A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Sally Gillen.

Lauren’s stepmother sobs and tells court ‘I
loved her very much’

Lauren Wright’s stepmother sobbed yesterday and told the
court that she loved Lauren “very much”. Tracey Wright, 31, denied
that she hated Lauren and rejected claims by previous witnesses
that they had seen her ill-treating her.

She told the court that Lauren was kept at home at the beginning
of the week because she had been sick. The next day she was sick
twice, but by Friday seemed a little better. She died the next
day.

Wright said she thought Lauren had a stomach bug. She admitted
that Lauren was often dressed more scruffily than her two children
but said that was because she chose her own clothes. The case
continues.

Source: The Daily Mail Friday 21 September page 39

Teacher who pushed pupil with special needs told not to
work again

A teacher who pushed a nine-year-old boy with special needs into
a wall was told she should never work again as a teacher. Catherine
Brandley, 52, broke down in court yesterday when her appeal against
a charge of common assault failed.

Justice Elgin Edwards said: “In our view it is right that she
should not work as a teacher again.” Brandley denied the attack but
was convicted of assault by magistrates in Crewe earlier this year.
She has been suspended from her job at Sandbach School in Cheshire,
where the incident happened.

Source: The Independent Friday 21 September page 15