Articles by Date : November 01 2005 - November 30 2005

Frontlines: One of our new team of practitioner columnists gives her take on the use of plain english
Jennifer Harvey advises on communication and how to avoid eating wolf when in rural Bulgaria more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Coroner raises fears about too many deaths in custody
The coroner conducting the inquest into the death of Andrew Barclay who died at HMP Norwich in 2003 has criticised the establishment for having.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

A test to select the best?
We hear a lot these days about how the prison service is changing, and there is no doubt that in some areas it has made huge strides. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Target on support decisions missed
The government is failing to meet its target to decide within five working days whether to provide support to failed asylum seekers. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Centres lack child protection policies
None of four short-term immigration holding facilities inspected earlier this year had adequate child protection policies in place, according to the.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Sure Start grant victory for carer
Thousands of families who care for other people's children under residence orders will be eligible for a government grant after an Appeal Court.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Morris calls for higher pay for staff
Former education secretary Estelle Morris has called for more investment in the pay and training of early years workers. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Increase in Scots welfare referrals sparks fears over youth offending
A 10 per cent rise in the number of children referred to Scottish authorities on offence and welfare grounds has raised concerns of a subsequent.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Threat of industrial action at Cafcass
Family court unions look set to ballot for industrial action at the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service after rejecting its 2.5.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Report finds wide health inequalities
People with mental health problems or learning difficulties or both were significantly more likely than the general population to experience serious.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Force for change?
There has been plenty of talk about the voluntary sector providing more services. But only now has the government set out to boost its involvement by.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Funds pledged for guardian training
The government has promised to adequately resource Cafcass to deliver mandatory risk assessments when child protection concerns are raised in contact.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

I didn't get where I am today...
Andrea Rowe is chief executive of training body Skills for Care more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

If you ask me...
Kadara Kursum is a Look Ahead Housing and Care resident and is a member of the Look Ahead advisory board more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Truancy scheme extended
The government has confirmed it is expanding its Fast Track to Attendance programme to target over 10,000 serial truants who account for one in five.... more
(16 November 2005 00:00)

This life: It's not just talk
The social environment of mental health wards plays a role in patients' well-being, reminds Mark Ellerby more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Welsh councils look to pool services
Local authorities in south Wales are to develop a regional approach to direct payments, fostering services and residential care for looked-after.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Underpinning complete
Paradoxically for a scheme that is all about housing support, Supporting People has never been entirely at home in the Office of the Deputy Prime.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Backlash takes toll on young Muslims
Hostility to Islam in Britain is damaging the mental health of young Muslims, says the London mayor's human rights adviser. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

'Civil liberties key to changing Bill'
Opponents of the forthcoming Mental Health Bill must adopt the civil liberties approach that succeeded in defeating parts of the government's.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Recruitment hopes wane as talking therapies pilot limited to two areas
The long-awaited pilot of talking therapies is to be fully tested in just two areas and is unlikely to involve a major recruitment of therapists. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

New evidence on 'Gladiator' emerges
New evidence about allegations that Zahid Mubarek was deliberately placed in a cell with his racist killer Robert Stewart as part of a "Gladiator".... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Custody warning over young adults
Young adult offenders should not be sentenced to custody in all but the most serious cases, a report this week recommended. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Open Forum
The pressure is rightfully on the government to increase the level of disabled facilities grant, writes Faiza Fareed more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Three-way split on the cards as Supporting People plans unveiled
The Supporting People programme could be split into three separate parts under government proposals unveiled this week. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

MPs point to Social Fund weaknesses
Parliament's spending watchdog has raised doubts about the Social Fund's effectiveness because of large local variations in decision-making practices.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Shake-up 'may hit health initiatives'
NHS reforms may threaten public health initiatives and fragment community services without making the 250m savings expected. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Trusts falling short on prevention goals
Primary care trusts lack the ability and incentives to meet the government's ambition to shift care out of acute settings into the community, a.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Readers' views: Split on use of adult prisons
Forty-nine per cent of visitors to Community Care's website believe 18- to 20-year-old offenders should be held in adult prisons. more
(16 November 2005 00:00)

Test for officers ignores caring skills
A test for prospective prison officers has been criticised for targeting people "with the arithmetical skills of a seven-year old" instead of those.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Thursday 17 November 2005
NHS ordered to make £700 million cuts more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Newham community officers face Met probe for 'using police powers'
Community constabulary officers in one of England's flagship boroughs for tackling antisocial behaviour are being investigated over allegations of.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Judge deems tag to be unfashionable
Sartorial elegance has rarely been a factor in judges' decisions, so Worcester magistrates caused uproar last week when they decided not to fit an.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Opinion: Royal ties that strain ethos of social care
"Identification with the unelected monarchy is at odds with some of the values implicit in social welfare" more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Rising costs hit vetting plan
The increased involvement of sport and leisure staff in school activities has had a knock-on effect of greatly widening the remit of a key vetting.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Children don't want fewer inspections
Most children do not want the frequency of service inspections to depend on past performance or the presence of problems. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

The Simon Heng column: A service user's view of social care
With the exception of specialists, most people who work in hospitals do not trust their disabled patients more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Liverpool groups lose funding case
Nine voluntary organisations that applied for a judicial review over the way Liverpool Council cut their funding have lost their case and been.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

The Big Question
What can social services learn from the case of Wendolyn Markcrow? more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

What I would have done differently
When starting a new role there are many well-trodden paths leading to pitfalls, Honor Rhodes has learned by experience more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

What's up on the web
It's time to say goodbye to the Electronic Library for Social Care but few will mourn its passing as many found it a bit of a nightmare to navigate. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Training fillip for Scotland's workers
Scotland's social care workforce is to receive a 17m training boost. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Appreciation day lifts practitioners
Social workers from London and Buckinghamshire were invited to rediscover their original motivations for joining the profession at an "appreciation.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Social Care Council did not breach rules
The General Social Care Council has been cleared of breaching its own rules by denying a social worker the opportunity to contest medical advice that.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Landlords offering 'lodgings for sex'
Young people placed in bed and breakfast accommodation by councils are being targeted for sexual exploitation by landlords with histories as pimps, a.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Bid for more consistent sentencing as worries grow over custody rates
New guidance on sentencing young people for robbery convictions will shortly be issued to improve consistency in courts across England and Wales. more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Secure estate takes the strain as youth custody levels soar
The Youth Justice Board wants to cut the number of young people in custody to less than 2,500 by March 2007. But a 10 per cent increase in the total.... more
(17 November 2005 00:00)

Social services accused of failing children in their care
Children and families social services are failing in their duties towards young people in care who enter custody, a conference heard today. more
(16 November 2005 00:00)

Hodge welcomes employment figures
Margaret Hodge today announced figures showing growth in employment and fewer people claiming benefits overall in the last year. more
(16 November 2005 00:00)

NSPCC warns women abusers may slip through the net
The NSPCC says there is an urgent need for professionals to be more aware about women who sexually abuse children. more
(16 November 2005 15:59)