Articles by Date : September 01 2006 - September 30 2006

Social Work with Children, Young People and their Families in Scotland
While aimed at student, this overview of social work in Scotland would be of use to anyone seeking information on working with children and their.... more
(14 September 2006 17:28)

Talking About Spirituality in Health Care Practice: A Resource for the Multi-disciplinary Health Care Team
This is a worthy addition to Jessica Kingsley’s range of books that make an important contribution to the burgeoning debate about spirituality,.... more
(14 September 2006 17:23)

Westminster councillors become pushy parents
Councillors at Westminster Council in central London will take on the role of ‘pushy parents’ for children in care in a bid to improve levels of.... more
(15 September 2006 15:48)

Risk assessment of mental health patients to be improved
The government has set up a new scheme to improve the way professionals assess the risk of mental health patients hurting themselves or others. more
(15 September 2006 13:07)

Focus on Agency Working
Agency staff remain a core part of the social care workforce given the continuing high vacancy rates. more
(15 September 2006 12:32)

The rise of managed service providers
Small may be beautiful but large appears to be considerably cheaper, so, for hard-pressed councils big contracts with large recruiters is the order.... more
(14 September 2006 12:18)

Persuading locums to become permanent staff member: What impact has this had on agencies
Councils have had some success in persuading locums to become permanent staff members. How have they managed this and what has been the impact on.... more
(14 September 2006 12:05)

Payment by results needs evaluating
Payment by results in the NHS should only be extended to mental health services when the impact of the policy is evaluated in more depth, according.... more
(14 September 2006 11:46)

Benchmark ‘clubs’ will compare costs
Councils will be able to examine the significant disparities in unit costs for social care services between areas through a scheme launched this week. more
(14 September 2006 11:41)

Westminster wants local connection
Homeless people should have to prove a strong connection with a local area before being entitled to housing there, a commission has concluded more
(14 September 2006 08:39)

Bournemouth and Southend among councils not using asylum register
Councils have apologised for failing to use a register aimed at improving the safety of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. more
(14 September 2006 11:36)

Tighter Wiltshire criteria hits users
More than a third of people with learning difficulties and a quarter of older people receiving day services in Wiltshire are likely to lose their.... more
(14 September 2006 11:29)

Mencap warns on Northants cuts plan
Northamptonshire Council’s plans to tighten social care eligibility criteria and reduce respite services could have a devastating effect on people.... more
(14 September 2006 11:24)

Platt says councils favour older people
Many councils focus overly on residential care and on older people’s services at the expense of those for younger adults, Denise Platt has said. more
(14 September 2006 00:22)

How cuts to college courses are affecting students with learning difficulties: Dave's story
Adults with learning difficulties are losing out as colleges drop courses that fall below GCSE standard because of changes in government priorities. more
(15 September 2006 11:07)

‘No radical moves in government report’
A government review of the social care workforce is unlikely to propose radical change when it reports next month, a Local Government Association.... more
(14 September 2006 09:57)

Tackling social exclusion via sport: Kelly Holmes interviewed
Depression, self-harm, suicidal feelings: not words often associated with Kelly Holmes, one of Britain's all-time great athletes. more
(15 September 2006 08:33)

Wider role mooted for educational psychologists
Educational psychologists spend too much time carrying out statutory assessments and not enough time using their skills in other areas, new evidence.... more
(14 September 2006 17:45)

People with learning difficulties and mental illness suffer NHS discrimination
The Disability Rights Commission today threatened legal action against the government under forthcoming disability equality laws after a major.... more
(14 September 2006 09:22)

Champions for looked-after children in Scotland mooted
The Social Work Inspection Agency says Scotland’s councils should appoint champions for looked-after children to reduce the discrimination they face.... more
(14 September 2006 12:37)

Social exclusion strategy launched by Hilary Armstrong
Social exclusion minister Hilary Armstrong today launched the government’s action plan to tackle social exclusion among groups including children in.... more
(11 September 2006 00:00)

Privately fostered children often returned to country of origin at 18
Privately fostered children are often removed from the UK when they turn 18 because professionals have failed to check their immigration status years.... more
(14 September 2006 14:27)

Councils urged to adopt best practice on teen pregnancy
Children’s minister Beverley Hughes today urged councils failing to cut teenage pregnancy rates to adopt best practice from successful authorities.... more
(12 September 2006 12:26)

NHS neglects people with learning difficulties and mental health problems
Click on the headline above for more social care related news from today's papers. more
(14 September 2006 09:51)

New money for hospices for older people
The government yesterday announced £50 million of funding for hospices caring for older people nearing the end of their lives. more
(14 September 2006 08:20)

Comments on star ratings
“Inconsistency of individual inspectors continues to be a problem, inspection report does not reflect true picture as one small “fault” is blanketed.... more
(13 September 2006 00:00)

Northern Ireland fostering allowances to rise
Fostering allowances in Northern Ireland are to be increased to the same level as in England, it was announced today. more
(13 September 2006 00:00)

Government to publish plan for information sharing
The government today pledged to publish a comprehensive plan for information sharing across the public sector in April next year, to help implement.... more
(13 September 2006 00:00)

Hewitt urged to involve social enterprises in health and social care
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt was told today to turn the government’s “warm words” on involving social enterprises in health and social care into.... more
(13 September 2006 00:00)

Question from Community Care - Gypsy and traveller children ought to be engaged more by mainstream services
Click on the headline to go through to the full article more
(14 September 2006 00:41)

Question from Community Care - Secure care for welfare reasons in England and Ireland
Click on the headline to go through to the full article more
(14 September 2006 00:38)

Failure to tackle social exclusion could see services contracted out
Council services that fail at-risk children or excluded adults could be contracted out to other providers, according to social exclusion minister.... more
(14 September 2006 00:33)

Hughes urges action on teen pregnancies
Councils failing to cut teenage pregnancy rates were urged this week to adopt best practice from successful authorities that have targeted support at.... more
(14 September 2006 00:23)

Time for Armstrong to deliver
Social exclusion minister and former social worker Hilary Armstrong tells Maria Ahmed about her plans to transform the lives of vulnerable people more
(14 September 2006 00:17)

Landmark ruling could lead to housing benefit gap for tenants
A landmark ruling has provoked questions over the high rents charged by some providers, reports Simeon Brody more
(14 September 2006 00:49)

Editorial Comment: Put the onus on skills
The government is talking tough, again. This time it is promising to intervene wherever providers are underperforming in relation to children at risk.... more
(14 September 2006 00:42)

Editorial Comment: Disability to the fore
The Disability Rights Commission is to be congratulated on its landmark report detailing the health inequalities experienced by people with learning.... more
(14 September 2006 00:39)

New cases at their lowest for 20 years
New homelessness cases accepted by councils in England are at their lowest number since the early 1980s, according to government statistics published.... more
(14 September 2006 00:36)

Children’s database on stream in 2008
All local authorities in England will be operating databases with information on children in their area by the end of 2008, the government announced.... more
(14 September 2006 00:33)

Legal threat to government over discrimination by health services
The government could face a legal challenge under disability equality laws after a major investigation uncovered widespread health service.... more
(14 September 2006 00:27)

Phillips to lead new commission
Trevor Phillips has been named as chair of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. more
(14 September 2006 00:08)

Lack of support for top Dumfries officer
Dumfries and Galloway social services staff are confused over the role and authority of the council’s chief social work officer (CSWO), inspectors.... more
(14 September 2006 00:06)

Scots law ‘will lead to more referrals’
New laws to protect vulnerable adults in Scotland will lead to a big increase in referrals to social services, social work leaders have warned. more
(14 September 2006 00:55)

Pilots to test health gains ‘marginalised’
The “fast changing” health policy agenda often marginalised pilot projects aimed at testing whether the Supporting People commissioning framework.... more
(14 September 2006 00:39)

Trusts plan to cut ‘soft target’ services
Nearly three-quarters of Amicus shop stewards working in NHS mental health services in England are reporting deficits, according to a report by the.... more
(14 September 2006 00:35)

Cafcass standards said to be ‘wishful’
Proposed national standards for family court guardians are “wishful, untried, unclear and imprecise”, practitioners’ body Nagalro has claimed. more
(14 September 2006 00:32)

Gypsy and traveller children ought to be engaged more by mainstream services
Recent research suggests gypsy and traveller children are keen to be engaged by mainstream services as they bid to free themselves from stigma..... more
(14 September 2006 00:10)

Media: What do Max Clifford, Lisa Arthurworrey and Liz Railton think about social care's relationship with the press?
When a mother was jailed recently after giving her son heroin outside the school gates it was social services that came in for the most media.... more
(14 September 2006 00:01)

Substance misuse data to be shared
Click on the headline above for more social care related stories from today's papers. more
(13 September 2006 09:48)

Secure care for welfare reasons in England and Ireland
Henri Giller reviews research that examines current thinking on the use of secure care in child welfare cases in England and Ireland more
(14 September 2006 00:39)