By Clare Jerrom.
Climbie care worker to be charged for inquiry snub
A social worker who ignored an order to give evidence at the inquiry into Victoria Climbie’s death is to be prosecuted.
Carole Baptiste resisted a series of demands to answer for her handling of the eight-year-old’s case. She failed to answer a summons to attend the inquiry yesterday.
An infuriated Lord Laming, who is leading the inquiry, began legal proceedings and said the social worker had exhausted his patience.
If convicted, Baptiste faces fines up to £1,000 and up to six months in prison.
Members of the public inquiry have made repeated attempts to persuade Baptiste to give evidence. She was a manager of the investigation and assessment team at Haringey social services in north London at the time of Victoria’s death.
The eight-year-old died at the hands of her great aunt Marie Therese Kouao and her lover Carl Manning with 128 separate injuries on her body.
A private detective was employed to serve Baptiste the summons, and it emerged she had previously refused to give evidence at the internal inquiry.
Laming said: "She is a very important witness. Her behaviour is, to put it mildly, entirely unacceptable. She has exhausted my patience and I suspect that of others. Without reservation of any kind I instruct that the solicitor now lay information before a magistrates’ court so that criminal proceedings can be taken."
Baptiste was supervising Lisa Arthurworrey, who was an inexperienced social worker, in her dealings with Victoria's case.
Arthurworrey told the inquiry last month that Baptiste was rarely available to give advice and often missed case meetings. She added that her manager would often talk about her relationship with God and being a Black woman instead of child protection.
Source:- The Times Tuesday 4 December page 8
Council tax to rise 10 per cent to pay for elderly care
Council taxpayers in England could face increases in charges of up to 10 per cent after today’s announcement on local government funding.
The soaring cost of care for older people is being blamed for the rise.
Stephen Byers, transport, local government and the regions secretary, will announce government grants to English local authorities today.
The figure, although expected to be higher than the £44 billion last year, may still be too little to provide the extra £1 billion needed for nursing care of older people.
Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, Conservative leader of Kent council, said: "The government has tried to improve standards, but not put in the extra money. Council taxes will have to rise because social care is under-funded."
Source:- The Times Tuesday 4 December page 6
500 now sleeping rough
There are now just over 500 people sleeping rough in Britain following a fall of 71 per cent in the last three years, it was announced yesterday.
The government's rough sleeper’s unit will now become part of the homelessness directorate aimed at providing those taken off the street with training, employment and accommodation.
Tony Blair said the government had beaten its target six months early, but that more needed to be done to provide training and jobs.
Source:- The Times Tuesday 4 December page 9
NHS to pay for private health treatment
The government will announce today a plan to fund Bupa to run a free standing surgical unit next to a public hospital.
Alan Milburn will reveal an agreement that will allow the private sector to run and manage an acute diagnostic and treatment centre for NHS patients, which will be paid for by the taxpayer.
The move is consistent with the "concordat" between the NHS and Britain’s small private sector as announced under the NHS Plan.
The health secretary’s statement should result in 5,000 extra operations a year on the undisclosed hospital site.
Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 4 December page 1
