(see below for Saturday, Sunday and Monday's headlines)
By David Callaghan and Reg McKay.
Girl of six 'kicked so hard her system collapsed'
Six-year-old Lauren Wright was kicked so hard by her stepmother that her digestive system collapsed, Norwich crown court was told.
The girl died three to five days later from the injuries inflicted by Tracey Wright at the family's home in Welney, Norfolk.
Wright has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and Lauren's father Craig Wright has denied manslaughter and wilful neglect.
A pathologist who examined Lauren's body found at least 60 bruises on Lauren's body, and described the injuries as "disgusting and terrible". Many of the injuries had been caused by blows from an object or kicks.
The trial continues.
Source:- The Independent Tuesday 4 September page 7
Ministers soften line over public sector
Two of the most senior member of the cabinet have admitted the government should soften its line over the role of the private sector in the running of public services.
Alan Milburn, health secretary, and Stephen Byers, secretary of state for transport and local government, both say there should be a more conciliatory approach with trade unions. The revelation came from confidential minutes of meetings between the Trades Union Council and the ministers.
Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 4 September page 5
UK childcare 'still lagging'
A new report from the Daycare Trust claims ore-school children in Britain are among the worst served for childcare.
The government has made only 'minimal progress towards European standards in early years support for children.
Mothers in Britain have a statutory right to 29 weeks' post natal maternity leave compared with 36 months in France, Germany, Spain and Finland.
Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 4 September page 9
Scottish newspapers
Hospital bugs kill more than roads
More people in Scotland die each year as result of infections acquired in hospitals than traffic accidents according to new research.
The report, by Andrew Walker of Glasgow University’s Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, points out that each year 457 people die of hospital acquired infection (HAI) compared with 316 from road accidents and 441 due to bronchitis, emphysema and asthma.
Unison has hit out at the figures saying they are as a direct result of the five-fold reduction of domestic staff working in Scottish hospitals since privatisation of cleaning contracts from the 1980s.
Source:- The Herald Tuesday 4 September page 3
Wrong kind of adults given methadone
Health services are prescribing methadone to the wrong kind of addicts according to a study by a Scottish based drugs group.
David Grieve, founder of Dumfries-based Over-Count, claimed that methadone is being prescribed to those seeking help for addiction to over the counter (OTC) drugs and end up with multiple addictions.
Grieve claims that health services do not understand OTC addiction, and as a result it is reaching epidemic proportions throughout the country, but particularly in London and the west of Scotland.
Source:- The Herald Tuesday 4 September page 8
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Free loans for key public staff
Teachers, nurses and police officers are to be given £10,000 interest-free loans by the government to help towards the cost of housing in the south east.
The new scheme will be unveiled next week as part of a campaign to ensure public servants do not leave and go to the private sector.
Young professionals in their 20s will be eligible to the loan for a deposit on a property. It is expected that they will be given five years grace before they will have to pay the loan back.
The scheme will be available to 2,000 public sector workers under a £20 million pilot project in the south east.
Stephen Byers, the transport and local government secretary, said: "There can be little doubt that if we are to recruit and retain key public sector workers, like teachers and nurses, greater assistance will need to be provided to meet the increase in housing costs.
"At a time of record levels of employment there is a battle for talented individuals taking place between the public and private sectors. If we are to be successful in providing high quality public services, this is a battle we simply cannot afford to lose," he said.
Source:- The Guardian Saturday September 1 page 1
Court frees mother who kicked abused
A mother who assaulted a former family friend who had sexually abused her two daughters received a 12-month suspended sentence when she appeared at Teeside crown court.
Jackie Wilson admitted kicking and punching Cameron McIvor, 65, while he was on bail awaiting sentence for raping the women when they were children.
The judge said that McIvor's case had taken three years to come to court and there were "exceptional" circumstances surrounding the incident. McIvor was later jailed for seven years.
Source:- The Independent Saturday 1 September page 4
Fury over 'slave pay' to refugees
A company which will run a new detention centre for up to 500 asylum seekers has been given permission to pay refugees just 34p an hour for cleaning and cooking work.
The legal obligation to pay the minimum wage has been waived by the Home Office for UK Detention Services, which will run the Harmondsworth centre in West London when it opens next month.
Sally Price, a spokesperson for Refugee Action, said the move was "nothing short of slave labour".
Source:- The Observer Sunday 2 September page 1
The men making millions from refugees' misery
Dozens of "asylum bosses" are making fortunes from Britain's refugee policy by providing services for the government.
Among those making a profit are the French-owned catering company Sodexho which runs the asylum voucher scheme and the Wackenhut Corporation, which won the transport contract for the dispersal scheme.
Source:- The Observer Sunday 2 September page 6
Samaritans send out a cry for help
The Samaritans is to launch an appeal this week for more volunteers after their numbers dropped to the lowest since 1975.
Each of the group's 203 officers has been instructed to aim to recruit 10 new people.
The shortage of staff comes at the same time as an increasing number of people call its helpline. The charity received 4.7million calls last year.
The growth in other charity helplines with specialised interests such as children's problems or Alzheimer's disease means many volunteers are choosing to help causes more specific to their own lives.
Source:- The Observer Sunday 2 September page 8
Therapists face abuse clampdown
A crackdown is to be launched against counsellors and therapists after cases of abuse, including sexual abuse, were uncovered among hundreds of thousands of unregulated practitioners.
The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy will bring in new rules this week. Members will be struck off its list in an attempt to introduce regulation as tight as that in nursing and medicine.
Source:- The Observer Sunday 2 September page 11
Child abuse files found on computer sold to the public
Police files naming 11 alleged child abusers and their victims made available to a Bristol University research project, ended up on a computer sold to a member of the public.
Details including transcripts of police interviews were given to researchers looking into the way evidence was gathered in cases of child abuse.
Bristol University said its policy on checking computers to be sold off for any sensitive information had not been adhered to.
Source:- The Independent Monday 1 September page 5
France to put asylum camp at Dunkirk
France is planning to open a second detention centre close to the Channel ports at Dunkirk. It is an attempt to ease overcrowding at the troubled Sangatte camp near the Channel Tunnel.
The move appears to be a response by the French to pressure from the UK government following several incidents where asylum seekers were found in the tunnel trying to enter the UK.
Source: The Times Monday 3 September page 1
Scottish newspapers
Council leaders could get massive hike in salaries
Chief executives of Scotland’s local authorities look set to receive up to a 18 per cent increase in salary following an independent review.
The review on behalf of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities by Sir Neil McIntosh, the former chief executive of Strathclyde Regional Council, highlighted the current prospect of some head teachers of large secondary schools being paid more than their directors or even chief executives.
The suggested increase would result in Glasgow Council’s chief executive being paid £135,000 per annum. A spokesperson for Unison said "it seems grossly unfair" compared with other workers’ pay rises.
Source:- The Herald Saturday 1 September page 1
Methadone or madness?
A page length feature exploring the current debate of whether or not the prescription of methadone is a safe strategy in combating heroin addiction.
Source:- The Herald Saturday 1 September page 4
Sex education pack dropped by third council
A third Scottish local authority has dropped a controversial sex education pack from its list of approved reading for teachers.
North Lanarkshire Council took the step of dropping the book, Taking Sex Seriously, after complaints from parents. The pack, written to advise teachers how to cope when difficult issues are raised, contains mock lessons dealing with sado-masochism and gay sex. East Renfrewshire and Western Isles Councils have already dropped the pack.
Source:- The Scotsman Saturday 1 September page 3
Freedom of information opposed by Cosla
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and a number of Scottish councils want the proposed freedom of information bill to be watered down according to their official responses to a Scottish executive consultation process.
Among the councils seeking less public access than is proposed are Edinburgh Council, Aberdeen Council, Renfrewshire Council, North Ayrshire Council and Angus Council. Some organisations are so wary about freedom of information that their responses to the consultation process have been marked as strictly confidential.
Source:- Scotland on Sunday 2 September page 8
Prison service "dishonest" according to director of social work
Les McEwan, Edinburgh Council’s director of social work, has accused the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) of dishonesty and "perplexing" behaviour after talks on the social work service to prisons collapsed in acrimony.
McEwan said that the SPS had made remarks to the press which were "untrue and unfounded" following an 18-month tendering process on the contracting out of prison social work services. The local authority managed social workers were removed from prisons in Edinburgh two weeks ago.
Since then the service is provided by a social worker contracted from an independent agency. The move, targeting four areas of Scotland, has concerned the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Source:- Scotland on Sunday 2 September page 8
Wealth is health – or is it?
Glasgow is the unhealthiest city of Europe as well as one of the poorest. Would the health of residents improve if the wealth of the city were increased? A page length feature explores the debate.
Source:- Scotland on Sunday 2 September page 11
