Thursday 28 October 2004

October 28, 2004 in Community Care

By Clare Jerrom, Maria Ahmed and Amy Taylor

How perverts still get jobs with youngsters

Sex abusers could be slipping through the net because of
the problems surrounding the Criminal Records Bureau, MPs warned
yesterday.

The botched creation of the agency has left it riddled with
loopholes and the Public Accounts Committee revealed that as a
result, background checks on teachers, carers and medics were
“not as comprehensive as planned”.

Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 28 October page 43

Disability dispute

The Employment Appeals Tribunal has ruled against an appeal by the
Prison Service to reduce what is thought to be the highest award in
a disability discrimination case.

The Prison Service hoped to reduce £400,000 paid to Jacqueline
Beart who worked at Swaleside Prison in Kent.

Source:- The Times Thursday 28 October page 2

Parents of tearaways face new penalties

The prime minister will use a speech in London today to hail the
success of antisocial behaviour orders in tackling unruly
children.

However Tony Blair will say that further measures are needed to
encourage law-abiding people to take action against nuisance crime.
These include creating more specialist ASBO courts and allowing
witnesses to conceal their identity when giving evidence.

Source:- The Times Thursday 28 October page 12

Mother of three takes CSA to court over pay errors

The Child Support Agency is being supported by a mother of three
for failing to calculate the full maintenance payments she was owed
by her ex-husband.

Alison Davies is claiming £15,000 for maintenance that she
failed to receive because of calculation errors by the
agency.

Source:- The Times Thursday 28 October page 13

Blair rejects ban on smacking

The government was accused last night of blocking an attempt to
legislate against smacking children after Tony Blair signalled his
opposition to the ban at Prime Minister’s Question
Time.

Labour MPs, backed by children’s charities, have forced a
fresh vote on the issue on Tuesday.

Source:- The Independent Thursday 28 October 2004 page
18

Concerns on child database

An electronic database containing a file on all 11 million children
in Britain should have the scope to record any concerns of doctors
and other professionals even if the child or family do not give
consent “in exceptional circumstances,” ministers said
yesterday.

The national register is contained in the Children Bill.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 28 October 2004 page
7

Stand up for your rights, minister tells fathers

In his new job in charge of family policy, Lord Filkin says men
must make time for their children – and not be cowed by the
courts.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 28 October 2004 page
12

Tories housing strategy ‘comes close to playing the
race card’

Michael Howard was accused yesterday of coming close to
playing the race card in a new Conservative party housing strategy
which blames immigration for creating shortage of accommodation in
the south of England.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 28 October 2004 page
12

Scottish news

New act may force volunteers to shun work with young

New checks on adults who work with young people could force small
voluntary organisations across the country to close, it was claimed
last night.

Disclosure Scotland, which has been charged with carrying out
background checks on volunteers because the Protection of Children
Scotland Act will make it an offence to employ those deemed
unsuitable to work with youngsters, has been criticised for the
time it takes to process applications.

Voluntary groups told MSPs on the education committee that
potential volunteers were having to wait up to five months for
clearance and that was having a detrimental affect on
recruitment.

Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 28 October

Drugs plan raises fears of a surge in methadone
addicts

Ministers were yesterday warned that plans to boost funding for
drugs treatment would lead to an explosion in the number of people
addicted to methadone.

Justice minister Cathy Jamieson announced a £6 million boost
for drug treatment and pledged to improve rehabilitation and other
services. She confirmed that methadone to wean addicts from heroin
would be one of the options funded by the executive.

The Tories criticised the plan claiming that figures showed
methadone use in Scotland was rising sharply and would continue to
do so unless sthe government changed its tactics towards
abstinence.

Source:- The Scotsman Thursday 28 October

Blind man stands his ground

A blind man who was refused entry to a city restaurant is
threatening to take legal action.

Mark McClenaghan was shocked when managers at Mo’s Balti in
the west end told him he could not enter the restaurant with his
guide dog. He is now considering taking legal action against the
restaurant.