Articles by Date : June 01 2006 - June 30 2006

Lisa Harker appointed as poverty tsar
The government has today appointed Lisa Harker as independent adviser on child poverty to the Department for Work and Pensions. more
(26 June 2006 00:00)

Child poverty tsar appointed
Children’s charities and campaign groups have welcomed the appointment of a child poverty tsar following the government’s failure to meet its own.... more
(27 June 2006 16:16)

Helpline launched for foster carers in Wales
Foster carers in Wales will be able to benefit from a bilingual helpline thanks to an injection of £50,000 from the Welsh Assembly. The helpline.... more
(27 June 2006 16:36)

Government invests £3m in plan to involve charities in children's services
The government has unveiled a £3m plan designed to encourage the voluntary sector to play a bigger role in children’s services. more
(27 June 2006 16:31)

Suicides by men decline
Suicide rates among men have fallen for the sixth consecutive year, according to figures released today. more
(27 June 2006 15:48)

Community Care Wallpaper
How to load Community Care wallpaper more
(27 June 2006 14:11)

Varied terms and conditions barrier to integrating social care and NHS staff
Different terms and conditions of employment for social care and NHS staff is “probably the single biggest barrier to integrating services”, a.... more
(27 June 2006 14:04)

Social care director general needs more support to boost sector status
A lack of social care policymaking capacity in the Department of Health will not be fully redressed by David Behan’s appointment as its first.... more
(27 June 2006 13:24)

Involving clients in service delivery has dramatic benefits
Involving clients in delivering services can have a "dramatic effect" on their lives, says a study published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.... more
(27 June 2006 11:54)

New fostering helpline in Wales
Foster carers in Wales are to get a dedicated helpline run by charity Fostering Network and funded by the Welsh assembly government. more
(27 June 2006 10:46)

Call for supermayors
Directly elected mayors with extensive powers should head city regions throughout England, Ruth Kelly suggested. more
(27 June 2006 09:54)

Stop shuttling asylum seeking children around Europe, says Refugee Council
Children seeking asylum are being put in danger by an EU regulation allowing them to be sent from one country to another, the Refugee Council says.... more
(27 June 2006 09:17)

Why people work informally while claiming benefits: special report
Working while claiming benefit and taking cash in hand jobs to avoid tax are often a response to poverty or a crisis such as family breakdown, a new.... more
(23 June 2006 00:00)

Jobs on offer to disabled people are poor, low-paid and unsustainable, report finds
Many disabled people want to work but often jobs on offer are “poor quality, low paid and unsustainable”, a report by the Child Poverty Action Group.... more
(26 June 2006 00:00)

Nine out of 10 local authority suppliers fail to practise equality and diversity
More than 90 per cent of local authority suppliers do not practise equality and diversity in the workplace, think tank Committed2Equality said.... more
(26 June 2006 00:00)

UN international day in support of victims of torture
A handbook raising awareness of the use of torture and the physical and psychological wounds it leaves is published today, to coincide with UN.... more
(26 June 2006 00:00)

Megan's law: special report
Home secretary John Reid this week revived the idea of allowing parents access to details of sex offenders, under US legislation known as Megan’s law. more
(22 June 2006 14:53)

Focus on Looked-after children
Issue dated 22-29 June more
(26 June 2006 11:25)

Wakefield Council to investigate foster couple who abused children in their care
Wakefield Council is to hold a full independent inquiry into a case where a couple abused young boys placed in their care. more
(26 June 2006 00:00)

Inquiry ordered after gay couple jailed for abusing foster children
An independent inquiry is to be held into how a gay foster couple duped Wakefield social services. more
(26 June 2006 10:24)

'How do we stop children from being looked after?'
One month into his job as head of Baaf Adoption and Fostering, David Holmes has firm ideas about reforms to children's services. Simeon Brody.... more
(01 June 2006 00:00)

If you ask me...Kevin Bolton
Kevin Bolton is a service user at the Marsden Resource Centre in Nelson, Lancashire more
(26 June 2006 08:56)

The Big Question
Should social workers always be sacked if they are found to have had an intimate relationship with a client? more
(26 June 2006 08:52)

Heng on experts patients
A service user's view of social care more
(26 June 2006 08:49)

Chris White's recovery from mental health problems
Chris White is back with the mental health team that used to help him, but this time as part of it more
(26 June 2006 08:46)

Fabian report misses point. Give poor people a chance
Give equality a chance: stop pursuing wealth, by Bob Holman more
(26 June 2006 08:43)

Black groups take issue with D.H. over race impact assess meant on mental health bill
The Department of Health has admitted mistakes in consulting mental health users from ethnic minorities over changes to mental health legislation..... more
(23 June 2006 15:59)

Meet the social work degree graduates
'This course has opened my eyes...…so says one student, who came to the social work degree with idealistic notions. Anabel Unity Sale talks to a.... more
(23 June 2006 15:41)

Football can boost inclusion of disavantaged young people
A series of social inclusion schemes is improving the life chances of disadvantaged young people while honing their football skills. Derren Hayes.... more
(23 June 2006 15:26)

New continuing care framework
Since the Coughlan judgement seven years ago, the "system" for deciding who should receive free continuing care on the NHS has lurched from crisis to.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Tepid support for duty to co-operate
The case for a duty on public bodies to co-operate in local strategic partnerships won only lukewarm support in a consultation, despite strong social.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

First GSCC misconduct verdicts
When the General Social Care Council announced that its very first professional conduct hearing was to be the case of a Darlington social worker who.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Wales senior staff report low morale
Morale among social services leaders in Wales has deteriorated, a survey has indicated. more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

First social worker struck off register
A senior social worker has become the first person to be struck off the General Social Care Council's register for misconduct. more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Expert casts doubt on Megan's law
Government plans to examine how parents are given access to information on sex offenders living in their community have been criticised by a sexual.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Cafcass clears its backlog in London
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has cleared its backlog of public law cases in London two months after instituting a.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Policy guru delivers a blueprint for immediate roll-out of therapies
The architect of the government's talking therapy pilot programme has called for 40 new therapy services to be opened each year from now until 2013. more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Councils push for licensing revamp
The system of licensing children to perform should be overhauled to ensure they are better protected, the Local Government Association has said. more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Staffing key to dignity in care
Better paid and increased numbers of staff, better training and tougher penalties for failing agencies are crucial to improving care for older.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Parent groups seek to alter 'punitive' bill
A group of charities wants to amend the Education and Inspections Bill to remove a clause that could criminalise parents if their child is on the.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Opposition fails to stop benefit change
The government is to press ahead with plans to replace incapacity benefit with a two-tier employment and support allowance despite admitting there is.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Fresh moves to help voluntary sector provide public services
A string of initiatives to involve the voluntary sector more in the provision of public services was announced yesterday. A new board involving.... more
(23 June 2006 00:00)

Continuing care criteria raise hopes that thousands will receive funding
Thousands of people may have their long-term care needs fully funded by the NHS under a national framework designed to ensure practice complies with.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Against the odds
Care leavers who go to university often lack the emotional and financial support their peers take for granted, reports Sally Gillen more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Schools to face tougher scrutiny of staff vetting after critical report
An Ofsted report has given the education sector a "wake-up call" by slamming its record-keeping on the suitability of school staff to work with.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Carers and working families to benefit from Work and Families Bill
Carers of adults will be given the right to request flexible working for the first time, it was announced yesterday. more
(23 June 2006 00:00)

Self-promotion
Looked-after children are often unaware of their right to advocacy and have little choice over who should represent them, writes Roisin Woolnough more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Direct payments divide union ranks
Unison must stop "sticking its head in the sand" over direct payments or it will fail to influence development of the policy, its local government.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)

Next steps of reform of children's services in Scotland announced
A consultation on a draft Bill to overhaul children’s services in Scotland will take place later this year, it emerged yesterday. more
(23 June 2006 00:00)

Cash shortage may hit equality duty
A new duty on public authorities to promote disability equality could be undermined by a lack of funding, Unison's local government service group.... more
(22 June 2006 00:00)