A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Tories demand action over HIV rise

People have abandoned safe sex practices, according to health
charities and politicians who yesterday warned of a rise in
sexually transmitted diseases, including Aids.

The Conservatives have called for people to be re-educated about
HIV, in the wake of evidence that some people had become
complacent. Shadow health secretary Liam Fox warned that Britain
was on track for an epidemic, because of the government’s
failure in tackling safe sex.

A spokesperson for the Terrence Higgins Trust backed the claims
and raised concerns that funding was at a standstill. The charity
called for a national sexual health strategy.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 April page 2

Youths to get CDs for good behaviour

Tony Blair will offer ‘bribes’ to teenagers likely to be sucked
into a life of crime, in a bid to curb crime levels.

The prime minister announced that 13 to 16-year-olds will be
given free clothes and CDs if they can show they are mending their
ways. The teenagers will be identified by youth workers either
because their family has a record of crime or because they have a
low level of anti-social behaviour.

Those young people who can prove a commitment to local
initiatives will be rewarded with vouchers for clothes, music,
travel or computer equipment.

Blair said the initiative will provide an incentive for
responsible behaviour.

The Tories criticised the scheme saying it was nothing more than
a “youth bribe”, which would baffle law abiding citizens.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 April page 8

Peers defeat Government on health councils

The government’s plans to replace community health
councils, the NHS watchdog bodies, were defeated by peers
yesterday.

The Lord’s voted 162 to 121 for an amendment to the health
and social care bill to retain the council’s main independent
function in regional patients’ councils.

At the bill’s report stage, Conservative health
spokesperson Earl Howe said the CHCs should be reformed and not
‘done away with’.

Howe said: “These proposals are not well thought through. In the
end this is not a debate primarily about saving CHCs; it is about
doing the best we can for patients.”

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 April page 10

Police arrest 113 in immigration raids

Police arrested 133 people in a raid yesterday aimed at cracking
down on illegal immigration.

As 250 police officers and 42 immigration officials raided 28
homes in Southampton, 18 alleged racketeers and 95 other people
were detained. Among 18 people being interviewed in connection with
facilitating the entry of alleged illegal immigrants, six people
were from Poland, one man was from Russia, one from India, one from
Pakistan and seven were UK citizens.

The 95 other people were suspected illegal immigrants or working
illegally. They were mainly from Poland.

Colin Smith, assistant chief constable of Hampshire, said: “Many
of the people who were detained are victims of human trafficking
and are law-abiding decent people lured with false promises. The
key issue is that organised immigration crime is fast becoming a
national priority, second only to Class A drugs in respect of
organised crime.”

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 April page 14

Secret U-turn to send Kurds back

Iraqi Kurds seeking refuge in Britain from their war-torn
country, are being ordered out of Britain.

The home office has admitted to changing tactics in dealing with
Iraqi Kurd asylum seekers who say they are fleeing from Saddam
Hussein and conflict in the region.

A dramatic fall in the acceptance rate has been the result. In
February, which is the last available figures, 78 per cent of Iraqi
applicants were refused asylum or exceptional leave to remain,
compared with July last year, when the figure was just 14 per
cent.

Amnesty International has accused the government of prioritising
the clamping down on asylum claims over its duty under
international guidelines to shield people fleeing persecution.

The home office claims parts of northern Iraq called the Kurdish
autonomous area, is safe for asylum seekers, as it is under the
control of Kurdish groups. But in some cases, Iraqis from outside
this area are being refused asylum.

One man who defied Saddam Hussein was tortured, but Jack Straw
claimed his case was “prosecution not persecution” and his arrest
had a “valid cause”.

Some of the Iraqis ordered out of Britain say they will commit
suicide rather than return to their country.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 25 April page 2

Sex abuse victim waives right to anonymity

A woman victim of sex abuse as a child has waived her right to
anonymity as her abuser admitted a catalogue of offences against
her and three other girls.

Carolyn McKee from Co Down, Northern Ireland, suffered at the
hands of former soldier Joseph Irvine between the age of four and
10.

McKee has spoken out about the abuse to try to end the shame and
silence surrounding sex crimes, which she believes help paedophiles
to continue to threaten children.

McKee, who is a lawyer, suffered for years with depression
before she was able to face reporting Irvine to the police.

He pleaded guilty to 19 charges of indecent assault, six of
taking indecent photographs of children and one of attempted rape.
The incidents occurred between 1974 and 2000 and involved three
other girls.

McKee said: “Silence and secrecy aren’t the answers, so if
I can raise the veil just a fraction by talking about what happened
to me, I hope it can somehow help others.”

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 25 April page 8

Elderly scared of attack

Half of all older people are scared to leave their home at
night, for fear of being attacked, it has emerged.

According to a Mori poll for older people’s charity Help
the Aged, more than half were afraid of intruders entering their
homes and 62 per cent feared being burgled.

The charity has named crime as the most pressing concern for
almost a third of the 504 respondents and older people feel trapped
in a “hostile world”.

Following concerns included money and pensions (17 per cent),
public transport (13 per cent) and health (nine per cent.)

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 25 April page 14

MMR debate goes on as experts give jab partial
all-clear

The MMR vaccine has been given a clean bill of health by experts
who have examined a link between the jab and autism.

They refused, however, to entirely rule out a possible
connection between the injection and the condition in rare cases,
although they had no evidence to support this.

The findings by an independent committee set up by the American
Institute of Medicine will deepen the MMR row, which is feared is
linked to autism and bowel disorders.

In its report, the 15 strong medical committee concluded there
was ‘no general connection’ between childhood
immunisation jabs and autism, and they recommended that
immunisation programmes should remain unchanged.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 April page 35

Guardian Society

Core costs lottery call

Community fund’s new leader signals a change of heart

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page 4

Closed shop

End of the line for family policy centre

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page 4

Peak practice

National lottery funding makes healthy living a priority

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page 4

A healthy colour

Recent TB outbreaks in schools have highlighted the health gap
among Britain’s ethnic groups. Andrea Smith examines why the
treatment of contagious diseases is such a sensitive issue

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page 6

Cash of cultures

The voluntary sector involves big money. As its key annual event
takes place this week, Roger Cowe looks at the advantages and
problems of adapting business practice for non-profit
organisations.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page 8

Take the challenge

Charity Awards 2001 – you’ve got to be in it to win
it

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page 9

Just rewards

Charities can provide expert advice on their client groups
– but at what price?

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page 9

Adding value

Fernley Calver, a youth worker making school fun for boys at
risk of exclusion.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page
13

Art strings

Raekha Prasad on how painting is helping a group in the
north-west to come to terms with being adopted

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page
132-131

Solid foundations

Community groups praised for insight into local needs

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page
131

Service with a surf

Care home vacancy website to tackle bed search problem

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 April page
131

Scottish newspapers

Private cleaning contracts leave hospitals
dirty

Unison Scotland has demanded that private cleaning contracts be
scrapped after a survey in Glasgow revealed a catalogue of concerns
about dirty wards and worn-out equipment. The study pointed out
that thousands of patients are picking up infections and 86 per
cent of health professionals are concerned about levels of
cleanliness and hygiene. Unison Scotland believes that dirty wards
and toilets contribute to the 70,000 Scots who suffer each year
from hospital acquired infections, including superbug MRSA.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 25 April page 5

Asylum seekers face violence

Police and support organisations are becoming increasingly
concerned about the frequency of violent attacks on asylum seekers
in the Sighthill area of Glasgow. Almost 2,000 asylum seekers have
been housed in the urban estate mainly in hard-to-let, high-rise
flats. In the last few months, 70 serious attacks on asylum seekers
have been reported in Sighthill, which is much higher than in other
areas of the city. Police are concerned that the attacks are
orchestrated and carried out by groups of young people under the
age of 16 years.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 25 April page 5