Articles by Date : August 01 2002 - August 31 2002

Everybody's business
The horrifying murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells make it clear that a narrow approach to child protection will never be enough. more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Plaudits for murder helpline volunteers
Social workers who volunteered to staff a telephone helpline for people distressed by the murder of schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

The secret is out
After decades of inertia the Irish government is planning to give adopted people a right to their birth certificates. But, despite this breakthrough,.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Friday 23 August 2002
Officials set to work weekends to clear backlog of criminal checks on teachers, and sex offenders will be given lie detector tests. more
(23 August 2002 00:00)

Crossing the Border: Voices of Refugee and Exiled Women
Edited by Jennifer Langer. more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Child Abuse and Neglect: A Clinician's Handbook
By Christopher J Hobbs, Helga G I Hanks and Jane M Wynne. more
(23 August 2002 09:37)

Concerns cause male mentor shortages
A mentoring scheme for five to 11 year-olds is facing an acute shortage of male volunteers because of society's concerns about men who want to work.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Families reunited
Adopted or fostered children fare better if they maintain contact with their birth parents and families - and social workers can play an honourable.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Casting a net over online paedophiles
Yvonne Roberts says that the internet means we must re-examine some liberal assumptions about crime. more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Behind the headlines
Our regular panel comments on a topic in the news. more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Response network for runaways urged
A nationwide safety net of services needs to be created by local authorities to help the 100,000 young runaways each year, the Children's Society has.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Major cash boost for voluntary bodies in Scotland
Voluntary organisations across Scotland are to benefit from nearly £360 million allocated from the executive. more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Unions meeting to consider strikes
Unions representing staff at all 33 London boroughs are to meet this week to discuss whether to take further industrial action over London weighting.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Private managers accused of putting profit before young people
A private company which runs Ashfield young offenders institution puts profit before the welfare and safety of young people, according to the Howard.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

A necessary evil
Catherine Shaw, from the National Children's Bureau, sheds some much-needed light on the fraught issue of evaluation. more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Social services staff helpline for parents distressed by deaths of Holly and Jessica
A helpline staffed by social workers and educational psychologists has been set up by Cambridgeshire council to deal with calls from distressed.... more
(19 August 2002 00:00)

Compensation awards for disability discrimination nearly double
Compensation awards for disability discrimination increased by 85 per cent last year, according to analysis of employment tribunal decisions, .... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Court orders council to consult residents over home closures
Bury council must re-start the process of consulting residents and relatives over its proposals to close down two older people’s care homes following.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Parents of autistic children urged to use support schemes
Parents of autistic children have been urged to make use of befriending and support schemes in order to combat any isolation caused by the condition,.... more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Thursday 22 August 2002
Police identify bodies of Holly and Jessica, and new system allows disabled people to use computers. more
(22 August 2002 00:00)

Have faith in care homes
In the light of concerns about the future of care services for older people Oliver Valins seeks out lessons from the Jewish care home sector and.... more
(01 August 2002 00:00)

Relationship break-ups add to hidden homeless problem
Divorce and all relationship breakdowns are contributing to the number of hidden homeless people, according to the latest research from homelessness.... more
(21 August 2002 00:00)

Unions to discuss more London strikes
Unions representing staff at the 32 London boroughs are to meet on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of taking further industrial action over.... more
(20 August 2002 00:00)

New vision for children's services stresses local solutions
Key agencies responsible for children's services have set out their vision for the future, outlining a new model for a more co-ordinated, locally.... more
(20 August 2002 00:00)

Wednesday 21 August 2002
Caretaker charged with girls' murders, and call for 'passports' for child care workers. more
(21 August 2002 00:00)

Oxford escapes scrutiny over deaf student refusal
Oxford University has escaped detailed scrutiny of its decision to reject a deaf student by just three weeks, according to the Disability Rights.... more
(20 August 2002 00:00)

Recruitment drive stalls
Recruitment and retention of staff is a continuing problem in social care, the chief inspector of social services has admitted, writes Clare Jerrom.... more
(14 August 2002 00:00)

Social services staff help mourners
A senior social worker involved in staffing the helpline to cope with calls from people distressed by the murder of schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and.... more
(20 August 2002 00:00)

Older people's charity condemns u-turn on care home standards
Older people’s charity Help the Aged has expressed its disappointment with the government’s u-turn over the national minimum standards on space in.... more
(20 August 2002 00:00)

Debate on strike action affecting local authorities
Why did council strikes take place recently? We asked for your views.... more
(20 August 2002 00:00)

Tuesday 20 August 2002
Whitehall orders police checks review after Holly and Jessica deaths, and deaf student refused Oxford entry turns to Cambridge. more
(20 August 2002 00:00)

Charity attacks sentence limits for 'pseudo pornography'
New advice that would limit the maximum sentence for offences involving ‘pseudo child pornography’ to six months’ imprisonment have been described as.... more
(19 August 2002 00:00)

Monday 19 August 2002
Headlines include a deaf student refused entry to Oxford despite six A grades, and lottery grant for asylum seeker charity withdrawn. more
(19 August 2002 00:00)

Social worker demands compensation over criminal check delay
A Coventry social worker is demanding nearly £1,500 in compensation from the Criminal Records Bureau after she lost three weeks’ wages due to delays.... more
(16 August 2002 00:00)

Children at risk to be tracked
Local systems to identify, track and refer children at risk of offending, drug-taking and teenage pregnancy are to be introduced across the country.... more
(16 August 2002 00:00)

Social worker defends failure to attend Climbie inquiry
The senior social worker who failed to attend the Victoria Climbie inquiry told a court it was always her intention to give evidence, reports David.... more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

news analysis of how councils are coping with new definition of homelessness
New legislation has widened the definition of homeless groups in priority need of housing. Anabel Unity Sale looks at how local councils are.... more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

news analysis of moves to give birth parents new rights
Terry Philpot looks at amendments to the Adoption and Children Bill that would give birth relatives similar rights and access to intermediary.... more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

Friday 16 August 2002
Court told Climbie social worker was "hopeless", and new sentences for paedophiles. more
(16 August 2002 00:00)

On-the-spot fines for some offenders
On-the-spot fines for antisocial behaviour by adult offenders are being issued by police in a pilot scheme that started on Monday. more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

Community can help children to live at home
Local people and volunteers can help care for disabled children in their own homes and at a much lower cost than in specialist facilities, according.... more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

First day for disability rights launched
The Disability Rights Commission held its first 'Disability Rights Day' in Manchester, aimed at raising awareness of its existence and increasing.... more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

Care home owners win right for court challenge over fees
Owners of six care and nursing homes have won the right to a full judicial review of the fees paid by Birmingham council. more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

Bomb blast kills older woman at sheltered housing scheme
A 71-year-old woman died in the blast at John Tucker House on the Isle of Dogs, east London, on Monday morning. Another resident was in intensive.... more
(15 August 2002 00:00)

Figures distort danger in young offenders institutions, says Warner
The method used to record the number of assaults among juveniles in custody is misleading, inaccurate and must be changed, says the chairperson of.... more
(15 August 2002 17:24)

Consult your clients, Scots councils told
Local authorities in Scotland should consult more with older people and their carers about home care services, according to a recent Audit Scotland.... more
(21 August 2002 14:38)

What young people want
Social work lecturer Nicky Stanley describes a research study in which looked-after young people gave their views of the kind of support they need. more
(15 August 2002 17:19)

Lib Dem wants end to support agency
A Liberal Democrat MP has urged the government to scrap the Child Support Agency and admit it “has been a fiasco from the start”. more
(15 August 2002 17:13)

Racial equality head resigns in Wales
Just days after Commission for Racial Equality chairperson Gurbux Singh resigned as a result of a public order offence, it has emerged that the head.... more
(15 August 2002 17:11)

Guardian appointed from private sector
A judge has appointed a private sector social worker as a guardian to two children because of a rise in the waiting list for government-agency.... more
(15 August 2002 17:10)