A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

45,000 extra childcare places announced

The government pledged £300 million for childcare provision
yesterday as it announced there would be 45,000 new childcare
places for three and four-year-olds.

Education secretary Estelle Morris said it was the “the biggest
ever single investment to expand childcare”, and would create
places in 900 neighbourhood nursery centres.

The funding from the government and the New Opportunities Fund
will also be used to bolster facilities in disadvantaged areas.

By 2004, the government hopes to create 1.6 million new
childcare places.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 July page 5

Gates gives Internet to Britain’s poorest
areas

The most deprived areas in Britain are to benefit from a
donation of $4.2 million (£2.6 million) from Microsoft chief
Bill gates.

The gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is
aimed at providing information technology learning centres at
libraries across the country was announced in October 1999. But
yesterday the list of libraries that will benefit were
announced.

Libraries chosen in London include Hackney, Tower Hamlets,
Newham and Greenwich. Centres outside of London are Peterborough,
Sunderland, Wigan and Manchester.

A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation in Seattle said the
donation had been granted with only one condition, that the
computers were used for public use.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 July page 7

Blair seeks to defuse row over private sector’s
role

The prime minister has yet again attempted to diffuse the row
over private sector involvement in public services, by saying he
will not block a debate about the issue at Labour’s
conference in the autumn.

Senior Labour sources said the leadership had no plans to “duck
the issue” and this weekend will signal a starting point for the
debate, which will continue throughout the conference season.

Blair has been encouraged by a TUC resolution, which calls for a
“genuinely open dialogue” on the private sector’s role.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 25 July page 12

Couple ‘allowed train death girls to play on
track’

Parents of a young girl allowed their daughter and her friend to
play on a railway line for up to 30 minutes before a train killed
them both, a court heard yesterday.

Gareth and Amanda Edwards both deny manslaughter through gross
negligence. They are accused of looking at the sea view “without a
care in the world”, according to Leighton Davies prosecuting.

The couple’s daughter Sophie George (7) and her friend
Kymberley Allock (8) died instantly as a train struck them at 60
mph on a railway bridge.

The trial continues.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 25 July page 8

Ministers failing in promise to homeless

The number of homeless families living in bed and breakfast
accommodation has trebled under the Labour government.

Housing charities have said the health and education of these
children put up in emergency housing, could be harmed.

Labour promised to “reduce the use of costly bed and breakfast
accommodation”, and a Whitehall unit was set up to tackle the
problem.

But Sally Keeble, minister in the department for transport,
local government and the regions, revealed that 10,830 families
were now listed as resident in temporary lodgings. This compares to
4,100 in 1997 when Labour came to power.

Chris Holmes, director of housing charity Shelter, said: “We are
facing wholly unacceptable levels of housing shortage and thousands
of families are paying the price of a long-term lack of
investment.”

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 25 July
page 2

Separate housing call for the gay elderly

Homosexual older people should be housed in separate care homes
and sheltered flats, a charity for older people said yesterday.

Age Concern said that older gays who share residential homes
with hetrosexuals endure ‘the very real fear of suffering
discrimination’.

In the new guidelines to the 250,000 volunteer workers, the
charity instructs on how to provide ‘positive
acceptance’.

Advice to helpers recommends the introduction of gay only
lunches and providing specialised home visit services.

The charity said: “People need a choice which includes the
opportunity to live their lives openly and without fear of
discrimination.”

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 25 July page 37

Little prisoners

As a mother wins a victory to have her two-year-old daughter
stay in jail with her, Diane Taylor asks if we should be locking
our children up

Source:- G2 Wednesday 25 July page 10

Guardian Society

‘One strike’ rule

Asylum seekers face tough new code

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 July page 4

Illness on the margins

Social exclusion hindering treatment and spread of HIV

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 July page 4

Left at the sharp end

Report on race and housing a ‘missed opportunity’
says critics

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 July page 4

Out of the closet

For the elderly, support services become an essential part of
life. But if you are lesbian or gay are they responsive to your
needs? Simon Birch reports on a groundbreaking initiative

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 July page 6

The caring touch

The first hospital-wide counselling scheme for patients in
shock, suffering acute illness, or trauma, is proving a boon for
staff as well.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 July page 10

Losing touch

Joanna Traynor on the west African families who choose to send
their children to private white foster mothers

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 July page
96-95

Court exodus looms

Children’s guardians face decision deadline on Friday

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 25 July page 95

Scottish newspapers

Psychiatric services for young offenders

Scotland’s first specialist psychiatric team dealing with
the mental health needs of persistent young offenders is to be set
up as part of a plan by Greater Glasgow Health Board.

The new child forensic team will work with children and young
people up to 18 years who have an established pattern of persistent
offending as well as suffering mental health problems. The team
will work on an outpatient basis, and if successful it will lead to
Scotland’s first in-patient centre for this group of service
users, and similar services being developed across Scotland.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 25 July page 7

Care cash offer not enough

Scotland’s private care home owners last night said they
were not satisfied with a formal offer from local authorities aimed
at resolving the dispute over fees.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities offered an
immediate settlement and continuing talks with regard to revised
fees and standards from 2002. The offer was in terms of a minimum
or baseline rate of £346 per resident per week for nursing
homes – a move Scottish Care say is worth only £10 per
week rather than the £50 they are seeking.

This offer, worth £17.5 million new funds over two years,
was already rejected by Scottish Care last week when first made
available by the Scottish executive. Joe Campbell, chief executive
of Scottish Care, said the offer was disappointing. Scottish Care
has threatened to ban all new council-funded placements from 30
July unless the dispute is settled. Cosla, the Scottish executive
and Scottish Care are to meet on 26 July.

Source The Scotsman 25/7/01 page 2