Articles by Date : July 01 2004 - July 31 2004

Vulnerable adult protection scheme riddled with loopholes, claim critics
Fears have been raised that the new list of people who are unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults is full of "loopholes" and that service users.... more
(22 July 2004 00:00)

Confused? You should be
In launching the Home Office's £2.8bn five-year plan to cut crime this week, Blunkett pandered to the electorate's worst instincts with yet more.... more
(22 July 2004 00:00)

Charities will not have to work across entire community for state aid
The government has rejected recommendations to implement further guidelines that will force community and voluntary organisations to work across.... more
(22 July 2004 11:27)

Safety first for adults
It is remarkable that it has taken so long to protect vulnerable adults in the way that children in care have been protected for years. Still, the.... more
(22 July 2004 00:00)

Thursday 22 July
Race relations chief fight for right to have unequal treatment Time to get tough with the violent racist yobs that shame Britain more
(22 July 2004 10:26)

Cardiff Council has failed in services to disabled people, report finds
Cardiff Council has come under fire for failing to meet the needs of disabled people, writes Shirley Kumar. more
(19 July 2004 17:44)

Concerns over mental health trusts' performance
Star ratings released by the Healthcare Commission this week show that the performance of mental health trusts “remains a cause for concern”, .... more
(21 July 2004 15:09)

DfES plans Green Paper on youth
A green paper on youth is planned for the autumn, the Department for Education and Skills has revealed in its five-year strategy, writes Clare.... more
(21 July 2004 15:02)

Home Office publishes five-year plan
The Home Office’s focus on antisocial behaviour in its five-year strategy has caused alarm among penal reformers, writes Clare Jerrom . more
(21 July 2004 15:12)

Home Office publishes plan to reduce re-offending
The Department for Work and Pensions are planning to change housing benefit regulations from October to help prisoners in their resettlement writes.... more
(21 July 2004 15:06)

School freedoms must be linked to broader responsibilities, managers say
Schools’ three-year funding guarantee needs to be conditional on them taking responsibility for children and young people in their area, a conference.... more
(19 July 2004 11:30)

Debate on child protection and housing
We asked:- Do you think the Children Bill should be amended to make formal links between child protection and housing policy? more
(21 July 2004 11:21)

Debate on the youth justice system
We asked:- Do you think the youth justice system is overly punitive? more
(21 July 2004 10:26)

Wednesday 21 July 2004
Riot at asylum removal centre Five detained following BNP documentary more
(21 July 2004 10:00)

Tuesday 20 July 2004
New crime strategy announced Older couple killed protecting their home more
(20 July 2004 10:00)

Economics more influential than morals to teenagers’ abortion decisions
There are huge regional differences in abortion rates among teenagers, a new study has shown, with the most deprived areas having the highest teenage.... more
(19 July 2004 18:05)

New measures to reduce youth crime and anti social behaviour
The Youth Inclusion Programme and Youth Inclusion and Support Panels are to be expanded by 50 per cent as part of the Home Office’s five year plan. more
(19 July 2004 17:49)

It’s official - school meals really are rubbish
Secondary schools canteens are serving high fat, high salt and high sugar foods to children which don’t meet national nutritional standards,.... more
(19 July 2004 17:48)

Hodge: no conflict between social care and education agendas
Children’s minister Margaret Hodge has written to chief executives and directors of social services stating there in no contradiction between the.... more
(19 July 2004 17:25)

Smaller charities are over-shadowed by leading brands, report warns
Small charities are facing an uncertain future because the sector is perceived by the public to consist of “an emerging pack” of large charity.... more
(19 July 2004 12:52)

Monday 19 July 2004
Blunkett to target yobs in anti-crime strategy Grandparents’ child access hopes dashed more
(19 July 2004 10:52)

Campaigners and inspectors unite over transportation of children
Children can be locked up for hours on end in a van where the toilet facilities are at best a bag, and at worst the vehicle’s walls and floor. Clare.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

‘Cut numbers of young people in jail’
Community Care ’s youth justice campaign calling for a dramatic reduction in the number of children sent to prison received overwhelming support.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Government bodies could swamp community sector, LSPs fear
Voluntary and community schemes are in danger of being “colonised” by the government if the links between them become too close, a senior local.... more
(16 July 2004 17:36)

Public service targets miss the point
For chancellor Gordon Brown, public service agreements are the tools that guarantee the Treasury’s money is well spent. But as the latest PSAs were.... more
(16 July 2004 16:58)

Police officers to face misconduct charge over Climbie case
Six Metropolitan Police Service Officers are to face formal misconduct charges for alleged failing to perform their duties in relation to the care of.... more
(16 July 2004 16:41)

Fatal flaws
Campaigners often make a link between corporal punishment and child deaths, citing figures from Sweden where the number of child fatalities.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

The assessment gap
Putting into practice the single assessment process for older people requires the blurring of professional boundaries. But how that is achieved is.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

A different world...
How do experienced, well trained professionals fare when they volunteer for social work in countries where there is little formal social care.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Does the bill add up?
The new Mental Capacity Bill takes on board some of the criticisms levelled at the previous draft. But campaigners are still arguing about items in.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

If you ask me...
Helen Speight, member, executive committee of Disability Action North East. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

The big question
Should there be an outright ban on smacking? more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Rising above the gutter
Jayne Scadden's world descended into homelessness and alcohol abuse after her son of seven died. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

The Simon Heng Column
A service user's view of social care. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Friday 16 July 2004
Couple win court fight for help over their disabled sons Workers suffering serious illnesses to get job protection more
(16 July 2004 11:02)

NHS watchdog slams Whitehall efforts on personal care reimbursement
Inadequate support by the government contributed to the lengthy delays in assessing compensation claims for people wrongly charged by the NHS for.... more
(16 July 2004 10:24)

Renewal fund wins reprieve but concerns with other spending plans
The government appeared to have listened to concerns over the winding down of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund this week as the chancellor announced.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Go on, treat yourself
The concept of expert patients, which sees people taking more responsibility for their own health, is to be welcomed, writes Anna Coote, but is only.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Put knowledge before ignorance
Drug trials for people with learning difficulties ensure treatments are safe, argue Peter Tyrer and Sherva Cooray . more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Quality is all that matters in child care
New worries over nursery child care have led the debate in the wrong direction. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

'Make investigations more transparent'
A UK-wide shortage of foster carers has prompted the Fostering Network to start a campaign to improve the handling of allegations against foster.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Anger over job evaluation wage cuts
Local authorities have been accused of using job evaluations to slash wages with some social care staff facing cuts of up to £4,000. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Self-harm far too common to research
Self-harm and suicide by young people in custody is widespread, the Back on Track campaign launch event heard. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Government's policy record savaged
The government's track record on dealing with young offenders was savaged at the campaign launch by ex-offender Bobby Cummines. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Council being sued for 'underpayment'
A Yorkshire care home provider is suing North Yorkshire Council over an alleged £70,000 underpayment of fees. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Court rules school 'dismissed' teacher
Campaigners have warned that employers who refuse to make adjustments for disabled employees are at risk of being prosecuted under the Disability.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Charity seeks census of 'hidden homeless'
Homelessness charity Crisis has called on the government to undertake a census of the UK's hidden homeless to start to tackle a problem it estimates.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

'Missing' council residents turn up
Local authorities have welcomed last week's revision of population figures by the Office for National Statistics, which will add more than 100,000.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

Minister vows to review routine use of prison to detain asylum seekers
The government has pledged to tackle Northern Ireland's practice of detaining asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers in prisons. more
(15 July 2004 00:00)

'Put trust in front-line staff to deliver services'
Front-line staff such as social care workers and teachers are not being trusted to deliver services, the new chair of the Local Government.... more
(15 July 2004 00:00)