By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson.
Hodge tried to gag Today over 'abuse'
Children, young people and families minister Margaret Hodge has attempted to stop the BBC from reporting allegations of abuse in an Islington children's home.
In a letter to the BBC chairman Gavyn Davies, Hodge made a veiled threat of legal action if Today programme reporter Angus Stickler continued with what she considered to be a "concerted campaign" to link her to allegations of abuse in homes run by Islington Council when she was leader of the council from 1982 to 1992.
She went on to say that Demetrious Panton, an alleged former abuse victim who told Today that he had tried to inform Hodge about the abuse, was an "extremely disturbed person".
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 12 November page 6
Jury sees ditch where bodies were found
The Soham trial jury examined the ditch where murdered school girls Jessica Chapman and Holly Well's bodies were found yesterday.
The spot, off a small road just north of the Suffolk village of Lakenheath, is around 19 minutes away from Soham, Cambridgshire, home to both girls and to Ian Huntley, the man accused of their murders.
Huntley denies the charges.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 12 November page 7
Asylum seeker on HIV charges
An asylum seeker was remanded in custody yesterday by Teeside magistrates on charges of grievous bodily harm by knowingly giving three women HIV.
Feston Konzani is appealing against repatriation to Malawi.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 12 November page 9
Arrests for burning of 'Gypsy caravan'
Six people have been arrested for allegedly inciting racial hatred after a caravan with pictures of gypsies in the window was set alight in a village bonfire celebration.
Some families expressed concerns about the burning, which took place at Firle, near Lewes, East Sussex.
The six people arrested have been released on bail and police anticipate that more will be arrested in connection with the incident.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday November 12 page 11
Prison Service admits teenager's cell death was avoidable
A 16-year-old who killed himself after being sent to a young offenders' institution should have instead gone into secure local authority care, an official panel has concluded.
Joseph Scholes, was found dead at Stoke Heath Young Offenders' Institution in Shropshire in March last year.
Campaigners have called for a public inquiry into his death after he was moved from a special unit for vulnerable inmates and placed in a cell with bars from which he hung himself using a torn bed sheet.
Scholes had a history of mental problems triggered by sexual abuse.
He was put in custody for being part of a gang that stole mobile phones.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 12 November page 11
Miburn's plan to give teenagers lessons in charity
Former health secretary Alan Milburn will call for all teenagers to do compulsory charitable work as a part of the national curriculum today.
In his first major policy speech since his resignation, Milburn will argue that there is strong evidence that young people who do charitable work during childhood are likely to continue with charitable activity in adult life.
Milburn has come up with the proposal after being asked by prime minister Tony Blair to provide new ideas for Labour's next General Election manifesto.
Source:- The Daily Mail Wednesday 12 November page 10
Guardian Society
The seeds of an uprising
Record-breaking council tax rises mean New Labour could face a grassroots revolt to rival the poll tax protests of the 1990s.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 November page 2
Samaritans to the rescue
The 50th birthday of The Samaritans, the suicide prevention and emotional health charity, has been surrounded by a range of activity this week.
Dismayed by its direction, founder Rev Chad Varah unsuccessfully tried to get its charitable registration cancelled, and staff have complained of bullying to the head office in Surrey.
It now faces further disruption following the collapse of Befrienders International, the charity that coordinated suicide prevention centres worldwide.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 November page 4
Justice over prejudice
Disability specialist David Ruebain is the modest but high-achieving nominee for the Law Society's lifetime achievement award in human rights
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 November page 6
A trip down memory lane
A project that helps older people with learning difficulties to keep their minds active by reminiscing
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 November page 7
Guilty until proven innocent
An investigation by the Charity Commission has rocked the fundraising world, but has its intervention caused more harm than good?
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 November page 8
Seeing stars
Do social services star ratings work?
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 November page 11
What else can I do?
John, a psychiatric nurse based in a general hospital who wants to move into community-based care, considers the options.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 November page 112
Scottish news
Threat of jail lifted for fine defaulters
Offenders who default on their fines will no longer be imprisoned under new proposals by the Scottish executive aimed at reducing Scotland's spiralling prison population.
Hugh Henry, deputy justice minister, will tell Parliament today that imposing community sentences is a far more effective way of tackling the problem than short-term jail sentences.
Jailing fine defaulters has no real punitive value and costs the taxpayer far more than the original fine.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 12 November
Scots child poverty alarm
One in three children in Scotland live below the poverty line, according to the children's charity, Barnardo's, which is launching an advertising campaign today to highlight the issue.
According to the charity, these children are more likely to grow up addicted to alcohol and drugs, become the victims and perpetrators of crime and to be homeless.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 12 November
OAPs died after drinking toxic fluid
A Glasgow-born man was one of four older residents at a care home who died after being given dishwasher cleaning fluid to drink instead of blackcurrant cordial, an inquest heard yesterday.
A coroners court heard that no one at the Lady Astor Home in Berkshire had yet admitted to mistakenly serving the pensioners the fluid instead of their usual Ribena drink. The incident occurred almost two years ago.
Source:- The Herald Wednesday 12 November
Operations cancelled in early winter rush for beds
Preparations for the winter rush of hospital beds are being reviewed by Glasgow health managers, after the scrabble for beds began two months early.
Patients were left on trolleys on Monday night after some operations were cancelled in the city following a surge in hospital admissions.
NHS Greater Glasgow admitted the demand on hospitals during recent days was more typical of the height of winter than a mild November.
Source:- The Herald Wednesday 12 November
Welsh News
'Snatched' Welsh twins in Galapagos tug-of-love
A Welsh mother is fighting to regain custody of her seven-year-old twins.
Jane Davies has not her seen her children for almost two years and they are now living with their father on the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
She claims that her ex-husband snatched the twins and, despite court rulings in her favour, she has not been able to re-establish contact with them. She also claims that the British Embassy and the Foreign Office have not done enough to help her in her fight to regain her children.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 12 November page 1
Teenager from Kosovo wins leave to appeal
A Kosovan teenager who fled to Wales in 1999 has been given leave to appeal against a decision to deport him.
Edmond Pone was only 14 when he arrived in the principality in the back of a lorry. He was subsequently fostered by a couple from Ebbw Vale and is studying construction at a local college.
Following an Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) hearing in June he received notice that he would have to return to Kosovo but with the support of his family he appealed against the decision. The IAA has now decided to allow to launch a further appeal.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 12 November page 5
Capital's social services in firing line again
Just over a year after Cardiff social services was found to be failing vulnerable people, a new report to be published today is expected to say that little has improved.
It is anticipated that the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales will say that, despite some changes, the department is still failing to provide an adequate service. If the report finds that not enough has changed following last years damming joint review, then it is possible that the Welsh assembly could take action to speed up improvements.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 12 November page
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