In Today's Papers

Unpaid care for elderly ‘saves £34bn a year’
More than 8 million people across Britain provide unpaid care for elderly parents, saving the state about £34bn a year on the cost of social services, according to research.
Source:- The Guardian, Friday 22 September 2006, page 6

Raise age of criminal responsibility
The age of criminal responsibility for children should rise from 10 to 14, according to the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.
Source: The Independent, Friday 22nd September, page 23

Parents of under-12a face fines as truancy hits record high

Parents of truanting children at 1,000 primary schools face “fast-track” legal action and fines of £50.
Source:- The Times, Friday 22 September 2006, page 4

Elderly in care homes ‘facing £70,000 bill’
The average bill for elderly people’s stay in a care home is more than £70,000 according to new research.
The figures, contained in a report by Liverpool Victoria, also show that 30 months is the average duration of people’s time in homes.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Friday 22 September 2006, page 4

Scottish news

Call for spare cash spending on elderly
Millions of pounds lying unused in the Scottish Executive's health budget should be spent to deliver more free personal care for the elderly, the Conservatives say. 
Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Conservative leader, said £76 million in unallocated funds was left in the health budget this year.
During First Minister's Questions, she challenged Jack McConnell to use that cash to tackle long waiting lists for free personal care in many parts of Scotland.
Source: The Scotsman, Friday 22 September  

An independent voice for children
Children’s commissioner Kathleen Marshall explains why it is important to keep an independent advocate for children in Scotland.
It follows calls from the Scottish Parliament finance committee for the amount spent on the children’s commissioner to be slashed.

Source: The Scotsman, Friday 22 September
 
At last…a champion for the elderly
MSPs yesterday launched a bill to create a champion for the elderly.
Nationalist MSP Alex Neil said that a commissioner for the elderly was needed to provide more protection to the vulnerable.
He added: "We are able to deal with the problem of elderly abuse where they are in residential home or nursing homes. But if it happens in their own homes, quite frankly we don't have the policies in place to tackle that. We cannot go on tolerating the levels of abuse in Scotland.”
Source: Daily Record, Friday 22 September  

Welsh news

Coroner’s disbelief over how hospital handled suicide watch
A coroner has expressed concern about the management of staff during suicide watch work at a psychiatric unit.
Geraint Williams made the comments after hearing it was common not to tell staff at the psychiatric unit of Bronllys Hospital Brecon they were on “observation” duties until the moment they were due to start work.
He spoke out during an inquest into the death of artist Sylvan Money, 26, was found hanging in the unit in 2004.
Source:- IC Wales  Friday 22 September