A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Immigrants ‘should take an oath of
allegiance’

Immigrants should swear an oath of allegiance on entering
Britain, in a bid to show their primary loyalty to the country,
according to a report into race riots published yesterday.

The plan goes much further than David Blunkett’s aims to
ensure immigrants seeking citizenship learn English and adopt
English “norms”.

Under the plan, new citizens would be expected to agree to
universal acceptance of the English language, support for
women’s rights and respect for the law.

The home secretary said he was unrepentant at confronting issues
that had been “tiptoed” round for too long.

The home office sponsored study made a number of recommendations
after finding communities segregated by race, culture and
religion.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 12 December page 1

‘Real problems are poverty and lack of
opportunity’

Community leaders and residents in Bradford broadly welcomed the
report into race relations, but said the real problems stemmed from
poor education, poverty and lack of opportunity.

Businessman Arshad Javed said: “Most Asians in Bradford have
been born here, speak good English in a Yorkshire accent yet they
feel let down by the education system and job market.”

He added that it was inevitable that communities would be
polarised.

In Oldham, locals blamed the council for not dealing with the
problems polarisation brought.

A member of the Oldham United Against Racism campaign group Mike
Luft said: “We have been warning the council about this for many
years.”

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 12 December page
5

NHS recruits 10,000 nurses

Alan Milburn will announce today that the NHS has recruited an
extra 10,000 nurses in the past year.

The health secretary’s announcement will mean the
government is almost halfway to meeting Labour’s manifesto
target by 2005.

Supporters say the achievement is the result of Milburn’s
NHS modernisation drive, which included a push to woo nurses back
into the profession.

In its 2001 manifesto, Labour pledged to recruit 20,000 more
nurses by 2005 and 10,000 extra doctors.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 12 December page 1

Best councils will be given extra freedoms, says
Byers

Best performing local authorities will receive extra freedom to
set their council tax levels, Stephen Byers announced
yesterday.

The secretary of state for local government and the regions
unveiled wide ranging plans to reinvigorate council structures,
which would see more power devolved to town halls.

Authorities will be ranked as high performing, striving,
coasting or poor performing.

To gain freedom, councils will have to show value for money in
reviews of their finances.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 12 December
page 8

Sarah Payne jury sent to hotel

The jury in the Sarah Payne murder trial was sent to a hotel for
the third night to continue its deliberations.

Roy Whiting has denied murder and kidnap.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 12 December
page 9

Up in smoke

The appointment of Britain’s first drugs tsar four years
ago raised hopes of a radical policy shift. But ministerial
pressure for a hardline image stifled talk of reform. Keith
Hellawell’s former deputy Mike Trace tells Alan Travis what
went wrong.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 December page
2-3

Charity’s ‘breach of
faith’

Children’s Society faces criticism over decision to quit
Wales

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 December page
4

Backyard challenge

Furtive efforts to set up a unit for mentally disordered
offenders angered Glaswegians. Now health officials are trying a
more open approach.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 December page
6

Clouded vision

Smoking rates among mental health patients are high, yet they
give little help in trying to quit.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 December page
72-71

Watch with brother

Test case in Derbyshire institutes ‘tagging’ of home
helps.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 12 December page
71

Scottish newspapers

Doubt cast on secure unit selection plan

The scoring process to select a Glasgow site for a controversial
76-bed secure unit for mentally ill people has been cast in doubt
as two MSPs have decided to boycott the final consultation.

Brian Fitzpatrick and Paul Martin will not be involved in the
final consultation on Friday and may be joined by other Labour
MSPs.

Martin said that Greater Glasgow Health Board had already
decided to approve plans to relocate the psychiatric unit from
Parkhead Hospital to Stobbhill Hospital in the north of Glasgow,
and this made the scoring process “a foregone conclusion”.

Three options are being considered as sites for the unit, which
will serve as a partial replacement for the State Hospital
Carstairs – Stobbhill, Belvidere and Lennox castle
hospitals.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 12 December

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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