Articles by Date : December 01 2005 - December 31 2005

Sixty Second Interview with Martin Green
Sixty Second Interview with Martin Green more
(19 December 2005 00:00)

FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER
Sharp rise in number of jobless youth more
(16 December 2005 10:38)

THURSDAY 15 DECEMBER
Councils fail to give value for money more
(16 December 2005 10:22)

MPs launch fight against plans to increase schools’ independence
Plans to increase schools’ independence and allow them to develop their own admissions policies would undermine the Every Childs Matters agenda and.... more
(15 December 2005 11:00)

Children suffer as judges shy away from family work
A shortage of court staff and of judges undertaking family work in London is delaying cases involving vulnerable children and putting them at.... more
(14 December 2005 18:25)

Plan with care
How well are social care and health bodies involving carers in service planning and delivery? Val Hudson presents new research which casts light on.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Questions from Community Care issue dated 15 December - 4 January 2006
Click on the headline to go through to the questions more
(15 December 2005 00:17)

Questions from Community Care - Losing balance on the ladder
Click on the headline to go through to the full article more
(15 December 2005 00:15)

Losing balance on the ladder
Why are women and people from ethnic minorities under-represented in social care management? To find answers for this, Blair McPherson sought the.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

CSCI calls for support for carers
Support is urgently needed for the five million unpaid carers in England, the Commission for Social Care Inspection warned today. more
(13 December 2005 00:00)

CRE to investigate mental health inequalities
The Commission for Racial Equality is to launch an investigation into inequalities in the mental health system, which could trigger legal action.... more
(14 December 2005 00:00)

Trio appeal against assessment results
Three of the first eight councils to undergo joint area reviews of children's services have appealed against their scores. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Reviewing officers' role under scrutiny
Concerns over the effectiveness of the independent officers who review children's care plans are to be tackled by a new working group. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Frequent moves may undermine database accuracy, say practitioners
The children's database may be unable to keep track of children and families who frequently move house and change professionals, it is claimed. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Bill of rights all wrong
If the Mental Health Bill ever did purport to take civil liberties seriously, it is now much harder to argue that this is the case. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Section nine faces new appraisal
The Home Office has begun an evaluation of the policy that can lead to failed asylum seekers having their children taken into care. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Aslan helps those without wardrobes
The link between watching Disney's new production of CS Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and social care is not immediately apparent. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Social care professionals overwhelmed by paper work
Social care professionals are becoming increasingly overwhelmed by paperwork, at the expense of working with service users, a Community Care survey.... more
(14 December 2005 00:00)

Let Zimbabweans work, say lobbyists
A group of MPs and the Refugee Council have called for failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers to be allowed to work to avoid destitution. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Race watchdog to investigate bias in system against minority groups
The Commission for Racial Equality is to launch an investigation into inequalities in the mental health system, which could trigger legal action.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Private sector to up secure estate role
The private sector is set to increase its involvement in the council-run secure estate for children. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Access to Scottish councils a 'disgrace'
Nearly two-thirds of council buildings in Scotland are inaccessible to disabled people, according to the latest performance indicators. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Drowning in paperwork
It's official: social care professionals are drowning in paperwork. Our survey of more than 2,200 professionals reveals that more than half are.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Staff struggling to care for young offenders
Staff are “struggling” to offer adequate care for young offenders at a privately-run secure training centre, an inspection report published this week.... more
(14 December 2005 00:00)

Drug users 'bottom of treatment list'
Drug users are not being treated for hepatitis C because they are on "the bottom of the list" of health professionals' priorities, an expert on the.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Practice code sparks fresh fears on mental health tribunal safeguards
Fears that safeguards within new mental health legislation will be weakened are growing after a leaked report revealed plans to make people under.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Drugs courts launched
The government has launched dedicated courts offering treatment in the community instead of custody for drug-using offenders. more
(14 December 2005 00:00)

'Judges should hear children in private'
Judges should speak privately with children in care or contact and residence cases to draw out their true opinions, the head of England's family.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

England total down a quarter in a year
Homelessness in England has fallen by almost a quarter over the past year, according to the latest government figures. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Think-tank exposes discharge failings
Health and social care services are failing to work together when patients are discharged from hospital, a report has found. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Coterminosity now an option for most
The government will consult on having coterminous primary care trusts and councils in the vast majority of areas, after amending strategic health.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Bodies might have duty to co-operate
Councils and their partner agencies, such as health and probation, could be forced to take part in local strategic partnerships. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Association to fold as directors plan separate adults and children groups
The Association of Directors of Social Services is to be dissolved, perhaps as soon as next year, with the creation of separate organisations for.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Questions from Community Care - Plan with care
Click on the headline to go through to the full article. more
(15 December 2005 00:13)

Welsh agency set to boost standards
An agency to improve social services in Wales will be launched next April, after the assembly government gave it the go-ahead. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

New Tory leader fills key care posts
Andrew Lansley, the shadow minister responsible for social care and health, has retained his post following a reshuffle by the new leader of the.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Parenting orders treble in two years
The number of parenting orders more than trebled between October 2003 and September this year in targeted areas, according to Home Office figures.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Watchdog warning on vetting failings
Recruitment and retention problems in social care are increasing risks to vulnerable people, according to the chair of the Commission for Social Care.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Year that paved the way for overhaul of adults' services...
....but still we await the introduction of the Mental Health Bill. Community Care reporters look at the issues that made the news in the year that.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Newcomers imperil Westminster target
About 65 new people are ending up on the streets of Westminster each month, threatening the council's target to reduce rough sleeper numbers to below.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Agencies slammed over teenage killer
Police and social services mishandled the case of a 17-year-old boy with a history of sexual deviance who went on to murder a teenager, a review has.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Board fails to meet key targets in Wales
The Youth Justice Board missed several key targets in Wales by substantial margins last year, new figures have revealed. more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Skills scheme lacks depth, says board
A specialist training programme for prison staff working with children and young people is "inadequate", a senior manager in the Youth Justice Board.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Reality check
Katie Leason joined senior social care managers at Islington Council in London who returned to front-line duties to keep them in touch with life at.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Do they know it's Christmas?
The lives of the homeless appear especially stark at this time of year as the rest of us gear up for the annual season of indulgence in the company.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

Britain will soon be ready for Cameron
The new Tory leader David Cameron said during his campaign: “There is such a thing as society. It’s just not the same thing as the state.” more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER
Don't jail addicts who shoplift, says chief judge more
(14 December 2005 10:01)

Trial and errors
Mark Ellerby agreed to start a clinical drugs trial but found the process to be full of tribulations more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

The Simon Heng Column
Last week, the Department for Work and Pensions took over a section of The Guardian’s Society pages to ask of disability rights: “Is there anything.... more
(15 December 2005 00:00)

The Big Question
Is the government doing enough for the poorest children? more
(15 December 2005 00:00)