Articles by Date : October 01 2009 - October 31 2009

Sharon Shoesmith seeks compensation for sacking over Baby P
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Daughter sees father jailed for three decades of sexual abuse; Scots could get pay rise while England.... more
(08 October 2009 08:42)

Unions slam Tory proposals to freeze social workers' pay
Trade unions have slammed Tory proposals to freeze pay for local authority social workers and care staff in 2011. more
(07 October 2009 18:08)

Too many children being taken into care says social services chief
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Shoesmith launches legal challenge against Ed Balls; New child safety unit to help social workers;.... more
(07 October 2009 13:45)

News round-up: 'Too many children being taken into care'
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Shoesmith launches legal challenge against Ed Balls; New child safety unit to help social workers;.... more
(07 October 2009 13:43)

Dementia: Nurses highlight inappropriate use of antipsychotics
Three-quarters of nurses have seen people with dementia in general wards being prescribed antipsychotic drugs that double the risk of death, triple.... more
(07 October 2009 12:24)

Hospital social worker struck off for repeated failings
A London social worker whose repeated failure to follow procedure placed vulnerable people at risk has been struck off. more
(06 October 2009 17:34)

Training bosses call for more funding to improve placements
Social work training bosses in England have welcomed new guidelines for practitioners supporting students on placements, but said the accompanying.... more
(06 October 2009 17:23)

Study reveals high level of drug errors in care homes
Calls have been made for an overhaul of drug prescribing procedures in care homes after seven out of 10 residents were found to have suffered from.... more
(06 October 2009 17:18)

Soapbox: I've hit admin overload
It is not "admin days" we need but "social work days", writes a social worker more
(06 October 2009 15:20)

BAAF adoption at record levels
The number of families adopting hard-to-place children through the British Association for Adoption and Fostering has hit record levels,.... more
(06 October 2009 14:03)

Consultation on updated rules for ContactPoint
The government has launched a consultation to update some of the technical rules relating to the controversial children's database ContactPoint..... more
(06 October 2009 11:52)

Ageism rife in social care ahead of planned legal ban
Ageist assumptions about what constitutes a life worth living for older people have lead to a discriminatory care system, a Department of Health.... more
(06 October 2009 11:48)

Birmingham children's services slated in report
Birmingham children's services slated in report judy.cooper@rbi.co.uk Birmingham Council's scrutiny committee has detailed a catalogue of faults... more
(05 October 2009 18:20)

Inquiry into care home girls who leapt to their deaths
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Teenage mother who stubbed out cigarette on her baby daughter's back because she was 'stressed out' is.... more
(06 October 2009 10:15)

News round up: Inquiry into care home girls who leapt to their deaths
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Teenage mother who stubbed out cigarette on her baby daughter's back because she was 'stressed out' is.... more
(06 October 2009 10:14)

Disability groups concerned about Tory benefit plans
Disability groups have expressed concerns that Conservative plans to reform the welfare system will lead to greater hardship for many claimants. more
(05 October 2009 17:13)

Children's champion at the Local Government Association
Shireen Ritchie is best known as the step mum of Madonna’s ex-husband Guy Ritchie. Less well known is the fact that her own mother was adopted, all.... more
(05 October 2009 15:05)

Hertfordshire Council's new social work academy wins praise
A groundbreaking academy for newly-qualified social workers at Hertfordshire Council was opened today by Lord Laming. more
(05 October 2009 13:50)

Cameron to slash benefit payouts to 500,000
Other headlines in today's papers include: Down's dementia risk 'overlooked'; Darling set to reveal autumn spending cuts; Social workers to check.... more
(05 October 2009 10:50)

News round up: Cameron to slash benefit payouts to 500,000
Other headlines in today's papers include: Down's dementia risk 'overlooked'; Darling set to reveal autumn spending cuts; Social workers to check.... more
(05 October 2009 10:50)

Adass: People may enter care homes too soon under Tory plan
People may enter residential care prematurely under Conservative plans to insure older people against the costs of care home fees, Association of.... more
(05 October 2009 08:21)

One in 30 people in mental health care are in paid work
Just 3.4% of adults who have contact with secondary mental health services in England are in paid employment while just over a fifth are in settled.... more
(02 October 2009 16:22)

Letters to Community Care 8 October 2009
The emphasis shouldn't only be on the social work degree We need to consider the range of opportunities offered to those joining the profession.... more
(02 October 2009 15:13)

Can all families be worked with?
Barnardo's head Martin Narey (below) has suggested that we are not taking enough children into care and that professionals are under too much.... more
(02 October 2009 14:40)

Southwark Cathedral's herb garden
The finishing point on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 15:03)

Red Cross Cottages
Point 7 on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 15:02)

Good practice: Multi-agency child protection in Wimbledon
The relationship between child protection social workers and local police is key. In Wimbledon better joint working is producing tangible.... more
(02 October 2009 15:01)

Dickens Square
Point 6 on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 15:00)

Proven Practice: Self-advocacy and complex needs
The Social Care Institute for Excellence recommends self-advocacy as a way of ensuring people with learning disabilities and complex needs are not.... more
(02 October 2009 14:20)

Cooltan Arts Gallery, Elephant and Castle
Point 5 on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 14:56)

Welfare rights: Keep claimants up to date with changes
Make sure claimants know about the latest benefits because the Department for Work and Pensions can be rather coy about publicising them, to the.... more
(02 October 2009 14:45)

East Street, Charlie Chaplin's birthplace
Point 4 on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 14:54)

Deidre Sanders hits back over GSCC conference row
The Sun’s agony aunt has challenged her critics to stop “snapping and snarling” at her and the mainstream media and find more constructive ways of.... more
(02 October 2009 14:53)

Faraday Gardens
Point 3 on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 14:52)

Institute of Psychiatry
Point 2 on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 14:48)

Maudsley Hospital, Camberwell
Point 1 on Mark Drinwater's mental health-themed amble through South London more
(02 October 2009 14:47)

Who Cares? Trust chief urges therapy for looked-after children
All children in care should have access to regular therapy and be psychologically assessed at the earliest opportunity, the chief executive of The.... more
(02 October 2009 14:39)

Raise a cup of tea to mark World Mental Health Day
To mark World Mental Health Day, Mark Drinkwater catches up with two campaigns run by Mind and Rethink and hails the benefits of a cup of tea more
(02 October 2009 14:07)

Lifestyle review: Beautiful Octopus Club
Mark Drinkwater looks ahead to a clubnight for people with learning disabilities as the Royal Festival Hall plays host more
(02 October 2009 11:56)

Dementia champion Cheri Needham on her work at The Dales
Care home "dementia champion" Cheri Needham tells Jeremy Dunning about her passion for a new approach to caring for people with dementia more
(02 October 2009 11:42)

Do service users have a place in Links?
After a shaky start, local involvement networks are now doing what they set out to do: involving clients in service commissioning, delivery and.... more
(02 October 2009 10:24)

News round-up: Child abuse trio plead guilty
Others headlines in today's papers include:- Cut NHS costs to pay off debt, IMF warns Britain; Vanessa George and Angela Allen abused toddlers for.... more
(02 October 2009 10:18)

Child abuse trio plead guilty but parents' pain goes on
Others headlines in today's papers include:- Cut NHS costs to pay off debt, IMF warns Britain; Vanessa George and Angela Allen abused toddlers for.... more
(02 October 2009 10:17)

Learning disability spending by English councils rockets
Spending by English council rose by 3% in real terms last year, with particular pressures on learning disability services. more
(02 October 2009 00:01)

Brown's personal care pledge to apply to adults under 65
Younger disabled adults would benefit from the government's pledge to introduce free personal care at home for people with critical care needs, the.... more
(01 October 2009 16:44)

Social worker suspended for unlawfully removing child
An off-duty social worker who entered a foster carer’s home and unlawfully removed a child to her own home has been suspended for six months. more
(01 October 2009 15:45)

Plymouth nursery worker pleads guilty to child sex abuse
Plymouth nursery worker Vanessa George has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing children and distributing indecent images, alongside two people whom.... more
(01 October 2009 15:19)

Satisfaction among older home care users declines
Satisfaction with home care services among pensioners has declined over the past three years, a government survey has found. more
(01 October 2009 14:22)

Phil Hope urged to act on homelessness and mental health
Crisis and St Mungo’s have called on care services minister Phil Hope to remove barriers to mental health services for homeless people given the high.... more
(01 October 2009 13:20)

Adass/LGA seek detail on Brown's £670m free care pledge
Council leaders have questioned Gordon Brown's plan to introduce free personal care at home for older people with critical needs, as it emerged that.... more
(01 October 2009 11:18)