A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By David Callaghan and Reg McKay.

Mother and autistic son in 180ft death leap

A mother jumped 180 feet to her death with her 11-year-old
autistic son from a bridge in Derwent Valley, County Durham.

Helen Rogan had given up her job as an occupational therapist to
care for her son Mark, but was struggling to cope. Durham social
services said Mark Rogan was a client, but would not comment on the
nature of the department’s involvement in his case.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 19 September page
14

Guardian G2 supplement

Mind the gap: A physical relationship with an autist is
possible, but it’s an entirely different kind of body
language

Feature about the needs of autistic children.

Millions more carers will be needed: Future
tense

The Carers National Association has relaunched as Carers UK with
a warning that three in every five people will care for a relative
at some time in their lives. Research from the charity shows that
3.4 million more carers will be needed over the next 35 years to
cope with an ageing population.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page
4

Anti-social measures to be streamlined: Fighting
fear

The government is set to improve court procedures to allow
housing associations and councils to obtain anti-social behaviour
orders more easily.

Better protection for the victims of bad behaviour will also be
brought forward to encourage them to give evidence in court,
housing minister Lord Falconer has said.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page
4

‘Best value’ slow to show an improvement in council
services

Nearly two thirds of councils in England and Wales are treading
water or providing poor services despite the demands of the
government’s best value regime, the annual report from the Audit
Commission says.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page
5

Profile: Krishna Sarda, leading the black voluntary
sector

Sarda is chief executive of the Ethnic Minority Foundation and
its operational arm the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary
Organisations (Cemvo).

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page
11

New training will help health professionals deal with
adults who are stressed by their young babies, says Linda
Steele

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 19 September page
132-131

Scottish newspapers

£37 million gap in free personal care
plans

The SNP’s health spokesperson, Nicola Sturgeon, has
claimed that the Scottish executive is facing a £37 million
shortfall in its financial calculations for implementing free
personal care.

Sturgeon claims that the executive has set aside £108
million a year for free personal care while the care development
group has calculated the annual cost at £125 million.
Uncertainty about the continued payment of attendance allowance of
£55 per week to individuals will add a further £20
million to the gap bringing the shortfall to £37 million. A
spokesperson for the Scottish executive claimed that
Sturgeon’s calculations were inaccurate.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 19 September page
11

Hepatitis C compensation to be extended

Compensation should be extended to every Scot who contracted
Hepatitis C through routine surgery or faulty blood products
according to a report by the health committee of the Scottish
executive.

The move follows an announcement by health minister, Susan
Deacon, that only those so infected after the implementation of the
Consumer Protection Act in March 1988 should be compensated. The
proposals of the health committee, to be considered later this
week, would extend compensation to an estimated 500 people infected
before that period.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 19 September page 7