A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By
Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Ministers
buy time with policy review pledge

The
home secretary averted a row over the government’s treatment of asylum seekers
yesterday at the Labour party conference, by pledging to publish a policy review
by the end of the month.

David
Blunkett, who held talks with critics of the asylum policy, told the conference
he wanted a robust and lasting system.

He
continued by saying the aim was to reform the policy so that “we do not have
what we saw over the summer – week after week of story after story which stoked
up either resentment, hate or sheer bewilderment.”

The
Transport and General Workers Union general secretary Bill Morris was due to
move a motion calling for the abolition of the voucher scheme. But he said he
would drop the motion following talks with Blunkett.

It
is thought the home secretary opposes Morris’ view that the voucher system
should be scrapped to avoid asylum seekers suffering stigmatisation in shops.

He
is thought to favour a “green-card” points scheme whereby skilled migrants can
enter the country legally.

Blunkett
said: “We need a radical improved approach to immigration and asylum – tough on
traffickers and clandestine entry, rational on economic migration and the
development of a work-permit system that allows people to enter freely to earn
their living.”

He
was met with applause when he pledged to scrap the system by which some asylum
seekers are kept in conventional prisons in four months.

Source:-
The Times  Thursday 4 October page 13

Bulger
warning

A
psychotherapist acting for James Bulger’s mother has told the home office that
one of the toddlers’ killers displays classic psychopathic signs.

Stevanne
Hill said Robert Thompson is likely to commit another sadistic crime of violence
unless returned to custody.

Source:-  The
Times  Thursday 4 October page 15

New
sitcom to tackle disability

BBC1
is to tackle disability by scheduling a sitcom surrounding a mixed race couple
and a handicapped child.

The
programme does not have a title yet but will star Jasper Carrott and Meera
Syal. Jamil Dhillon, who has cerebral palsy, will make his debut television
appearance playing the handicapped child.

Writer
of the sitcom Steve Wright said: “Lots of families have children with
disabilities but they are never seen on television. The question you have to
ask is, ‘Why not?’”

Source:-
Daily Telegraph  Thursday 4 October page 3

Fathers
today ‘caring and family focused’

The
traditional image of fathers is being challenged by a new generation of affectionate,
family-focused men.

In
a study of 1,200 men, most said that despite working long hours, they spent
more time with their children than their fathers did.

The
NOP study follows research that showed children close to their fathers do well
at school, stay out of trouble and have a large circle of friends.

But
almost half of fathers aged 25 to 34 said that work prevented them from
spending adequate time with their families, which dissatisfied them.

Source:-
Daily Telegraph  Thursday 4 October page 13

I’m
the first NHS export

A
60-year-old woman will become the first patient to receive treatment abroad
paid for by the NHS.

Health
bosses have agreed to pay £6,000 for Jackie Whatley to have a knee replacement
operation in Germany because her hospital has a lengthy waiting list.

The
decision is the first since the government reversed its decision two months ago
and permitted NHS trusts to commission services from European countries to ease
the patient crisis.

Source:-
Daily Mail  Thursday 4 October page 1

Scottish
stories

Housing
service delays warning

Glasgow’s
housing service will be seriously disrupted while staff are asked to run the
consultation exercise to explain the city’s controversial housing stock
transfers proposals.

 The housing department’s workforce will be
involved in a door-to-door exercise trying to contact all of the city’s 82,000
tenants of council owned houses.  Staff
will be asked to volunteer but most will have to be involved.

 Describing the consultation as “an enormous
exercise”, Margaret Vass, deputy director of housing admitted that it would be
impossible to maintain the whole range of services.  Housing benefit and repairs will be given priority.

Source The
Herald  Thursday 4 October page 11

Free
care will work

Free
care will work in Scotland and will not lead to an influx of outsiders,
according to Lord Sutherland of Houndwod, the chair of the Royal Commission on
Long Term Care.

Lord
Sutherland,  addressing the health
committee of the Scottish parliament, described the warnings of an influx of
people as “scaremongering”.

The
introduction of free personal care in Scotland will create a situation similar
to Canada where different states provide different levels of care.  Lord Sutherland said that there is no
evidence in Canada of people crossing state borders merely to benefit in care
terms.

Source The
Scotsman Thursday 4 October page 2