Wednesday 16 April 2003

By Amy Taylor, Nicola Barry and Alex Dobson.
Families out of pocket in new tax shambles
Thousands of families have not received cash due to them under the
government’s new tax credit system on time.
Less than half the 5.75 million families entitled to the tax credit
payments are guaranteed to get them on time this month.
This means that many could miss out on £200 to £300 a
month.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 16 April page 1
Parents face Huntley and Carr in court
The parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman will come
face-to-face with Ian Huntley, the man accused of their murder
today.
Kevin and Nicola Wells and Les and Sharon Chapman have decided to
attend the court hearing.
The hearing will also be the first time that Huntley will appear
alongside Maxine Carr, his former girlfriend, who is accused of
conspiring to pervert the course of justice and assisting an
offender.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 16 April page 4
Family fury at charity that helped couple kill
themselves
The family of Robert and Jennifer Stokes, the couple who
flew to Switzerland to receive help in taking their own lives, are
furious with the euthanasia charity involved for assisting the pair
even though they did not suffer from a terminal illness.
The British couple’s relatives went on to call for Swiss charity
Dignitas to be shut down last night, a view backed by some MPs and
anti-euthanasia campaigners.
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 16 April page 10
Children found in Spain
Four children who were allegedly abducted by their parents from a
Shropshire county council’s social services department have been
found in southern Spain, according to police reports
yesterday.
Sharon Richards and Steve Hayward, the children’s parents, are
being detained by Spanish authorities awaiting extradition to
Britain.
The children have been returned to the care of social services
after being flown back to Britain at the weekend.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 16 April page 10
Council can take baby at birth
A couple yesterday lost their high court attempt to stop
Gloucestershire county council social services from removing their
unborn baby at birth.
But a judge ruled that council’s taking babies from mothers at
birth, before the case against them has been proved, must allow the
mother to breast feed and ensure that the parents have daily
contact.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 16 April page 10
Guardian Society
Guiding lights
Introduced in NHS hospitals two years ago, ‘modern
matrons’ have become popular and are an apparent success.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 2
Teenagers running out of track
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 4
Baby bias
Young mothers could be missing out on services because they are
being stereotyped by professionals
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 6
The insider’s story
For a decade, inmates of Feltham young offenders’ unit have been
gaining from a volunteer scheme that provides essential literacy
skills
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 8
High stakes
Britain’s rethink of traditional approaches to drugs control is
drawing fire from an unusual alliance of the UN, the US and
France
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 12
New day, new challenge
Nancy Flanagan, tireless community campaigner
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 13
Sucked in
Is there such a thing as the ‘public sector ethos’ – some spirit,
philosophy, set of core values that has a hold over those working
in government and the health service?
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 15
A force for good
Boards, trusts and public bodies depend on a steady supply of
suitable trustees, tribunal members and directors to govern them.
But how well are they recruiting?
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 16
On the map
Interested in joining one of Whitehall’s commercial arms? Just
follow my route, says Vanessa Lawrence
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page 18
Welcome break
Anne Gulland on how a scheme using other families for support is
keeping troubled youngsters out of care
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 16 April page
196
Scottish newspapers
Court is told sitter ‘shook fallen baby’
A baby was left with a catalogue of injuries after being
shaken while his mother was out playing bingo, a jury heard
yesterday.
Babysitter Brian Starrs was discovered by a neighbour holding the
limp child in his arms, and admitted he had shaken the 13-month-old
boy. However, he denies assaulting the baby to cause his severe
injury.
The high court in Perth heard the baby had more than a dozen
bruises and puncture marks on his body.
The trial before Lord Bonomy continues.
Source: Scottish Daily Express Wednesday 16 April page
29
Kirk virtually silent on sex abuse victims
The Church of Scotland has failed victims of sexual abuse,
according to a Kirk report which accuses members of not doing
enough to tackle sexual harassment and violence.
The report by the church and nation committee published today
criticises theologians for being “virtually silent” on
the issue.
Source: The Herald Wednesday 16 April page 8
Welsh newspapers
Jailed mother of truant schoolboy to appeal
The family of a woman jailed for failing to send her son to school
have criticised the way she has been treated.
The woman who was sentenced to 28-days imprisonment by a court in
west Wales after her son failed to attend school for three months,
has now lodged an appeal against conviction.
Her former husband, the boy’s father, says that she is
suffering from mental health problems and depression, and that a
prison sentence would only worsen her condition.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 16 April page 6
ME sufferers ‘ignored’ in Wales
Wales is lagging behind the rest of the UK in the way it treats ME
sufferers it has been claimed.
Welsh assembly heath and social services minister Jane Hutt has
come under fire for ignoring the plight of those who suffer from
the debilitating condition.
Ian Mcdonald, chairperson of the Welsh Association of ME Support
(Wames), blames a lack of political accountability behind doctors
failing to diagnose the condition and an almost complete absence of
specialists and support services available for sufferers.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 16 April page 7
Minister accused of misleading promotion
A pre-election promotion involving disabled people and
Welsh assembly ministers has been labelled despicable and
misleading.
A scheme giving older people and the disabled free bus travel was
recently highlighted as part of the pre-election campaign by first
minister Rhodri Morgan and the minister responsible for transport,
Sue Essex.
But a campaigner for the disabled, Ken Mack, who has two
brain-damaged sons, says that many disabled people cannot benefit
from the scheme as often buses are not adapted for wheelchair
access.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 16 April page 9
Families ‘not safest’ for abused babies
New research unveiled at a child abuse conference jointly
run by the NSPCC and the University of Wales college of medicine
show the potential risks of returning abused babies to their
families.
The research revealed that babies are at high risk of abuse and
that a third of infants returned to families where there had been
abuse, suffered further harm within three years.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 16 April page 10