with mental health problems continue to face recruitment problems, particularly with nursing staff, a.... more
(07 May 2003 17:00)

MPs warn new foundation hospitals might fail people with mental health problems
Stronger safeguards are needed to protect partnership working between the NHS, primary care trusts and councils to prevent foundation hospitals.... more
(07 May 2003 00:00)

Wednesday 7 May 2003
Boy sent to boarding school in TV experiment is expelled. Police fear Daniel may have been abducted. more
(07 May 2003 09:56)

Authorities quizzed over special needs education spending
Around a third of local education authorities, which have increased funding for special educational needs by over 30 per cent this year, are being.... more
(06 May 2003 16:19)

Disabled workers' union rejects pay offer
A pay offer from Remploy, the organisation that employs thousands of disabled workers across the UK, has been rejected by unions, writes Alex.... more
(06 May 2003 15:28)

Childminders banned from smacking children
Childminders must not smack children in their care or smoke in front of them under new government standards for childminding to take effect from.... more
(06 May 2003 13:16)

Young people to contribute to new curriculum
A sub-group of young people has been set up as part of the Government’s working group on reforming the school curriculum for 14 to 19 year olds. more
(06 May 2003 12:24)

Green Paper to focus on workforce issues
The Green Paper on children at risk will have a special focus on workforce issues, according to Children and Young People’s Unit director Althea.... more
(06 May 2003 12:22)

Smacking ban for childminders
Childminders will not be allowed to smack children in their care, or to smoke in front of them, under new standards to be issued by the government. more
(06 May 2003 12:21)

Tuesday 6 May 2003
Paedophiles questioned over missing boy. Children could be excluded from school for their parents' behaviour. more
(06 May 2003 09:56)

Excluded young people suffer poor health
The buzz word ‘social exclusion’ was introduced by the Labour government when it came into power in 1997 with a raft of initiatives aimed at turning.... more
(06 May 2003 08:44)

Charity calls for new type of child worker
A new type of worker with training similar to school teachers is needed to staff the growing number of services that combine education and care for.... more
(06 May 2003 08:45)

Government told to keep hands off special education needs funding
The National Autistic Society has warned the government that it would be breaching local authority rules if it tries to cut special educational needs.... more
(06 May 2003 08:48)

Health authorities seek legal help over long term care challenges
A number of strategic health authorities are seeking legal advice over their position in relation to the health service ombudsman's findings that.... more
(02 May 2003 17:19)

Sizing up
Why would seven children’s charities, each with their own identity, form a consortium, asks Audrey Thompson. more
(02 May 2003 15:36)

Employers recommend pay rise for social workers
Social workers’ pay should be the first to be given a boost in local authorities, according to the employers' submission to the Local Government Pay.... more
(02 May 2003 15:24)

The wrong answer
Young people tell Kate Coxon that showing pupils the economic downside of truanting would be far more effective than jailing parents. more
(02 May 2003 11:41)

My life
Teenager Ellen Jamieson shrugs off the smirks of some of her peers to pursue a lifestyle that suits her, if not her more conventional school friends. more
(02 May 2003 11:40)

The big picture
Helen Barrett reviews the evidence on parent training. more
(02 May 2003 11:38)

Will they ever learn?
Sarah Wellard explores how helping parents support their children’s learning is also enabling them to tackle their own literacy problems. more
(02 May 2003 11:36)

Breathing space
Healthy living centres are filling gaps in mainstream services by providing disadvantaged young people with an opportunity to assess their health,.... more
(02 May 2003 11:34)

What do we tell them?
Polly Neate on the dilemma for parents of young children presented by the Iraq war. more
(02 May 2003 11:32)

Smoking gun?
What is the current thinking among child care professionals on how young children are affected by exposure to television violence and play with toy.... more
(02 May 2003 11:30)

Spot fines for 16 and 17 year olds
Sixteen and 17 year olds will be subject to fixed penalty notices for a range of misdemeanours including noise nuisance, truancy and graffiti if.... more
(02 May 2003 11:21)

Major child care study confirms vital role of pre-school teaching
A massive research study into the impact on children’s social and cognitive development has concluded that from the age of three all children benefit.... more
(02 May 2003 11:19)

Action on exclusions, Truancy and behaviour
Under the second phase of the government’s behaviour improvement programme 27 more local education authorities are to receive £1.4m each this.... more
(02 May 2003 11:15)