A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex
Dobson.

Tories take a vow of
poverty

The Tories are calling for fresh policies on
tackling poverty and reforming the welfare state.

Shadow work and pensions secretary David
Willetts will say that the economics based ideology of the 1980s is
no longer the way to address social problems.

In a speech today, he will say: “The renewal
of our approach to poverty is not just essential for people living
in our most hard-pressed areas. It is also crucial to the renewal
of Conservatism itself.”

Willetts will reinforce his message by
spending the night in a council house in Birmingham tomorrow.

His speech is intended to build on the recent
call by Oliver Letwin, shadow home secretary, for a “neighbourly
society”, which takes account of the social causes of crime.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27
February page 2

Take back expelled drug boys, head
told

A head teacher who expelled two boys for drug
dealing, has been ordered to take the pupils back to school.

Neil Brett expelled the two teenagers from St
Edmun’s Roman Catholic School in Southsea, Hampshire, after
they were caught selling cannabis. Another boy was given a lengthy
suspension for smoking the drug.

But an independent appeal appointed by
Portsmouth council, has ruled the teenagers should be taken back to
school.

Brett said: “The fact that these two pupils
have returned sends out a very bad signal. It says that it
isn’t a serious offence and that my authority can be
overturned.”

Brett continued that staff at the 900-pupil
school hoped they would be sent to a referral unit. The boys would
now be taught in isolation.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27
February page 3

Teenagers face tagging to beat street
crime

Electronic tagging could be used to tackle
hardcore teenage offenders when they are bailed.

Magistrates will get the powers to order
suspects between the ages of 12 and 16 to wear tags to enable their
movements to be monitored, under laws coming in on Friday.

David Blunkett announced the measures
yesterday, and it is expected that 1,800 young offenders will be
tagged a year. The scheme will be piloted in London, the West
Midlands, Northumbria, Greater Manchester, Avon and Somerset and
Thames Valley.

The home secretary said: “My message is that
there will be no untouchables in the criminal justice system. It is
not acceptable for young criminals to carry on offending after they
have been arrested and placed on bail.”

“This will be an important weapon in our
armoury for reducing juvenile crime,” he added.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27
February page 4

Eight city superjails may replace 30
relics

Thirty rundown prisons may be replaced by a
network of eight superjails each holding 1,500 offenders, an
internal Prison Service report recommends.

Under a huge building programme, rundown jails
would be replaced in “new for old” projects.

The study, commissioned by former home
secretary Jack Straw suggests that the best locations for
superjails that would be erected in the next few years, would be
Hertfordshire, London, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Tyne and
Wear.

Author of the report Patrick Carter said: “Too
many of our prisons are old, costly and unsuitable for modern
needs.”

Source:- The Times Wednesday 27
February page 6

Aid workers in food for child sex
scandal

Refugee children in west African have been
sexually exploited as aid workers in 40 agencies have offered food
rations in return for favours, a report says today.

Children in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea
accuse not just aid workers of sexual abuse, but claim they have
been exploited by UN peace keepers and community leaders, in a
report by Save the Children and UNHCR.

The report says that in all three countries
workers used “the very humanitarian aid and services intended to
benefit the refugee population as a tool of exploitation”.

The report says: “Most of the alleged
‘exploiters’ were male national staff who traded
humanitarian commodities and services for sex with girls under
18.”

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 27
February page 1

Guardian Society

Tea and dignity

WRVS to focus on older people’s care

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 4

Hard lesson in capital

Eviction threat highlights key worker housing
crisis

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 4

Balancing act

Charities lead towards service provision

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 4

Schools for scandal

Poor families rarely get help with the cost of
children’s uniforms

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 5

Out of site

NHS Lift aims to offer one-stop local health
centres in new or modernised premises – with the help of
private sector finance.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 10

Slow to act

Business could face prosecution if they fail
to adapt to the needs of disabled customers

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 104-103

A bitter pill to swallow

Mental health patients offered no alternative
to medication

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 103

Rude awakening

Care providers may be forced to pay for staff
on-call duty

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday
27 February page 103

Scottish newspapers

Groups share £120 million to
fight poverty

Nearly 50 organisations across Scotland are to
share £120 million to fight poverty, the executive announced
yesterday. Glasgow initiatives will receive around £3 million
for Glasgow north, £3 million for Glasgow Pollok, £1
million for Gorbals and £4 million for Easterhouse.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 27
February page 8

Welsh newspapers

Businesses lose out by failing to
welcome disabled people

Welsh high street businesses are losing out
because they fail to cater for the needs of disabled people.

New research from the Disability Rights
Commission has found that newsagents,

gift shops, convenience stores and
hairdressers are more ignorant about

disabled customers needs than anywhere else in
the UK despite the fact that

Wales has a higher proportion of disabled
people than the rest of the UK.

The findings of the research conducted among
100 small and medium sized

businesses in the principality coincided with
the publication earlier this

week of legal guidance on disabled people’s
rights of access to goods and

services.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 27
February page 2