Articles by Date : November 01 2006 - November 30 2006

Friday night with Sutton's Street Pastors
To the sound of police sirens and with news of a spate of gangrelated stabbings still fresh, Natalie Valios joined a group of street pastors on a.... more
(30 November 2006 08:06)

Why the Disability Equality Duty matters. By Denise Platt
By next week all public bodies will be expected to have a disability equality scheme in place. Denise Platt sees it as an excellent opportunity for.... more
(30 November 2006 07:31)

Editorial Comment: The Wrong Solution
Last year, the Youth Justice Board suggested that open children’s homes – along with open sections of secure children’s homes, residential special.... more
(30 November 2006 07:13)

Editorial Comment: Time for Compulsion
It’s no secret that our mental health services are admitting disproportionate numbers of black and mixed race in-patients, and then providing many of.... more
(30 November 2006 07:03)

‘Payback time’ beckons for peer
The Mental Health Act Commission’s Lord Kamlesh Patel tells Simeon Brody about his fight for race equality in services more
(30 November 2006 07:03)

Protection lists in disarray
Professionals are divided over the legal ruling which some argue has placed workers’ rights above adult protection. Now, doubts hang over the future.... more
(30 November 2006 07:00)

A healthy start for babies and pregnant teenagers
Pregnant teenagers and families in low income households began receiving vouchers to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables this week, under a new.... more
(28 November 2006 19:31)

Inspection shake-up heralds greater focus on children in care in schools
Schools’ performance in relation to children in care will come under greater scrutiny under changes proposed by the new Chief Inspector of Schools. more
(29 November 2006 18:50)

If you ask me...Mark Pampel
Mark Pampel is a founder member of the hearing and sight-impaired group at the charity Sense more
(30 November 2006 00:31)

The Big Question
Was the High Court right to rule that people accused of abuse should not be banned from working with clients without a hearing? more
(30 November 2006 00:26)

The Simon Heng Column
A service users view of social care more
(30 November 2006 00:21)

Welsh standards bodies to merge
The body that regulates Welsh social care providers and the organisation that inspects the country’s social services are to merge, the Welsh assembly.... more
(29 November 2006 18:12)

Associations must work with councils
Housing associations must develop stronger working relationships with local authorities to help tackle homelessness, according to the sector’s.... more
(29 November 2006 18:07)

Corporate parenting fears to be tackled
The working group exploring the GP-style practices proposed in the children in care green paper will look at how council accountability can be.... more
(30 November 2006 00:51)

Southampton staff threaten to strike
Care staff in Southampton may strike over council plans to force them to accept new contracts under which they will lose their higher rates for.... more
(30 November 2006 00:47)

Scottish voluntary sector misses out on training as councils sit on funding
Scottish local authorities are failing to pass on funding earmarked for training voluntary sector staff to providers, it was claimed last week. more
(30 November 2006 00:19)

Call to extend local authority inspection standards to voluntary organisations
The Social Work Inspection Agency wants to apply the same inspection standards to Scottish voluntary organisations as those used to assess local.... more
(30 November 2006 00:10)

Emphasis on saving money ‘hitting quest for personalised services’
The priority placed on cost by Scottish local authorities when tendering for contracts threatens to undermine the development of more personalised.... more
(30 November 2006 00:03)

Woolas backtracks on funding plans
Supporting People funding will be delivered through local area agreements (LAAs) by April 2009, the local government minister told a conference this.... more
(30 November 2006 00:53)

Kamlesh Patel quits Department of Health role to pursue call for inquiry
The architect of the government’s mental health race equality initiative has stepped down to push for an inquiry into the experience of patients.... more
(30 November 2006 00:44)

Mental health bill will need amendments, peers warn
The mental health bill is set to face a barrage of amendments as it passes through the House of Lords, peers made clear at its second reading.... more
(29 November 2006 00:00)

Staff to strike in Surrey over pay
Social services staff were due to join colleagues at Surrey Council in a one-day strike over pay today, which could set the tone for nationwide.... more
(30 November 2006 00:28)

Cornwall drops from two stars to one
The council was found to only be serving “some” people well this year compared to “most” people in 2005. more
(30 November 2006 00:22)

‘Coasting’ tag rejected by councils as inspection body seeks improvement
Urgent action is needed to improve adults’ social services in “coasting” and one-star councils, the Commission for Social Care Inspection said today.... more
(30 November 2006 00:15)

Request to revise indicators rejected
The government has rejected calls from councils to allow them to revise a number of much-criticised home care performance indicators. more
(30 November 2006 00:48)

Dementia care: special report
New guidance on dementia for social care and health staff is welcome but unlikely to be fully implemented, according to campaigners. more
(24 November 2006 00:00)

Government urged to help pensioners
Older people’s campaigners have urged the government to provide immediate help to pensioners given the longer-term implications of its Pensions Bill,.... more
(29 November 2006 00:00)

Specialist palliative care is misunderstood by professionals
Specialist palliative care social work is undervalued and misunderstood by other professionals, limiting referrals, research out today shows. more
(29 November 2006 00:00)

Owers condemns Harmondsworth
Conditions at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre are “inimical to the proper care and treatment of detainees”, the chief inspector of prisons.... more
(29 November 2006 11:14)

Electronic system behind schedule
Most councils will miss the government’s deadline to implement a key electronic case management system for children’s social care, the Department for.... more
(29 November 2006 11:05)

Shelter shows scale of children's needs
One in seven UK children are homeless or live in poor housing, research by Shelter reveals more
(29 November 2006 11:00)

Britain’s binge drinkers begin to sober up
Click on the above headline for more news from the national newspapers today. more
(29 November 2006 00:00)

Call for review of joint social services and police work over treatment of vulnerable man
A commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission has called for a review of partnership working between police, social services and.... more
(27 November 2006 16:17)

Cash settlement leaves many councils left in
The local government finance settlement has left many councils facing "very real difficulties," the Local Government Association has warned. more
(28 November 2006 15:48)

Working group to examine feasibility of measures in children in care green paper
The working group exploring the feasibility of the social care practices proposed in the children in care green paper will consider how the model.... more
(28 November 2006 14:16)

Fixed fees for family solicitors to be introduced, despite widespread opposition
Family solicitors will be paid fixed fees in future, despite warnings by experts that such a system will drive practitioners out of the field. more
(28 November 2006 13:54)

Alliance lobbies government over mental health plans
The Mental Health Alliance will today lobby the government over its proposals to amend mental health legislation in England and Wales. more
(28 November 2006 12:00)

Detainees’ treatment criticised
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from the Monday and weekend papers. more
(28 November 2006 09:58)

Chief inspector: regime at immigration removal centre is 'poorest' ever
Chief inspector of prisons Anne Owers has today described an inspection report into Harmondsworth as the poorest ever issued on an immigration.... more
(28 November 2006 00:01)

Community courts announced
The government today announced 10 community courts that are designed to make sure cases are dealt with “speedily and robustly”. more
(27 November 2006 16:22)

Social care and health inspection merger to go ahead
The Commission for Social Care Inspection will merge with the Healthcare Commission and Mental Health Act Commission to form a single regulator by.... more
(27 November 2006 13:23)

Career Training and Personal Planning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Practical Resource for Schools
 Vicki Lundine and Catherine Smith,  Jessica Kingsley Publishers  ISBN 1843104407,  £29.99  STAR RATING: 4/5 Dealing with the barriers to.... more
(23 November 2006 13:07)

Down Syndrome – An Introduction for Parents and Carers
Cliff Cunningham writes with knowledge and authority on a subject he has studied for more than 40 years, writes Anne McCloskey. more
(23 November 2006 13:01)

What is Professional Social Work?
Malcolm Payne, BASW and Policy Press ISBN 1861347049, £16.99 STAR RATING: 4/5 It is obvious that Malcolm Payne is knowledgeable and.... more
(23 November 2006 12:51)

Most people on benefit not required to look for work, says think-tank
Eighty per cent of benefits are distributed without any responsibility on claimants to look for employment, a report out today claims. more
(27 November 2006 12:38)

Question from Community Care - Urgent health care: will the social care model prevail?
Click on the headline to go through to the full article more
(23 November 2006 12:20)

Question from Community Care - The emergency response to 7/7. Flaws with the Family Assistance Centre
Click on the headline to go through to the full article more
(23 November 2006 12:14)

Why information-sharing databases may harm children: special report
Following the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie , Lord Laming pointed the finger of blame at the lack of co-operation between agencies. more
(24 November 2006 14:23)

Breaks for carers
Click on the above headline for more social care related news from the Monday and weekend papers. more
(27 November 2006 09:59)

Options of Excellence begs funding questions for the Treasury
England’s social care review is awash with “visions” for the future of the workforce but, Mark Ivory reports, much depends on the willingness of the.... more
(23 November 2006 17:33)