A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson.

Nursing home rapist to go free after 18
months

A man who raped a dying woman in a nursing home will be freed
after just 18 months.

John Archibald was convicted of attacking the wife of a BBC TV
presenter, who has degenerative brain disorder Huntingdon’s
disease, in a bedroom at the nursing home where she lives.

The bare knuckle boxer was jailed for three years last April.
But now the couple will be told that Archibald will be released
automatically later this month because with the time he spent on
remand he will have served half his jail term.

The victim’s husband said yesterday: “This is a total
travesty of justice.”

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 12 March page 33

Anti-crime unit will target five worst
areas

The first home office unit will link with local police to tackle
crime in Britain’s five worst hotspots.

The home secretary was heckled in Bristol yesterday as he
announced the areas in the anti crime initiative.

Stapleton Road in Bristol has been chosen as the first policing
priority area. Plans will be drawn up in the next month to tackle
persistent crime.

The other zones are Camberwell Green in south London, Grange
estate in Stoke on Trent, Little Horton and Canterbury in Bradford
and the West Ward in Rhyl, north Wales.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 12 March page 10

Ministers to clamp down on ‘free’
care

Care homes in England will be prevented from pocketing extra
money provided for free nursing care in plans released by the
government.

New funding was introduced in October last year for residents
who were paying for their own care. Those whose care included
nursing should have received £35, £70 or £110 a
week, depending on the amount of care they needed.

But some care homes have retained the money by increasing the
fees.

In future, care homes will have to provide a breakdown of fees
for residents.

Health minister Jacqui Smith said: “It is wrong to have singled
out residents who were previously paying for their nursing care,
and who from 1 October last year should have benefited from fee
reductions.”

The department of health said when the regulations come into
force in the next few months, it will be an offence to withhold a
breakdown of fees, and it may be possible to cancel the care
home’s registration if this occurs.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 12 March page 15

BMA calls for tougher drug-drive
regulations

The use of drugs is now so common, it poses as big a menace in
road accidents as alcohol, according to doctors’ leaders
yesterday.

The number of cannabis users involved in fatal car accidents
rose from 3 per cent to 12 per cent between the late 1980s and the
late 1990s, studies by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory
found.

The British Medical Association has called for a campaign to
educate the public on the dangers of driving while under the
influence of drugs. It also calls for more research to develop
sensitive drug tests.

Source:- The Independent Tuesday 12 March
page9

Scottish newspapers

New standards for care of the young

New national child care standards covering nurseries,
playschools, residential units and schools were launched yesterday
by Cathy Jamieson, minister for education and young people. They
are the latest tranche of national standards which will be overseen
and inspected by the Commission for the Regulation of Care.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 12 March page 4

Police chief in housing row

The head of Scotland’s largest police force, chief
constable Willie Rae of Strathclyde Police, was accused last night
of a “disgusting” breach of political neutrality when he spoke out
in favour of the proposed transfer of Glasgow council’s
housing stock to the independent Glasgow Housing Association
(GHA).

Rae’s comments were made at a public meeting in Cranhill,
Glasgow, convened to promote GHA’s plans and included Jim
Wallace, deputy first minister, as one of the speakers. While Rae
said he did not want to influence how people voted in the crucial
ballot on the transfer, he commended GHA’s “design out crime”
plans, and described the proposal as “a tremendous
opportunity”.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 12 March page 1

Glasgow to pay £24,000 to Cosla

Glasgow council has agreed to pay £24,000 towards
redundancy costs suffered by the Convention of Scottish Local
Authorities as a result of the authority withdrawing its membership
last year. Cosla was forced to undergo a major reorganisation when
Glasgow resigned membership last year costing the local
authorities’ umbrella group some £300,000 in annual
fees.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 12 March page 6

Welsh newspapers

Home’s care staff claim £50,000 sick
pay

Almost £50,000 was paid out to staff who were on sick leave
from a residential home in Cardiff.

The cost of absences from the Hazelcroft Residential home for
older people was revealed after a Conservative councillor, Jayne
Cowan, tabled a question during a council debate.

The home has had a troubled background with calls for a public
inquiry into the way it has been run, and allegations of staff
misconduct, including neglect of older residents.

It is currently closed for refurbishment.

Ms Cowan said: “I was very concerned to hear that £50,000
was spent just on sickness cover alone at Hazelcroft. This sum of
money would pay the salaries of more than three extra care officers
for a year.”

Source:- South Wales Echo Monday 11 March page 4

Child victims of domestic violence to be
counted

The charity Welsh Women’s Aid is to contact all of its groups in
Wales to attempt to uncover the extent of domestic violence and
abuse suffered by young people.

The results of the survey will provide a snapshot count of
children in the care of women’s groups across Wales and the results
will be passed on to children’s commissioner, Peter Clarke.

Helen Snedker, national child work co-ordinator for Women’s Aid
said: “We want to highlight the hidden figures of children
suffering from the effects of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is a
hidden problem, but the traumatic effects on children are even more
invisible.”

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 12 March page 5