Articles by Date : December 01 2007 - December 31 2007

A Life Like Any Other Campaign
  Community Care is campaigning for people with learning disabilities to have the same chances in life as everyone else. The chance to:.... more
(06 December 2007 14:13)

Editorial Comment: Carers should count more
Gordon Brown has made it clear that better supporting our carers is up there with tackling terrorism or promoting economic stability. And a new.... more
(06 December 2007 11:27)

Carers
The carers’ movement began five decades ago, and since then there has been a gradual but gathering recognition of the important role carers play. .... more
(06 December 2007 11:06)

Survey: Happy and excited despite heavy caring commitment
Half of young carers have not talked to social worker about help in the past year more
(06 December 2007 11:05)

Young carers expert comment
Three social care experts gave us their views on our exclusive young carer's survey. more
(06 December 2007 11:01)

Young carers: full survey
Young carers at Christmas: full Community Care survey of 109 young carers aged 8-16 conducted over a fortnight in November. more
(06 December 2007 10:59)

Councils to receive £30,000 per year for homelessness
  Councils will receive a total of £150m to tackle homelessness from the government, evenly split over the next three years.   .... more
(06 December 2007 10:56)

Timothy Cook looks back on five decades of the carers’ movement
When 31-year-old Mary Webster gave up her career as a congregational minister in 1954 to care for her parents, she was following in a long line of.... more
(06 December 2007 10:36)

Where has the money gone? Alex Fox at The Princess Royal Trust for Carers looks at how local authorities are spending the carers grant.
Although the carers grant has remained the same for the last three years, it is not ring-fenced. This has led to disparity between councils in the.... more
(06 December 2007 10:34)

Caring for a child with learning disabilities: a parent’s concerns about the future
“Imagine you are experiencing domestic violence on a daily basis. The form this violence takes can vary, but usually it follows a familiar pattern:.... more
(06 December 2007 10:25)

Ivan Lewis on the 'new deal for carers'
Care services minister Ivan Lewis explains the government's new strategy for a group of people the rest of us often taken for granted more
(05 December 2007 08:51)

Young carers: Genefer Sales' story
Community Care's exclusive survey of young carers shows that half will spend more than five hours caring for another member of the family this.... more
(05 December 2007 08:39)

Social Skirmishes
Rosie Warlock, a senior practitioner in children’s social services, tells us what’s on her mind in her weekly column more
(06 December 2007 08:27)

The economics behind the new deal for carers
Mark Ivory investigates current thinking among policymakers on the economics of providing more support to long-term carers more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

Charities' bid to influence the new national carers strategy
Charities are lobbying to influence the forthcoming carers strategy. Lauren Revans investigates what is on their wish-list more
(05 December 2007 17:06)

The impact of delayed discharge fees
Bob Hudson looks at how social services departments responded to legislation making them liable for patients who continue to occupy hospital beds.... more
(05 December 2007 16:54)

Support for carers in Scotland: the Minority Ethnic Carers of Older People Project in Edinburgh
A unique project north of the border is providing invaluable support to carers from ethnic minority backgrounds, writes Corin Williams more
(05 December 2007 16:43)

Prison Reform Trust slams government's prisons plan
Up to three super-prisons each housing about 2,500 prisoners will be built by 2014, justice minister Jack Straw announced today following a review. more
(05 December 2007 16:35)

Carers UK: why a social contract is needed
Carers have greater risk of ill-health and unemployment according to the latest comprehensive research for Carers UK. Sue Yeandle outlines what.... more
(05 December 2007 16:32)

'How we can ensure that caring is recognised as much as work'
Pensions reform minister Mike O'Brien describes changes the government is making that will improve life for many carers more
(05 December 2007 16:22)

Jane Campbell: coalition of carers and disability groups is needed
Disabled people's organisations and carers' groups must co-operate to push for more social care. The clock is ticking, warns Jane Campbell more
(05 December 2007 16:16)

Achieving a better deal for carers
Web Extra for Steps in the Right Direction feature more
(05 December 2007 16:02)

Carers of disabled children and direct payments
Direct payments provide disabled children with the opportunities for leisure activities that are not often possible through traditional council.... more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

Case Study - Shaun Conway
Shaun Conway, nine, direct payment recipient, Surrey more
(05 December 2007 15:38)

Ed Balls on barriers for disabled children's parents
Ed Balls explains what the government is doing to improve life for disabled children and their families and ensure they do not become isolated more
(05 December 2007 15:15)

Support for young carers
Each week the Social Care Institute for Excellence analyses research findings behind specific social work practices more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

Research Abstracts: Young Carers
Title: Does every young carer matter? What does Every Child Matters mean for young carers? Author:  Fox, Alex; Becker, Fiona; Becker,.... more
(05 December 2007 15:05)

Practitioners' Messages
● Although young people should not have caring responsibilities that are inappropriate to their age, some do and will still need support. ● .... more
(05 December 2007 14:58)

Alastair Pettigrew defends social work practices against critics
Alastair Pettigrew, a leading proponent of giving independent practices responsibility for the care of looked-after children, has accused critics of.... more
(05 December 2007 14:39)

Carers policies: the contradictions
On the face of it, carers are getting a better deal - but for every positive policy there seems to be another thatmilitates against it, writes Amy.... more
(05 December 2007 14:34)

Conduct: GSCC to hear case of Lancashire social worker
The General Social Care Council is to hear a case of alleged misconduct by a registered social worker from Fleetwood, near Blackpool, next week. .... more
(05 December 2007 14:18)

Gwenda Thomas: carers' champion for Wales
Gwenda Thomas talks to Natalie Valios about her role as the Welsh assembly's carers' champion and deputy minister for social services more
(05 December 2007 12:58)

Comedy CD review Let's laugh at ourselves
Mark Drinkwater chuckles at social work's radio anti-hero more
(05 December 2007 12:34)

Career Clinic
Q: Half my team are off sick at the moment and consequently my workload appears to be growing by the day. Is there a limit to the amount I can be.... more
(05 December 2007 12:30)

Front Line Focus: Carers need surgeries
A cultural change is needed in services for carers with a leading role being played by GPs and other primary care workers more
(05 December 2007 12:16)

The Big Picture: Alf Tupper made me
Those radicals who are sucked into the establishment mindset could do worse than seek inspiration from an old comic character more
(05 December 2007 12:11)

Diary: A lighter take on the week.
A manager of a council adult services team writes more
(05 December 2007 12:05)

Service User Voice: No support in testing time
Services are being slashed while carers struggle for help. And the barriers remain in place even if the carer has a learning disability more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

On the move
Latest movers and shakers in the social care field more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

Church snubs plea to probe children's home abuse claims
The Church of England is refusing to investigate the alleged abuse of girls placed in its care in the 1980s, saying it is not qualified to do so. more
(07 December 2007 00:44)

Stroke victims' carers liable to stress illness
Some carers of stroke survivors suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition normally associated with people who have engaged in military.... more
(06 December 2007 00:42)

Unions go on attack after minister backs Remploy axe
GMB chief warns of 'guerrila action' as Peter Hain endorses closure of 28 factories more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

Editorial Comment: Shift the onus to councils
The Healthcare Commission's verdict is damning: staff in NHS in-patient services for people with learning disabilities show little understanding of.... more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

Paediatrician David Southall struck off medical register
Social workers and paediatricians could be deterred from child protection work following the removal of paediatrician David Southall from the medical.... more
(05 December 2007 10:55)

Peers want equal status for asylum-seeking children
Key measures to improve support for children in care must apply to asylum-seeking children, peers argued last week in a House of Lords debate on.... more
(06 December 2007 00:00)

Healthcare Commission: Half of mental health nurses assaulted
Almost half of mental health nurses said they were assaulted in 2006-7, while 72% said they had been threatened or made to feel unsafe, the.... more
(04 December 2007 17:28)

New restraint rules for young offenders face legal challenge
Rules extending the use of restraint on young offenders held in secure training centres are being challenged in the High Court. more
(04 December 2007 15:59)

Valuing People follow-up heralds council takeover of NHS functions
The NHS’s remaining commissioning powers over social care services for people with learning disabilities will transfer to local government in April.... more
(04 December 2007 12:11)

Barbara Herts to leave YoungMinds after three years at helm
Children’s mental health charity YoungMinds announced today that Barbara Herts will leave this month after three years as chief executive. more
(04 December 2007 10:45)

Scottish Children's Reporter: rise in referrals sparks concerns
More than 150 children are being referred each day to the Scottish Children's Reporter, which hears child protection and youth justice cases,.... more
(04 December 2007 10:44)