Round-up of the week

Round-up of the week beginning Monday 21
March

Monday 21 March

John Reid

The green paper on the future of adult social care was published
by health secretary John Reid. Under the proposals, people using
social care services would be given individual budgets to allow
them to buy the services they need and social workers would take on
the role of navigators of services.

Tuesday 22 March

The chief inspector of the Commission for Social Care Inspection
David Behan exclusively told Community Care that its merger with
the Healthcare Commission does not signal a “takeover. Behan
insisted that one organisation would be created by the merger and
it would have a new name incorporating its social care remit. He
added that the Department of Health had already agreed to this.

Wednesday 23 March

A report by the scrutiny committee set up to scrutinise the
draft mental health bill said that too many people will be forced
into compulsory treatment under measures in the draft bill, MPs.
The report added that it could erode civil liberties and recommends
the draft bill is radically overhauled.

Thursday 24 March

The Department for Work and Pensions announced the appointment
of Stephen Geraghty as the chief executive of the Child Support
Agency. He was formerly managing director of direct line group and
will take up his post on 4 April 2005. He succeeds Doug Smith, who
is retiring from the Civil Service.