Articles by Date : October 01 2006 - October 31 2006

Stonham staff vote to accept pay offer
Staff at supported housing provider Stonham have accepted the company’s latest pay offer, bringing protracted negotiations to an end. more
(12 October 2006 00:59)

Serious case review granted over treatment of man at Bournewood
The carers of the severely autistic man at the centre of the landmark Bournewood judgment have won their fight for a serious case review into his.... more
(12 October 2006 00:56)

Changes to mental capability check
The assessment for incapacity benefit will be radically reformed to take more account of mental health, learning difficulties and autistic spectrum.... more
(12 October 2006 00:53)

Demand for royal commission into why system fails ethnic minorities
A top government adviser has called for an official inquiry into why the mental health system is failing people from ethnic minorities. more
(12 October 2006 00:50)

Cafcass staff fear redundancy plan
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) staff fear the organisation is poised to propose a restructure that will lead to.... more
(12 October 2006 00:46)

Parties fall in with Wanless thinking
All three main political parties recognise the current funding system for adult social care is not sustainable, the author of a landmark prospectus.... more
(12 October 2006 00:43)

Confusion on home visits for newborns
Plans for children’s centres to run home visiting and outreach programmes for parents of all newborn babies have confused health visitors’ leaders. more
(12 October 2006 00:39)

Progress stalls after legislation pledge
The government is yet to decide whether to put the protection of vulnerable adults on a statutory footing despite announcing it would consider the.... more
(12 October 2006 00:36)

£100 bonus brings in the registrations
Southwark Council is claiming success with a scheme that gives a one-off payment of £100 to private foster carers who come forward to register their.... more
(12 October 2006 00:34)

No to contact ban for violent parents
Children can have positive relationships with non-resident parents who have committed domestic violence, a conference heard this week. more
(12 October 2006 00:29)

Editorial comment: Everyone's a winner
Independence, well-being and choice are the buzzwords for adults’ services this year, so it is heartening to see that they really work when put into.... more
(12 October 2006 00:01)

In Control pilots offer savings and a better quality of life, study finds
Services for people with learning difficulties are more cost-effective and provide a better quality of life if users are given control over their.... more
(12 October 2006 00:01)

Berry hints at direct payment extension
People employed by users of direct payments will have to register with the General Social Care Council in future, its chief executive has suggested. more
(12 October 2006 00:06)

Proposals may cut access to legal aid
Asylum seekers’ access to good legal advice will be curtailed under government proposals on legal aid, campaigners have warned. more
(12 October 2006 00:59)

Editorial Comment: Good idea or diversion?
Although much of the substance of the very welcome looked-after children green paper was heavily trailed, it contains a few surprises. more
(12 October 2006 10:56)

Care Matters Green Paper
All articles from our special report more
(12 October 2006 10:52)

Tier system to boost status of foster carers
The green paper outlines plans to improve the status of foster carers through salaries, registration and training. As predicted by Community Care,.... more
(12 October 2006 00:45)

Fears over asylum seeking children
Campaigners fear the green paper may not apply to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. more
(12 October 2006 10:38)

Practices ‘could set social workers free’
The introduction of social care “practices”, similar in style to GP practices, is one of the more radical ideas in the green paper. more
(12 October 2006 10:33)

Plea to lift ban on Alzheimer's drugs fails
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from today's papers. more
(11 October 2006 09:56)

Restriction on Alzheimer's drugs by Nice condemned
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been condemned today by campaigners for rejecting an appeal against its decision to.... more
(11 October 2006 09:38)

Childhood obesity cited as key health challenge
The government has promised to help parents who are overweight to appreciate the dangers of obesity to themselves and their children. more
(10 October 2006 18:41)

Trafficking and prostitution: special report
“You totally forget what happiness is like. All you can wish for is death.” These chilling words are spoken by a young woman trafficked into.... more
(09 October 2006 14:37)

Employers urged to improve way mentally ill staff are treated
The government has used World Mental Health Day today to launch a new scheme to encourage employers to improve the way they deal with mental health.... more
(10 October 2006 11:42)

Wanless: Political consensus on need for reform of adult social care funding
Derek Wanless said today that all three main political parties recognise the current funding system for adult social care is not sustainable. more
(10 October 2006 13:36)

More intermediate care needed to promote service user independence
A leading adult social care director yesterday called for a big increase in intermediate care services to meet the government’s objectives of.... more
(10 October 2006 11:11)

Foster children gain right to stay in care until 21
Click on the above story for more social care-related news from today's papers. more
(10 October 2006 09:51)

Mental health care for black communities discriminates, says minister
Health minister Rosie Winterton has branded mental health care for black and minority ethnic communities as unacceptable and discriminating. more
(06 October 2006 10:31)

Looked-after children green paper published
Education secretary Alan Johnson today pledged to introduce “stability, stability, stability” to the lives of children in care. more
(09 October 2006 00:00)

Green paper promises radical improvements for children in care
Children in care could be given the power to overrule decisions about them leaving care before the age of 18, under proposals to reform the care.... more
(09 October 2006 17:49)

Blair on looked-after children green paper: lead professionals are key
Tony Blair indicated this morning that lead professionals for looked-after children will be at the centre of the government’s green paper on children.... more
(09 October 2006 12:42)

Housing provider Stonham settles on staff pay
Stonham, the supported housing provider, has reached agreement with union Amicus on staff pay for 2006-7 after protracted negotiations. more
(09 October 2006 13:25)

Insufficient help for pupils with mental health problems
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from the weekend and Monday papers. more
(09 October 2006 10:02)

Prison figures reveal efforts to reduce child prison population are failing
More focus must be placed on prevention and alternatives to custody to ensure a fall in the number of young people in prison, the Children’s Society.... more
(06 October 2006 17:10)

High-risk offenders supervised by untrained probation staff
High-risk offenders are being supervised by probation staff without formal training because of “acute resource problems” in the service, the chair of.... more
(06 October 2006 16:28)

Looked-after children green paper must focus on prevention, says NCH
The looked-after children green paper, set to be published on Monday, must focus on preventing children being taken into care, a national charity.... more
(06 October 2006 13:44)

Fears over housing benefit replacement may be unfounded
A new allowance being tested as a replacement for housing benefit has not caused the problems some campaigners feared, according to research.... more
(06 October 2006 15:19)

Q&A with the Commission for Racial Equality
Chief operating officer and director of organisational development Maxine Ayton answers our questions. more
(06 October 2006 12:17)

Consultation on voluntary sector delivery of public services launched
The Charity Commission launched a consultation today on draft guidance on voluntary sector delivery of public services. more
(06 October 2006 13:52)

Family placement - special guardians: special report
A local authority could face a legal challenge over the level of financial support it gives to kinship carers who become special guardians. more
(06 October 2006 11:42)

Social care bugbears: lack of funds and too much bureaucracy
One third of social care managers see a lack of resources as the biggest obstacle to success at work and a further third cite bureaucracy, a survey.... more
(06 October 2006 10:58)

Sure Start centres face new duties to reach most disadvantaged
Sure Start children’s centres will face new duties to help them reach the most disadvantaged families, children’s minister Beverley Hughes said.... more
(06 October 2006 10:42)

What should the Blairs do next?
When Tony Blair steps down as prime minister, he and Cherie should move to a deprived area and offer legal advice to projects working with people in.... more
(05 October 2006 00:00)

Poor turned off Sure Start by middle-class mothers
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from today's papers. more
(06 October 2006 10:08)

Social care employers ready to embrace laws to confront age discrimination
New regulations should hold few fears for the social care sector but will not tackle the apparent age bias in the distribution of resources, writes.... more
(05 October 2006 08:25)

Group bids to end child care barriers for disabled children
Thousands of disabled children are losing out on quality child care. Gordon Carson reports more
(05 October 2006 08:20)

Children’s minister places new requirements on children’s centres
All Sure Start children’s centres must visit every parent of a newborn baby in their area from next month, the children’s minister has pledged. more
(05 October 2006 16:36)

Forced marriages - special report
Children are at risk because social workers lack knowledge when working with victims of forced marriage, a conference on “honour” violence heard last.... more
(05 October 2006 00:00)

Tories ditch hard line attitude to crime
The Conservative Party is ditching the hard-line attitudes on tackling crime associated with its past, according to shadow home affairs minister.... more
(05 October 2006 00:00)

Tory plan on tax relief for married couples rejected by minister
Family justice minister Harriet Harman today rejected introducing tax relief for married couples a day after Conservative leader David Cameron.... more
(05 October 2006 11:41)