Articles by Date : September 01 2006 - September 30 2006

Scholes' report whitewash claim
The mother of a boy who died in custody has described a government report into his case as a “whitewash”. more
(21 September 2006 10:33)

Plans for children in care will lead to professionalised fostering system
The green paper on looked-after children will propose a new tiered framework for foster carers, with those at the top looking after some children who.... more
(21 September 2006 10:30)

NHS cuts hit county councils’ budgets
England’s county councils are spending 20 per cent over budget on adult social services, a report has found. more
(21 September 2006 10:26)

Lib Dem fringe calls for jail alternatives
A rising number of young people who offend are being consigned to “human warehouses” that do nothing to help rehabilitate them, Community Care deputy.... more
(21 September 2006 10:12)

Beliefs on ageism revealed
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from the weekend and Monday papers. more
(25 September 2006 09:46)

Councillor queries Haringey conduct
A Haringey councillor is calling for an independent investigation into allegations that a child was “snatched” from outside their foster home less.... more
(21 September 2006 09:33)

Services denied as eligibility tightens
Arise in councils tightening their eligibility criteria for adult social care means many older people are struggling to obtain services. more
(21 September 2006 09:23)

Social firms feel ignored, Hewitt told
The strong support for firms with a social purpose outlined in the health and social care white paper is not being matched in the field, health.... more
(21 September 2006 09:01)

Carmarthen rapped over service faults
Carmarthenshire Council’s services for adults have been heavily criticised by inspectors. more
(21 September 2006 08:50)

Extended schools: special report
Every child in England will have access to an extended school by 2010, if the government has its way. But what exactly are extended schools and what.... more
(22 September 2006 13:38)

Age of criminal responsibility should rise
The age of criminal responsibility should be raised from 10 to 14 to stop children being labelled at a young age, a report by one of the government’s.... more
(22 September 2006 00:00)

Council charges for social care vary greatly, report finds
Counsel and Care claims huge differences in council charges for social care are placing older people at risk. more
(21 September 2006 00:01)

The tightening of eligibility criteria - special report
The annual Association of Directors of Social Services and Local Government Association social care finance survey published in March, said 77 per.... more
(22 September 2006 00:00)

Unpaid care for elderly ‘saves £34bn a year’
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from today's newspapers. more
(22 September 2006 09:26)

A third of town halls have cut back help for the elderly
Click on the headline above for more social care related stories from today;s national newspapers. more
(21 September 2006 00:00)

Child Trust Fund bonuses on the cards for children in care
The green paper on looked-after children will propose topping up Child Trust Funds for children in care, the children’s minister and economic.... more
(22 September 2006 11:00)

Universal parenting support is key to success
We read with interest about the Government’s drive to increase targeted and universal support to parents and families. However, unless proper support.... more
(21 September 2006 17:34)

Government turns its attention to younger truants
The government has promised to turn its attention on primary school children who regularly truant, after targeted measures in secondary schools led.... more
(21 September 2006 17:22)

System failing children in care
The care system is failing on a “catastrophic” scale, according to a report today. more
(21 September 2006 00:00)

Consultation on information sharing proposals launched
The Department for Education and Skills today launched a consultation on regulations for the planned children’s information sharing index in England. more
(21 September 2006 00:00)

Report urges local authorities to take over planning and commissioning of health services
Local authorities should take over the planning and commissioning of local health services, according to a report today by health experts. more
(21 September 2006 00:00)

Tiered framework for foster carers likely to be included in green paper on looked-after children
The green paper on looked-after children is likely to propose a new tiered framework for foster carers, with those at the top looking after some.... more
(21 September 2006 00:00)

Beverley Hughes congratulates graduates from social work degree
Children’s minister Beverley Hughes congratulated some of the first graduates of the new three-year social work degree at a House of Commons.... more
(21 September 2006 00:00)

Social care workforce analysed: special report
The social care workforce employed by councils is closely examined in a new survey published last week by the Local Government Association.... more
(18 September 2006 00:00)

Progress by Cardiff‘s children’s services praised
Cardiff’s children services will no longer be subjected to quarterly inspections after the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales announced the.... more
(20 September 2006 17:46)

Special comment piece: the suicide of a young offender
Just a few weeks ago, the prime minister revealed his plans to tackle the families of children “who grow up to be a menace to society”. It was a.... more
(20 September 2006 00:00)

Cardiff Council overcomes 'serious' problems
Monitoring of Cardiff’s social services for children will cease after Dr Brian Gibbons, Wales’ health and social services minister, said yesterday.... more
(20 September 2006 00:00)

Scholes report: 'Insufficient' alternatives to custody for vulnerable young offenders
The Joseph Scholes report, published today, says there will be “insufficient” places for vulnerable young offenders outside of custody “for the.... more
(18 September 2006 15:05)

Scottish councils need more funds for free personal care
Some of Scotland’s councils only receive a fraction of the funding they need to implement the country’s free personal care policy, according to.... more
(20 September 2006 12:00)

Will charities be major public service providers?
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from today's papers. more
(20 September 2006 09:57)

Councils made £200 million savings in adult services
Councils made the biggest efficiency savings in adult social services in 2005-6, according to government figures published today. more
(19 September 2006 00:00)

Full steam ahead for extended schools programme
There is “every reason” to plough ahead with the extended schools agenda, schools up and down the country were told this week. more
(19 September 2006 17:06)

Northern Ireland social workers must have regular training
Northern Ireland’s social workers will have to take regular training to maintain their registration with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, it.... more
(19 September 2006 00:00)

Children placed at risk by family court staff
Children involved in private law proceedings are regularly being placed at “unacceptable risk” by family court workers who fail to adequately assess.... more
(15 September 2006 12:58)

Extended schools face challenge of engaging with vulnerable people
Full-service extended schools are benefiting children and families but face a challenge to engage with the most vulnerable people, according to a.... more
(19 September 2006 00:00)

Crisis over prisons and probation revealed
Click on the above headline for more social care related headlines from the national papers today. more
(19 September 2006 00:00)

Livingstone tells London councils to improve services for older people
Ken Livingstone has called on London’s councils to improve community services targeted at older people. more
(18 September 2006 12:04)

In the Spotlight with Richard West
Richard West is a learning difficulties campaigner. more
(18 September 2006 00:00)

Homelessness in London: special report
As last week’s Westminster Housing Commission report highlights, the central London authority has a very high caseload of homelessness applications.... more
(15 September 2006 14:03)

Young prosper in stable family, says Hutton
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from the weekend and Monday newspapers. more
(18 September 2006 10:28)

Ofsted moves 10,000 children out of poor childcare
Around 10,000 children placed in previously inadequate childcare places are now in satisfactory provision, as a result of Ofsted’s intervention, the.... more
(15 September 2006 00:00)

Ofsted inspections 'saved 10,000' from poor carers
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from today's papers. more
(15 September 2006 10:15)

Leave the stigma out of early intervention
Labour’s civil war has generated many frustrations. more
(14 September 2006 18:42)

Frontlines - Targeting resources at vulnerable families
The film Minority Report posed the question as to whether there was such a thing as predestination – and if so, was it possible to intervene in.... more
(14 September 2006 18:36)

Open Forum
Some of the requirements made on small voluntary groups are ludicrous, so Kevin Curley welcomes John Stoker’s arrival more
(14 September 2006 18:31)

This Life: The need to know
Mark Ellerby explains how he communicated his schizophrenia to his family and how they reassured him more
(14 September 2006 18:28)

The Simon Heng column
A service user's view of social care more
(14 September 2006 18:19)

If you ask me...Steve Searle
Steve Searle is a service user and volunteer with Leonard Cheshire’s Solent Care at Home service more
(14 September 2006 18:15)

The Big Question
Does the state interfere too much in family life? more
(14 September 2006 18:10)

Different Croaks for Different Folks
Can you relate to a child through the life of a toad? “Teacher Toad’s special lessons” is the first part of this book and compares the complexities.... more
(14 September 2006 17:38)