A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson.

‘Asylum centres must be run by the
state’

The Liberal Democrats called for detention centres for asylum
seekers to be run by the state following the closure of
Yarl’s Wood.

The party’s home affairs spokesperson Simon Hughes said
the move would solve the insurance problems that caused the
temporary shutdown of the centre in Bedford.

A riot led to a fire at the centre in February and caused
£38 million damage. Loss adjusters refused to offer insurance
cover for Yarl’s Wood when it came up for renewal on March
31, and the 84 detainees have been transferred.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 3 April page 2

Most police shun use of anti social behaviour
orders

Anti social behaviour orders are being implemented haphazardly
across England and Wales, a home office report said yesterday.

Since they were introduced in April 1999, just 466 orders have
been implemented costing an average of £5,360. The report
claims they take an average of 66 working days to get an order
granted.

Some areas had very low take up with Cheshire, Essex, Wiltshire
and Dyfed Powys with no ASBOs. But West Midlands handed out 65 and
West Mercia 47.

A home office spokesperson said the report found they had been
used successfully to stop anti social behaviour.

Home office minister John Denham said: “The best practice that
exists around the country must be shared to assist those areas that
are not yet using ASBOs effectively.”

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 3 April page 14

Jail closure threatens sex offender
programme

Plans to close one of Scotland’s oldest and most notorious
jails has put the future of a renowned sex offender treatment
programme into doubt.

Peterhead prison has been home to the Stop programme, a unique
initiative that forces sex offenders to face their crimes and the
impact on their victims, for the last nine years. Since 1993, 245
prisoners have taken part in the programme, and only five have been
convicted for reoffending.

But the Scottish executive now plan to close the prison and
disperse inmates across the country.

But campaigners say the move will destroy years of valuable
work, and set back the entire programme of sex offender
rehabilitation.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 3 April page 14

Guardian Society

Rough deal

Regeneration volunteers ‘not valued’

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 3 April page 4

Missing links

One clause in the new Adoption Bill needs changing, campaigners
say, so that all families can trace a lost relative

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 3 April page 6

Hire targets

Training schemes that are helping people with disabilities move
from supported work into fully commercial jobs

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 3 April page 10

Bullying tactics

A grassroots group which is helping people with learning
difficulties cope with verbal abuse

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 3 April page
56-55

Workplace secrets

Negative reactions to mental illness inhibit disclosure

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 3 April page 55

Scottish newspapers

Rise in delayed discharge figures

The number of hospital patients waiting to be discharged from
hospital in Scotland has risen by almost 10 per cent in a year,
according to the latest Scottish executive statistics.

In January 2002, there were 3,116 people in hospital well enough
to leave, but who could not be discharged mainly because they had
nowhere to go appropriate for their needs. While the figure was 9.6
per cent up on that recorded in January 2001, Malcolm Chisholm,
minister for health and community care, said it was a positive sign
since the numbers were lower than the 3,138 recorded in October
2001.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 3 April page 1

Welsh newspapers

‘Wake up before the drug gangs destroy our
life’

A crackdown on illegal drugs is to be launched in Wales today.
Chief constable Sir Anthony Burgess is calling on all agencies and
the public to work with the police to try to tackle the growing
drug menace, which he says is in danger of spiralling out of
control.

Figures just out reveal a rise in Class A drugs-related deaths,
and in the volume of crime being committed to feed drug addiction,
and the new measures will see an action plan developed by Welsh
police forces and the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Burgess said that south Wales appeared to be a ripe target for
drug gangs, and that without concerted action the scale of the
problem could destroy whole communities.

Source:- Western Mail Western Mail Wednesday 3 April
page 1

Hot spot for drug taking deprived of
workers

A Welsh mining valley that has become a hot spot for drugs has
no full time drug workers.

A new survey carried out by Amman Valley Enterprise found that
the lack of trained workers leads to ‘isolation, helplessness and
frustration’ amongst users which in turn makes it more difficult
for them to kick their habit.

The survey says that the drug problems in the area are a
significant factor in the rise in youth crime, and recommends the
setting up of a drugs project which would ‘offer a physical
presence for drugs work now desperately lacking’.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 3 April page 5