Articles by Date : July 01 2003 - July 31 2003

Hodge promises to raise status of social work
The minister for children and young people pledged that one of her first tasks in her new role would be to raise the status of social work, writes.... more
(08 July 2003 17:32)

Extra cash for extra care announced
Health minister Stephen Ladyman has announced a fund of £87 million to increase the number of ‘extra care’ homes available for vulnerable older.... more
(08 July 2003 15:39)

Large companies set to take over children's homes
Private sector children’s homes will see a series of takeovers as the market becomes dominated by a number of large companies, it has been predicted,.... more
(08 July 2003 12:47)

Children's commissioner set for England
The government has confirmed that an independent children's commissioner for England is to be appointed, writes Amy Taylor. more
(08 July 2003 12:18)

Tuesday 8 July 2003
Three migrant farmworkers killed by train. One child killed every week in punishment attacks in Northern Ireland. more
(08 July 2003 09:59)

Prosecution threat prompts parents’ action on truancy
Threatening the parents of persistent truants with prosecution makes it more likely that they will cooperate with education welfare services and.... more
(07 July 2003 16:31)

Summer holidays pile stress on poor families
Children in low income families are often left with little to do for the six week summer holiday but watch TV and play in the street, according to a.... more
(07 July 2003 16:33)

Children’s Green Paper delayed by PM
The children’s green paper has been delayed again and will not now be published before September, 10 Downing Street has confirmed. more
(07 July 2003 16:29)

Monday 7 July 2003
Police search house for clues to Jodi's death. Hodge is to answer her critics. more
(07 July 2003 10:00)

Green paper on children delayed at least two months
A Downing Street spokesperson admitted today that the publication of the long-awaited green paper on children has been delayed by at least a further.... more
(03 July 2003 17:47)

Prescott questions chief executives’ pay
The government has signalled it could step in to curb the high levels of pay being awarded to local authority chief executives and other senior.... more
(04 July 2003 16:36)

Conservatives promise radical reform
Iain Duncan Smith has pledged to fund the recruitment of 40,000 extra police officers by cutting spending on asylum seekers and refugees by two.... more
(04 July 2003 12:14)

Teenage wasteland
Young, homeless and alone in a squalid B&B is adesperate position to be in. Yet despite government action a large number of vulnerable 16 and.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Model answer
Adopted children have generally been served well by the life story model which helped to retain and record the history and significant moments of a.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Friday 4 July 2003
Boy, 11, receives antisocial behaviour order and schools are failing ethnic minority pupils. more
(04 July 2003 10:17)

Lib Dems criticise Antisocial Behaviour Bill
The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson has branded government proposals for on-the-spot fines for children acting antisocially as “a nonsense.... more
(03 July 2003 17:44)

Training materials
Putting Assertive Outreach into Practice and FirstCheck - A Step by Step Guide for Organisations to Safeguard Children more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

To live and let die
Looking after our health "from the cradle to the grave" was the philosophy on which the NHS wasfounded. Anna Coote asks why modern living, and modern.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Change the record
The first year of the Criminal Records Bureau featured long delays in processing and now an increase in the cost of police checks. Derren Hayes asks.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Genetics proposals ignore views of disabled people, say pressure groups
The lack of recognition of disability rights in government plans to regulate genetic research has caused alarm amongst disabled people's campaign.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

New targets set for care proceedings
Targets for speeding up care proceedings for looked-after children have been launched by the new Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA),.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Social workers urged to 'take risks'
More confidence needs to be placed in child protection social workers so they can take risks, according to new findings from independent think-tank.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Failure to fund continuing care leads to huge surge in complaints
A record number of complaints was made to England's health service ombudsman last year, many of them against health authorities that had refused to.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

First commissioner in Northern Ireland
Children's charities and social care professionals have welcomed the appointment of Northern Ireland's first commissioner for children, Nigel.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Parents influence GP referral patterns
Children who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are likely to be referred to specialist services if their parents ask their GP to.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Wrexham riots lead to call for change
Housing policy should be changed and greater support offered to refugees living in Wrexham after riots on a council estate there. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Access to health care 'still unequal'
In his first speech as health secretary, John Reid said access to health services continued to vary according to wealth and class, despite the.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

'Care must be based on human rights'
A social care system involving all service users is impossible unless it is underpinned by a human rights framework, the chairperson of the Social.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Federation seeks government pledge
A leading social housing group has called for assurances that adequate funding will be available to help vulnerable people next year. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

'Public attitudes have worsened'
Attitudes towards people with mental illness have become worse over the past three years, research has revealed. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Caring role harms education prospects
Taking on a caring role can be a major barrier to a child's education, research published this week by charity Carers UK reveals. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Scotland 'shying away from change'
Scotland has ducked out of radically changing children's policy despite powers to pass primary legislation, a children's charity says. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Few looked-after children make grade
Only 8 per cent of looked-after children aged 16 achieved five GCSEs or equivalent at grades A*-C in the 12 months to the end of September 2002,.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Drug services 'face crisis' if law changes
Proposed changes to legislation could result in the managers of services for drug users being prosecuted and services being closed, the voluntary.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Keep the peace and be in with a shout
People who stand up to their noisy neighbours will receive a financial award under a government scheme. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Charities attack Scottish strategy to crack down on antisocial behaviour
Charities have rounded on proposals to tackle antisocial behaviour in Scotland, saying they will do nothing to address the causes of crime. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Islington allegation hangs over Hodge
Children's minister Margaret Hodge came under pressure to resign this week following allegations about her leadership of Islington Council more than.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

New figures show extent of disorders
One in 10 people aged 60-74 living at home has a common mental disorder, such as anxiety, depression and phobia, new government statistics reveal. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Report highlights lack of services
Thousands of people who misuse alcohol are being denied the help they need, Alcohol Concern has warned. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Mental incapacity proposals set to create new powers of attorney
The government has announced plans to extend the power of those who make decisions on behalf of people with mental incapacity. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Involved users demand action
The new minister for social care has asked a service user involvement body to produce a paper on the problems users experience with the benefits.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Doubts emerge over expert witness
Pressure is mounting on the government to set up a review of care proceedings cases in which child abuse expert professor Sir Roy Meadow, has given.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Expert evidence on trial
Professor Sir Roy Meadow has been widely criticised for giving "expert" evidence in court which suggested that children were victims of murder rather.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Autonomy is crucial
The draft Mental Incapacity Bill, published last week has been a long time coming. The Law Commission first began consulting on the issue in 1989 and.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

New doctors' contract will boost investment in refugee services
Primary care services for refugees and asylum seekers will receive a boost following the vote by the UK's GPs in favour of a new contract, the.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Narrow majority backs smacking ban
A slim majority of visitors to Community Care 's website felt that smacking by parents and carers should be banned. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Paper talk
Jane Held on the Association of Directors of Social Services' hopes and fears for the green paper on children. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

Private member's bill set to force the issue of a parental smacking ban
Following the government's refusal to outlaw "reasonable chastisement" as a defence by parents on child abuse charges, backbench MPs are set to try.... more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

When family life is not possible
For many it is received wisdom that residential care is the last resort for children. Not so, argues Paul Taylor. more
(03 July 2003 00:00)

McTernan on politics
How can we start to increase public involvement in public services? more
(03 July 2003 00:00)