A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Sally Gillen and Reg McKay.

‘I saw Mummy punching Lauren on the day that she died’

Lauren
Wright’s stepbrother saw his mother punch her twice on the stomach on the day
she died, a court heard yesterday.

In
a video shown to the jury, the nine-year-old said that an ambulance had been
called and that his mother told another woman that she thought Lauren was dying.

He
said: “The day Lauren died, I remember mummy punching her two times.” He also
said that she had put insects in her food.

Lauren
died from a collapse of her digestive system, which was caused by a kick or
punch, last May.

Her
stepmother Tracey Wright and father Craig Wright both deny manslaughter and
willful neglect. The trail continues.

Source:
The Daily Mail September 26 page 31

Use of PFI should be limited

Delegates
at this week’s Liberal Democrats conference in Bournemouth have passed a motion
calling for a Private Finance Initiative to be halted unless it can be proved
that it is helping public healthcare.

Source:
The Independent September 26 page 14

Scottish newspapers

Campaigners call for rethink over child abuse

Child sex abuse survivors and welfare agencies
are meeting in Glasgow tonight to raise awareness of the problem and demand a
zero tolerance approach against perpetrators.

The event, at the Glasgow Film Theatre, will
involve all of the key agencies including ChildLine Scotland who counselled
2,000 sexually abused children last year. 
The conference is calling for a greater openness about sexual abuse.

Source: The
Scotsman September 26 page 7

Fatal accident inquiry into boy’s death

A 14-year old boy is suspected of having died
of a drugs overdose at Kerelaw residential school, a fatal accident inquiry at
Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard yesterday.  

Graham Kerr was described by his parents as
having a long standing and serious drug problem. Kerr was being looked after at
Kerelaw school by order of a children’s hearing.  

On the weekend before he died he had been on
home leave but returned to the school early and was believed to be under the
influence of alcohol. Kerr is thought to have taken an overdose of Temazepam
and died at the school in January. The inquiry continues.

Source: The
Scotsman September 26 page 8