A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson.

Secret plan for flexible public pay

The government is considering plans to introduce geographical
bands for public sector pay to help bring salaries in London more
into line with the private sector.

A Treasury report recommends action to address pay problems,
which affect public sector workers in the south east, who are paid
similar wages to their counterparts in other parts of the
country.

Public sector managers in the south east are paid an average of
£530 per week in comparison to managers in the public sector
earning £780.

Retail companies such as Next and Safeway operate pay bands to
reflect local market demands on pay. Government research shows that
property rentals in London are 54 per cent higher than the rest of
the country.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 13 March pages 1 and
13

One in five children has behavioural or mental
problem

Up to one in five of the world’s children suffer mental or
behavioural problems, a United Nations report reveals.

The World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s
Fund (Unicef) said that rates of depression, suicide and self harm
among young people had increased alarmingly.

Source:- The Independent Wednesday 13 March page 11

Guardian Society

Prevention of homelessness a priority

A way back in

The government’s homelessness directorate is expected to
announce a new approach with the emphasis on prevention.

Page 4

Two share council of the year award

Quality streets

Blackburn with Darwen and Camden councils have been jointly
named council of the year.

Page 4

Recruitment methods for charity trustees lack
transparency

It’s what you know

One in three charities is failing to carry out adequate checks
on potential trustees, a Charity Commission survey shows.

Page 4

Survey shows negative attitude towards employing
disabled

Wasted opportunities

Three out of four employers which have not employed a disabled
person say they have not had the opportunity to do so, a survey by
Jobability.com shows.

Page 4

Tracy Beaker is the central character in a
ground-breaking children’s BBC series that portrays the life of a
child in care.

Home truths

Page 6

New hybrid organisations with a business-like approach
to selling services are being championed by the
government. Roger Cowe on how profit fuels social
provision.

Page 10

Profile: Peter Sweatman, founder of online charity
raffle

Page 11

A new approach to tackling homelessness is expected to
focus on the root causes, reports Saba Salman.

Page 12

Getting older people to talk about death can help them
face difficult decisions in the future.

Page 104-105

Inspections highlight worrying flaws in foster care
services

Page 105

Poor housing a cause of ill-health among
Londoners

Sick home syndrome

Page 105

Scottish newspapers

Glasgow’s housing stock vote that could change
Scotland

A feature arguing that if tenants vote to transfer ownership of
Glasgow council’s housing stock to the independent Glasgow
Housing Association, the impact will be felt in every other
Scottish council.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 13 March

Talks on secure hospital

Health officials, local authorities and community
representatives in East Kilbride yesterday started talks on finding
the location for a new medium secure unit in the West of Scotland
to take patients currently in the State Hospital Carstairs.

The discussions follow revelations earlier this year that 36
patients were languishing in the top secure Carstairs in spite of
being deemed to be a significantly reduced risk to the public as
well as themselves.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 13 March page 8

Welsh newspapers

Strike Threat

Thousands of council workers in Cardiff look set to take
industrial action over the dismissal of an experienced social
worker.

Unison members have voted to support Charles Faber who was
sacked say the union, after voicing his fears about children’s
services in Cardiff. The union’s next move depends on the outcome
of Faber’s appeal hearing which is currently being heard.

Unison will not take further action if Faber is reinstated in
his post as head of the emergency duty team, but if the appeal
fails then union members could take industrial action.

Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday March 12 page 1 and
5

Care homes head for meltdown

Care homes are heading towards a crisis that could damage the
NHS in Wales, it was claimed yesterday.

Owners of nursing and residential homes can no longer afford to
stay open because funding in Wales is so poor, and the situation
has been made worse by new legislation that is driving up costs,
says owner’s organisation Care Forum Wales.

The loss of thousands of beds in the private sector is likely to
have serious implications for the NHS, where bed blocking by
elderly patients is seen as contributing to waiting lists and
cancelled operations.

Barry Latham, chief executive of the North Wales nursing and
residential homes organisation, said that some homes in Wales had
already threatened to end their contracts with local
authorities.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday March 13 page 1