Wednesday 13 November 2002

By Clare Jerrom, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Climbie social workers sacked

Two social workers who gave evidence in Lord Laming’s
inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie have been dismissed for
gross misconduct.

Haringey council in north London dismissed both Lisa
Arthurworrey and Angella Mairs. Arthurworrey, who told the public
inquiry the council had made her a scapegoat for eight-year-old
Victoria’s death, has lodged an appeal.

Both workers were suspended on full pay after the extent of the
abuse Victoria suffered emerged, but disciplinary proceedings were
postponed after the high court ruled they should give evidence at
the inquiry first.

Arthurworrey was suspended in 2000 after it was claimed she did
not carry out the proper checks on Victoria’s case, which she
was assigned to. Mairs, her line manager, was accused of removing a
vital document from Victoria’s file before police and council
investigations.

Victoria died in February 2000. Her great aunt Marie Therese
Kouao and her lover Carl Manning were jailed for life In January
last year for her murder.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 13 November page 13

Tough anti-crime line not viable, says probation
chief

The home secretary and prime minister have been warned that the
new anti-crime strategy at the heart of today’s Queen Speech
is in danger of fuelling the ever more punitive trend in the
courts, and is failing to provide an alternative to the prison
crisis.

Chief inspector of probation Rod Morgan said that the government
strategy is unsuitable, and warns that “something will have to
give”. He claims the probation service is facing the same
over-loading as the jails.

The introduction of tougher community penalties has not led to
fewer non-violent offenders being sent to prison. Instead it has
become an alternative to fines.

Tens of thousands of low level, low risk offenders including
motorists who in the past have been fined, have been placed under
probation supervision, he said.

He urges the home secretary to adopt an alternative strategy for
dealing with low risk offenders by reviving the use of fines by
courts, making much greater use of stand alone electronic orders
and contracting out their supervision to private firms.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 13 November page 6

Tories and Lib Dems home in on civil rights

The government is to be confronted today by the Tory and Liberal
Democrat peers over legislation in the Queen’s Speech, which
they regard as an unjustified attack on civil liberties.

It is expected Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Lord
McNally will work in league with the shadow chancellor Lord
Kingsland to demand radical change to the criminal justice
bill.

The two opposition peers will target plans to abolish double
jeopardy, restrictions on the right to opt for trial by jury, and
the suggestion that previous convictions can be put to the jury
before it considers allegations.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 13 November page 12

We want to go to Sangatte or die, warn asylum seekers
sheltering in Calais church

Up to 100 asylum seekers sheltering in a Calais church
threatened to set themselves on fire yesterday if they were refused
entry to the Sangatte refugee camp.

French authorities insisted no newcomers will be allowed into
the Red Cross camp, but refugees are still continuing to head for
the camp regarding it as a first step to reaching Britain.

One asylum seeker in the Church doused himself with lighter
fluid and tried to set himself alight before police officers beat
out the flames.

The asylum seekers have rejected an offer allowing them to claim
asylum in France. Inside the church one man shouted: “We want to go
to Sangatte or die. We want to go to England or die.”

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 13 November page 10

Campaign to guard internet children

A government-backed campaign is urging parents to learn more
about the internet to enable their children to use it safely.

While almost all home computers have internet safety built in,
80 per cent of parents do not know how to switch it on, the Safe
Surfing campaign claims.

A booklet and CD-Rom has been produced for parents to explain
how to ensure their children use the internet safely as part of the
campaign by the department for education and skills and computer
retailer PC World.

The campaign follows a number of high profile cases where
paedophiles have contacted children through internet chat-rooms
before going on to assault them.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 13 November page
11

Guardian Society

Core concerns

Overhead threat to charity funding

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 13 November page
4

Out of sight

Releasing people with psychiatric illness into the community has
been heavily criticised, but this extract from a new book by Jeremy
Laurance on changes in mental health care in Britain reminds us of
the harsh reality of life inside the asylums.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 13 November page
10

Act of omission

Mike George on calls to plug a loophole that leaves young
offenders without the protection given to other children

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 13 November page
112-111

Fares unfairness

Travel pass ‘lottery’ restricts lives of learning
disabled people

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 13 November page
11q

Open to advice

Charities demand more home visits in support of parents

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 13 November page
111

Scottish newspapers

Breast cancer risk rises with each drink

Every alcoholic drink a woman has increases her risk of
developing breast cancer, according to the world’s largest
study of women’s tobacco and alcohol use.

Women are drinking more, and if the trend continues it will
affect cancer rates in this country.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 13 November page 3

Pledge over gay bullying in schools

The Scottish executive has pledged to put an end to homophobic
bullying in schools.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 13 November page 6

Lottery winner has tag reactivated

A lottery winner who had been electronically tagged is to have
it reactivated and his curfew re-imposed.

Michael Carroll, aged 19, had his tag temporarily deactivated
because media interest made it impossible for him to go about his
business.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 13 November page 8

Grilling by boss caused collapse, hearing
told

A union leader accused of sexual harassment was allowed to
interrogate his accuser at an internal grievance hearing, a
tribunal heard yesterday.

Margaret McAvoy was so distressed at being questioned by Robert
Parker, Scottish Regional Secretary of the GMB, that she collapsed
and had to be taken to hospital, it was claimed.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 13 November page 8

Prison should be a last resort for the
dangerous

Prisons should be a last resort for offenders who pose a risk to
the public, a consortium of charities has told the Scottish
Parliament. The charities want greater use made of alternatives to
custody.

Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 13 November page 2

Welsh newspapers

Is This The Way To Treat A Young Family?

A family of six from Cardiff are being housed in a Travelodge at
a M4 service station 15 miles outside the city. The four children
have to take a 45-minute taxi journey to school each day at an
estimated cost of £400 each week.

The Murphy family have all been living in one room at the
service station for the past four months while Cardiff council try
to re-house them. The family were found the temporary accommodation
by social services when they were made homeless for the third
time.

A spokesperson for the council said that they would pay for
taxis to take children to school for short periods in extreme
social welfare situations.

Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday 12 November page
5

Disabled face election day access problems

Disabled voters in Wales could face difficulties accessing
polling stations in next year’s Welsh Assembly elections.

Disability Wales has warned of a “postcode lottery” on
accessibility, and they say that not being able to vote in this
way, amounts to discrimination.

But tomorrow a meeting of the assembly’s equal
opportunities committee will be told that councils are taking the
matter seriously, and a report from the Welsh Local Government
Association says that steps are being taken to ensure that disabled
people can cast their vote in person in May next year.

Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday 12 November page
25

‘Scapegoat’ was poor manger, tribunal
told

A social worker, who claimed that he was made a scapegoat for
the failings of a social services department, was sacked for gross
incompetence a tribunal was told yesterday.

Charles Faber was a senior social worker in Cardiff says that he
was dismissed after highlighting his fears that vulnerable children
in the city were being put at risk.

The council claim that he was dismissed because of a “lack of
effective control of the emergency duty team”.

The tribunal continues.

Source:- Western Mail  Wednesday 13 November page 5