In Today's Papers

By Amy Taylor, Natasha Salari, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson

Huntley inquiry focuses on police role
An inquiry examining police mistakes that allowed Ian Huntley to be employed as a school-caretaker despite a long history of sex allegations began yesterday.
Humberside Police destroyed records that linked Huntley, who was found guilty of murdering schoolgirls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, to the allegations fearing they would be in breach of the Data Protection Act not to do so.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 14 January page 10

Inquiry launched into Shipman hanging

Serial killer Dr Harold Shipman was found hanged in his cell yesterday at Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire.

Staff tried to resuscitate him, but Shipman was pronounced dead at 8.10am.

An independent inquiry into his death, led by Stephen Shaw, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, will begin today.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 14 January page 1

Tax credits penalise two-parent families

The government's tax credit system could act as a disincentive for separated couples who want to reunite, due to its penalisation of two-parent families, a charity will warn today.

In a statement to the work and pensions select committee, which is investigating child poverty, carers' charity, Care, will argue that lone parents disproportionately benefit from tax credits.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 14 January page 10

State support for children has doubled in last 30 years

The government spends £22 billion a year on state financial support for families with children.

The figure is more than double the value in real terms of what families received in the mid 1970s, according to independent research.

Figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation show that most of the rise has come in the last four years, with the introduction of child tax credit and means-tested programmes to help the poorest families.

Research for the Foundation by the Institute of Fiscal Studies found that tax and benefit support to families with children was worth £10 billion at present-day prices in 1975.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 13

Howard finds there is such a thing as Society

Conservative leader Michael Howard has taken out a full-page advertisement in Society Guardian calling on public sector workers to send in evidence of waste, bureaucracy and incompetent administration.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 1

Fallen Angels?

It’s enough to make Florence Nightingale spin in her grave. As a campaign gets underway to improve the image of nursing, could a new TV drama scupper it?

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 14 January page 2

Grey army gears up

The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) is launching a draft manifesto later this month.

It is calling on all political parties to make public transport, TV licenses, internet access, comprehensive health checks and personal care free of charge to the 11 million British older people.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 4

Growing influence

Dame Stephanie Shirley made millions from her software business. Now she’s happy to give much of it away. She talks about philanthropy, autism and chauvinism.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 6

Lessons in chemistry

Young people in Great Yarmouth benefit from a multi-agency approach with their best interests at heart.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 7

For the commonweal

High-profile cases involving sexual and racial innuendo have put the spotlight on the new Standards Board for England.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 8

Absent trends

Fake ‘sickies’ are a major drain on the public sector. But how can managers get a grip on absenteeism?

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 10

Sink or swim

A funding stream that supports up to a million vulnerable people is under threat following a Treasury review that says it is costing too much.

Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 14 January page 14

Scottish news

How to revive Scots economy – make babies

The state should encourage Scottish women to have babies at a younger age in a bid to counter the falling population, a think-tank urged yesterday.

A report by the Fraser of Allander Institute at Strathclyde University urged the Scottish executive to introduce policy initiatives similar to those in France and Scandinavia, which encourage and enable young, educated women to have children earlier.

Source:- The Herald  Wednesday 14 January

All out strike vote by nursery nurses

Nursery nurses are to ballot for an indefinite strike over pay, it emerged yesterday.

Nearly all council-run nurseries will be closed, spelling chaos for tens of thousands of parents, unless an agreement can be reached.

Unison, the public sector union, said last night they would ballot more than 4,000 nursery nurses next month if their wage demands were not met.

Source:- Daily Record  Wednesday 14 January page 10

Welsh news

We need extra £1m – Council

A cash crisis is threatening services for older people and schoolchildren in Monmouthshire.

The council faces a £1 million overspend across three key departments, including social services because of a combination of increased demand and a poor cash settlement from the Welsh assembly. Members of the council’s cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss the cash shortfall.

Source:- South Wales Argus Tuesday 13 January page 1

Supercarer initiatives launched

Councils in Wales are recruiting supercarers to foster children who have behavioural difficulties.

The scheme has already been introduced in Wrexham where it proved to be highly successful, and is now to be introduced in Neath Port Talbot.

The new £200-a-week carers, who will look after up to two children each, are specialists in their field and can provide additional support for the young people in their care.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 14 January page 7

Fit patients languishing in hospital as bed blocking rises

Welsh patients who are ready to leave hospital are blocking NHS beds as delayed discharges continue to rise in spite of extra money to free-up capacity.

Welsh assembly health minister Jane Hutt has ruled out following England’s example of fining local authorities for delayed transfers of care, but in November some 1,113 patients were stuck in NHS beds in Wales.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 14 January page 7