A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

Including headlines from Saturday and
Sunday.

By David Callaghan, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson.

Lauren’s killer has jail term reduced

A woman who killed her stepdaughter, Lauren Wright, has had her
prison sentence cut by three years by appeal court judges.

Tracey Wright, of Welney, Norfolk, was given a 15-year sentence
after being convicted of the manslaughter and neglect of Lauren.
She will now serve 12 years.

Lauren’s father, Craig Wright, is serving a three-year sentence
for neglect.

Gillian Shephard, MP for Welney, opposed the appeal court
decision: “The majority of the hundreds of people who contacted me
felt the sentence was in any case too short.”

Source- The Times Saturday 15 June page 6

Suspect in Milly case back in jail

A man questioned in connection with the disappearance of the
teenager Amanda Dowler, has returned to prison.

The man from Ashford, Surrey, is being held on an unrelated
charge.

Source:- The Times Saturday 15 June page 10

Ministers to back antisocial tenants bill

A new bill to take housing benefit from antisocial tenants and
possibly place their children in care, is being promoted with the
support of Andrew Smith, the new work and pensions secretary.

The plans were devised by former social security minister Frank
Field in a private member’s bill. Smith’s department said
parliamentary time would be found for the bill on 19 July.

Source:- The Times Saturday 15 June page 13

Church faces £1 million sex abuse case

The Catholic Church faces a £1 million claim for damages by
a man who claims he was abused as an altar boy by a priest more
than 20 years ago.

Simon Grey claims he was abused by Father Christopher Clonan,
who was assistant parish priest at Christ the King church in
Coundon, Coventry.

The case is believed to be the first against the church rather
than the individual abuser, and could set a legal precedent for
other similar claims.

High court deputy judge John Leighton Williams ruled that Grey
could continue with his claim of negligence against the Archbishop
of Birmingham and the Trustees of the Birmingham Archdiocese.

Source:- The Guardian Saturday 15 June page 2

Critics determined to oust nurses’ leader

Beverley Malone, the general secretary of the Royal College of
Nursing, is under pressure and may face a vote of no confidence
after claims she has a poor management style, and jumped the NHS
queue to ensure her mother received a cataract operation.

Malone, who was recruited from the United States, has received a
salary of around £200,000 per year, and recently recruited
three executives on salaries of around £90,000.

She has also received criticism for suspending several senior
member of staff.

There are now moves to call an extraordinary meeting of the
RCN’s council to pass a motion of no confidence in Malone.

Source:- The Times Saturday 15 June page 5

Confusion in justice system ‘fails victims’

A report from the Audit Commission has found that Britain’s
justice system is very inefficient because of confusion between
government departments and official bodies overseeing the running
of the courts.

The commission recommends that the home office and the Lord
Chancellor’s department should work more closely together.

The report also found that courts were too willing to send
people to prison, and rehabilitation programmes were under-funded
and poorly run.

A government white paper proposing a radical overhaul of the
criminal justice system is expected next month.

Source:- The Observer Sunday 16 June page 4

‘£3,000 for care children’

The Institute for Public Policy Research has recommended that
children should receive £3,000 from the government when they
leave care.

There are already plans for care leavers to receive money from a
trust fund, but the IPPR report recommends additional funds to
support the 6,500 children who leave care homes or the care of
foster parents.

Source:- The Times Monday 17 June page 8

Scottish newspapers

Backlash looms over free personal care

The Scottish executive is bracing itself for a public backlash
as its own focus groups reveal that most older people are unaware
that they will still have to contribute to the cost of their
care.

The groups reveal that the public believe the executive will pay
for everything including accommodation costs, food and laundry
– items which are not covered by the definition of personal
care. Campaigners on behalf of older people say they are deeply
concerned by the executive’s failure to explain what free
personal care means.

Source:- Scotland on Sunday 16 June page 6

Paedophiles ‘should not be charged for first
offence’

Child sex abusers should not be charged for their first offence,
but undergo counselling instead, according to a leading expert on
child protection.

Professor Malcolm Hill, director of the Scottish
executive-backed centre for the child and society at Glasgow
University, made his controversial comments in a report to Cathy
Jamieson, minister for education and young people.

Hill’s comments are based on a model adopted in the
Netherlands and Belgium where child sex abusers are rarely
prosecuted. They also reflect the growing concern that only 5
– 10 per cent of child abuse cases are prosecuted
successfully. Hill’s report is due to be published next
month.

Source:- Sunday Times Scotland 16 June page 2

BT awarded criminal records check contract

British Telecom has been awarded a £120 million contract to
help carry out criminal records checks on individuals who have
applied to work with children and vulnerable families.

The company will be a key player in the 12-year public-private
initiative with the Scottish criminal record office.

Source:- The Herald Monday 17 June page 2

Concern for young Asian runaways

Increasing numbers of young Asian people are running away from
home because they feel culturally estranged from their families and
from the services that are trying to help them. Charities and
voluntary groups in Scotland report that many of the young people
have been sexually or physically abused, but fail to seek help
because of the shame it would bring on their families.

The Children’s Society, one of the few organisations to
carry out research into Asian runaways, said that 34 per cent of
Asian children runaway for over a week compared to 18 per cent of
white children. Charities reckon that Asian children stay away from
home longer, and fail to contact services because of the shame that
would bring to their families.

Source:- The Herald Monday 17 June page 4

Welsh newspapers

Boy’s attacker on the run after skipping
bail

A convicted paedophile who jumped bail is still on the run after
10 days.

Eric Peachey, a school cleaner was convicted of a sex attack on
a nine-year-old boy last month. He was given bail by a judge while
awaiting sentence, but has been missing from his home in
Aberystwyth for over a week.

The victim’s father, who cannot be named for legal
reasons, said it was outrageous that a convicted paedophile could
be given bail. He said his son was terrified of Peachey and had
become withdrawn.

A spokesperson for the police said that they were trying to find
Peachey, but there had been no further developments.

Source:- Western Mail Monday 17 June page 3

Care bill to soar by millions

A west Wales council faces a bill of between £3 million and
£20 million to improve standards at its 14 residential care
homes.

A recent survey has shown that £3 million is needed to
bring Carmarthenshire’s homes up to a minimum standard, but
that if the council wants to achieve higher standards, then the
bill would be £20 million.

The council’s annual capital budget is only £15
million, and under existing legislation it is prevented from
borrowing extra money to pay for this type of work.

The Care Standards Inspectorate has already warned that any
vacant bedrooms below the minimum standards should be taken out of
use immediately.

The council faces a December 2002 deadline to show how it will
improve standards.

Source:- Western Mail Monday 17 June page 5