By David Callaghan and Reg McKay.
Mother and autistic son in 180ft death leap
A mother jumped 180 feet to her death with her 11-year-old autistic son from a bridge in Derwent Valley, County Durham.
Helen Rogan had given up her job as an occupational therapist to care for her son Mark, but was struggling to cope. Durham social services said Mark Rogan was a client, but would not comment on the nature of the department's involvement in his case.
Source:- The Independent Wednesday 19 September page 14
Guardian G2 supplement
Mind the gap: A physical relationship with an autist is possible, but it's an entirely different kind of body language
Feature about the needs of autistic children.
Millions more carers will be needed: Future tense
The Carers National Association has relaunched as Carers UK with a warning that three in every five people will care for a relative at some time in their lives. Research from the charity shows that 3.4 million more carers will be needed over the next 35 years to cope with an ageing population.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page 4
Anti-social measures to be streamlined: Fighting fear
The government is set to improve court procedures to allow housing associations and councils to obtain anti-social behaviour orders more easily.
Better protection for the victims of bad behaviour will also be brought forward to encourage them to give evidence in court, housing minister Lord Falconer has said.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page 4
'Best value' slow to show an improvement in council services
Nearly two thirds of councils in England and Wales are treading water or providing poor services despite the demands of the government's best value regime, the annual report from the Audit Commission says.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page 5
Profile: Krishna Sarda, leading the black voluntary sector
Sarda is chief executive of the Ethnic Minority Foundation and its operational arm the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (Cemvo).
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page 11
New training will help health professionals deal with adults who are stressed by their young babies, says Linda Steele
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page 132-131
Scottish newspapers
£37 million gap in free personal care plans
The SNP’s health spokesperson, Nicola Sturgeon, has claimed that the Scottish executive is facing a £37 million shortfall in its financial calculations for implementing free personal care.
Sturgeon claims that the executive has set aside £108 million a year for free personal care while the care development group has calculated the annual cost at £125 million. Uncertainty about the continued payment of attendance allowance of £55 per week to individuals will add a further £20 million to the gap bringing the shortfall to £37 million. A spokesperson for the Scottish executive claimed that Sturgeon’s calculations were inaccurate.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 19 September page 11
Hepatitis C compensation to be extended
Compensation should be extended to every Scot who contracted Hepatitis C through routine surgery or faulty blood products according to a report by the health committee of the Scottish executive.
The move follows an announcement by health minister, Susan Deacon, that only those so infected after the implementation of the Consumer Protection Act in March 1988 should be compensated. The proposals of the health committee, to be considered later this week, would extend compensation to an estimated 500 people infected before that period.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 19 September page 7
