by Daniel Lombard
The UK government has agreed to formally recognise Workers Memorial Day, an international day of commemoration for people who have been killed or injured at work, on 28 April.
The decision follows a campaign by Unison to improve safety for social care workers on behalf of its 350,000 members in the sector.
Social care workers will have to pay £64 to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority after the new vetting and barring system is launched in the autumn.
Anyone who works with children and vulnerable adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on a "frequent or intensive" basis must register in order to comply with the law.
Hilton Dawson, the chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers, has mounted a typically robust response to a debate on our CareSpace forum about BASW's involvement in the national college of social work. 
A social worker stole £33,000 over a year from a mentally ill man she was supposed to be looking after.
Jeanette Breedon, 50, was jailed for 15 months at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester having admitted four counts of theft at a previous hearing.
I was surprised by the muted reaction on CareSpace to the latest decision to freeze pay for all council staff, including the lowest-paid workers.
Comments ranged from "I'm just glad to be in a secure job" to "I suppose we don't have much choice". Only one CareSpace user was up in arms.
Lancashire Council has been rapped by the information commissioner after confidential documents were left in furniture sold in a second hand shop.
The Lancashire Telegraph revealed the blunder last year when the customer who bought the county council filing cabinet from a Blackburn second-hand shop came forward. Read more
Journalists from the Daily Mail and the Telegraph turned up at the Douglas Adams conduct hearing at the General Social Care Council on Monday.
Both papers subsequently carried a news story focusing on the most shocking aspects of the case, such as the "Miss Whiplash" comment (as did Community Care).
A Yorkshire training company has launched a new stress management workshop for people in social work and other stressful jobs. Positive Days has developed the wellbeing workshop in line with guidelines on the mental wellbeing of employees from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Skills for Care has launched an online survey for employers on best practice guidelines for workforce development.
The Care Quality Commission asked them to develop the guidelines to underpin the workforce elements of their guidance about compliance, published last month. The survey, which closes on 10 February 2010, will give employers a chance to have their say.
A social worker who was found guilty of assaulting a 12-year-old boy he was helping to return to school is facing removal from the register today.
Stephen Dent, 54, who works for Croydon Council, became "pink with aggression" when the child refused to go, Croydon Magistrates' Court was told last year.
Tim Chittleburgh stepped aside as chair of the British Association of Social Workers in December 2009, the organisation has revealed.
According to a statement on the BASW website, the association is investigating a "serious complaint" about Chittleburgh's business affairs and he has voluntarily left his BASW duties while the investigation is carried out.
A new not-for-profit online resource for people with learning and physical disabilities has been launched this month. 
Here at Community Care we try to bring you the most up-to-date
information about the social work and social care sector. Not everyone
else does. At the weekend three of the major nationals ran a story
about the Ministry of Justice's publication of a report into the use of
forced marriage protection orders, but that report was published in
December last year.The General Social Care Council is launching a consultation on extending the range of sanctions available to its conduct system. At present, conduct committees can issue admonishments, suspensions or removals from the register.
UPDATE: The Social Work Reform Board has published its progress report (14 December). Read our special report on what the proposals means for the future of social work. Includes a podcast with reform board chair Moira Gibb.
Invitations from Moira Gibb to join the Social Work Reform Board have been flopping onto the doormats of those who represent social work employers, educators and regulators this week.
The Association of Professors of Social Work and the Social Policy and Social Work subject centre of the Higher Education Academy (SWAP) have received their letters, and it's highly likely there will be an education subgroup on the board.
The board will also include representatives from the Department of Health, the Department of Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Keep an eye on Community Care for the definitive list of organisations invited to take part. The board's first meeting is due to take place on 18 January.
A round up of extra workforce news from the Christmas period, including the appointment of a new chair of the Care Council for Wales and the launch of Scotland's Care Accolades 2010. Happy new year!
The Social Work blog covers the challenges facing Britain’s 2m-strong social care workforce: everything from pay and working conditions to stress and the latest social work conduct cases. |
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Community Care Inform is a subscription-based online reference tool from the publishers of Community Care magazine for social care professionals working with children, young people and their families. For more information click Here. |
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