A summary of social care news

By Clare Jerrom

Bedroom Net ‘puts children in
danger’

Families should remove computers from children’s bedrooms
in a bid to protect them from Internet paedophiles.

The advice followed a report published yesterday, which
highlighted the need for vigilance as an estimated five million
children in Britain are online, with a quarter using chatrooms.

Schools will also be advised today to avoid putting individual
pictures of children on their systems as paedophiles are monitoring
school e-mail addresses.

Sex offenders use chatrooms to lure children into sexual abuse.
Those most at risk are girls aged between 13 and 17.

The report published yesterday by the Internet Crime Forum said
that the “criminal enticement” of children, particularly girls, was
growing. It said children risked being exposed to inappropriate
conversation, becoming the subject of sexual fantasy, and being
encouraged to perform sexual acts on themselves.

It called for Internet service providers to expand the
monitoring of chat rooms, particularly those used by teenagers.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 21 March page 10

Care homes for the mentally disabled to
shut

By 2004, the last long stay hospitals for people with learning
disabilities will be closed.

Health minister John Hutton said those with learning
disabilities are among the most socially excluded in the country,
as he published a white paper.

The move to close hospitals follows evidence that such
facilities institutionalise residents and prevent independence.

People with learning disabilities will now be given at least
three choices over how and where they live by local
authorities.This could be supported living, independent living or
accommodation in village communities with shared facilities.

The government has earmarked £100 million for reforms over
the next two years outlined in the white paper, ‘Valuing
People: A new strategy for learning disability for the
21^st century.’

Day centres will be modernised, and people with learning
disabilities will be helped to find employment where
appropriate.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 21 March page 4

Younger inmates to be moved out of Portland

A troubled young offenders institution at the centre of
allegations of abuse on teenage inmates is expected to have 150
youths removed under orders from the home secretary.

Jack Straw is expected to make announcements on the way teenage
offenders are locked up, and the move would mean inmates under the
age of 18 would no longer be held in Portland young offenders
institution in Dorset.

The Howard League for Penal Reform revealed last year
allegations of abuse of inmates, and a police investigation is
currently underway.

A year ago chief inspector of prisons David Ramsbotham described
conditions as a “moral outrage”.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 21 March page 4

Parents to join young offenders in dock

An overhaul of the youth justice system will require parents of
young offenders to sit in the dock beside their children while
their cases are heard in court, Jack Straw will announce today.

The aim is to make parents feel responsible for the crimes of
their offspring. Parents will be questioned by magistrates on the
upbringing of their children.

Parents who do not attend hearings will be issued with a summons
and brought to court and given a Parenting Order, which requires
them to undertake parental training.

The home secretary and Youth Justice Board chairman Lord Warner,
will outline plans for a redesign of youth courts in England and
Wales.

Source:- Independent Wednesday 21 March page 1

106 held as Met clamps down on ‘hate
crime’

The Metropolitan Police has arrested more than 100 people
suspected of hate crimes including domestic violence and offences
against homosexuals.

Scotland Yard’s racial and violent crime task force
co-ordinated 100 operations, where officers raided addresses across
London at dawn.

By last night, at least 106 suspects were in custody for
offences including racially aggravated violence or abuse, attacks
or abuse on homosexuals and violence against women including rape.
The suspects are not connected.

Senior officers said that the raids showed a pattern where those
suspected of hate crime were also burglars, car thieves and
football hooligans,

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 21 March page 8

Cuban alert after boy stowaways die on
flight

Two Cuban teenagers died after stowing away in a wheel
compartment of a London-bound aircraft, an inquest was told
yesterday.

The two Cuban boys died of oxygen starvation in sub zero
temperatures in the compartment of a British airways jet after
climbing aboard believing the plane was heading for Miami.

Maikel Almira and Alberto Rodriguez would have probably survived
had they boarded a Florida bound flight, where they wanted to spend
Christmas with Rodriguez’s grandfather, the inquest
heard.

The boys died soon after the Boeing 777 took off. Maikel’s
body fell into a Surrey field six miles from Gatwick as the
aircraft lowered its wheels as it came into land on Christmas
Eve.

Alberto’s body remained undetected until it fell from the
aircraft the following day as it took off on a flight to
Mexico.

Cuba’s president Castro has ordered a tightening of
security at the main airport in Havana.

At the inquest in Haywards Heath, West Sussex coroner Richard
Stone instructed the jury to return verdicts of accidental
death.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 21 March page 9

40pc of teenagers happy to break law

Forty per cent of teenagers are happy to commit minor criminal
offences, a survey of student’s moral values has
revealed.

Twenty per cent of teenagers saw nothing wrong with travelling
on public transport without a ticket, while 40 per cent of under
18s would buy alcohol illegally, according to the survey
commissioned by the Jewish Association for Business Ethics which
assessed the honesty and integrity of 34,000 teenagers in England
and Wales.

The association believe the findings should encourage schools to
teach the values of integrity in a bid to reduce corruption and
fraud in business.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 21 March page 10

EU warns Britain not to stoke xenophobia

One in five Britons support the expulsion of asylum seekers
making Britain the most hostile country in Europe to those fleeing
persecution, according to a EU report.

‘Attitudes towards minority groups in the EU’ shows
the proportion of Britons who “tend to agree” legal immigrants
should be returned to their country of origin has increased from 15
per cent in 1997 to 22 per cent last year.

The British acceptance of genuine refugees is the lowest of the
EU member states.

When questioned if “people suffering from human rights
violations in their country” who are seeking asylum should be
accepted without restrictions, only 12 per cent said yes, less than
half the EU average of 25 per cent.

Beate Winkler, director of the European Monitoring Centre on
racism and Xenophobia, blamed the development on the political
debate between the government and the Tories to crackdown on “bogus
asylum seekers”.

Source:- Independent Wednesday 21 March page 2

Loud but not proud

Shouting at your kids can damage their brains, as well as
hurting their ears, according to US child psychiatrists.

Source:- G2 Wednesday 21 March page 10

Cutting to the core

Pressure on the government to reward charity commitment

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 21 March page 4

In the dark on disability

Survey reveals public still ignorant on discrimination
issues

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 21 March page 4

Dose of good sense

By the time hospital treatment is offered to heroin users who
want to kick their addiction, it may be too late. So could GPs
offer a solution?

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 21 March page 6

Help the helper

Aid agencies are finally realising that they should look after
their own employees too.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 21 March page
12

Sky high hopes

Kendra Inman on a new institute for excellence that aims to make
research relevant to those who put it into practice

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 21 March page
104-103

Turnaround for Ealing

‘Condemned’ council wins top social services
award

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 21 March page
103

Carers’ tax plan halted

Agencies given more time to show cost of fostering children

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 21 March page
103