Wednesday 15 March 2006

By Maria Ahmed, Sally Gillen and Amy Taylor

‘Send children in care to boarding school’
Children in care should be given a legal right to go to boarding school, the head of the government’s city academies programme said yesterday.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 15 March page 8

Sharp rise in suicidal children, charity warns
ChildLine, the children’s charity, has warned of a sharp rise in the number of young people who phone its helpline saying they are contemplating suicide.
Source:-  The Independent Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 15

One in 10 teenagers say they are victims of the rise of cyberbullies
Figures published yesterday showed that more than one in 10 of British teenagers have been victims of bullying online.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 7

Alcohol-related illness soars
Alcohol-related illness will soar in the next decade, experts said yesterday as campaigners warned that only one in 18 people with a drink problem get treatment.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 11

Give us a break
Looking after his mentally ill wife and autistic son is a 24/7 job for David Harkins. A new report claims carer’s rights are ignored
Source:- Society Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 1-2

Dog eat dog
In his latest real life dispatches from an English housing estate, Stewart Dakers find abuse, violence and bullying – but nothing that hasn’t already been done by those who rule over us in the corridors of power
Source:-  Society Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 3

Show of strength
John Stoltenberg, an American pro-feminist believes that young men, increasingly influenced by lad’s magazines, computer games and rap culture, must be targeted to prevent rape. He brings his vision to Britain.
Source:-  Society Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 5

Prescription for change
Ministers are pinning their hopes on plans to put healthcare into the hands of staff and locals through social enterprises. A good idea – but it won’t be easy.
Source:-  Society Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 6

Tragic waste
Inquiries into violent crimes committed by mentally ill people are often held internally. But critics claim vital lessons are being missed.
Source:-  Society Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 7

Back on track
Prisoners are being encouraged to go straight by training to get a secure job on the railways.
Source:-  Society Guardian Wednesday 15 March 2006 page 7

Scottish news

Children in care lag behind other pupils
Special needs pupils are out performing young people in the care system who do not have learning diffiulties, according to statistics published yesterday by the Scottish executive.
Looked-after children are falling further behind the rest of the school populatiom despite executive attempts to improve their attainment.
Source:- The Scotsman  Wednesday 15 March

Inquiry into schoolboy’s murder ruled out
The Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd, has said that there would be no further investigation into the circumstances of Rory Blackhall’s death or that of Simon Harris, the man believed to have killed the West Lothian 11-year-old. Rory went missing after being dropped off near Meldrum Primary School in Livingston on 18 August last year.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 15 March

Welsh news

Fear over funding of autism treatment
Children with undiagnosed autism could go undetected as the only testing centre in Wales is due to close at the end of this month.
The Tertiary Autism Service in Cardiff is set to shut down due to a lack of funding. There are fears that Welsh children will now have to be sent to London in order to be diagnosed.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 15 March 2006

Immigration staff ‘unprofessional’, inquiry finds
Immigration staff behaved “unprofessionally” by allowing some female visa applicants to jump the queue, a Home Office inquiry has found.
The investigation found that some caseworkers at the visa processing centre at Lunar House in Croydon had also failed to carry out checks designed to single out wanted criminals.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 15 March 2006