Foster children gain right to stay in care until 21

Foster children gain right to stay in care until 21
Children in care will be given rights to stay with foster parents until they are 21 in a government move to improve their prospects as adults. Foster parents will be paid salaries to professionalise their role. The measures are in a green paper aimed at improving the lives of the 60,000 children in care, who are much more likely to be unqualified, unemployed,  homeless or in prison than those brought up by parents.
Source:- The Times, Tuesday 10 October 2006, page 26

‘Sweetheart’ is banned in care homes
Care workers will be banned from calling older people “sweetheart” under tough rules to guard their dignity. Terms like “darling” and “poppet” will also be outlawed as part of a crackdown on neglect and abuse announced by care services minister Ivan Lewis today. Source:- The Sun, Tuesday 10 October 2006, page 2

Damilola killers could walk free in three years
The parents of Damilola Taylor said yesterday that the investigation into the death of their son had been a “catalogue of failures” and questioned the leniency of the sentences received by his killers, who could be free in three years.
Source:- The Times, Tuesday 10 October 2006, page 31

£2,500 for foreign prisoners to serve sentences at home
Foreign prisoners are to be offered a package of help worth up to £2,500 to go home to serve their sentences as part of John Reid’s emergency measures to tackle the rising prison population.
Source:- The Times, Tuesday 10 October 2006, page 2

Autism caused by testosterone
A study of girls has backed the idea that autism is caused by high levels of male hormones such as testosterone .
Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 10 October 2006, page 10

Abolish concept of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia should be abolished as a concept because it is a catch-all term which does not define a specific mental illness, according to a group of mental health experts.
Source:- The Guardian, Tuesday 10 October 2006, page 10

Scottish news

Charity urges salaries for Scots foster carers
Foster carers in Scotland should be paid a minimum “salary”, a charity has claimed.
The Fostering Network Scotland backed similar measures for English foster carers unveiled by Westminster education secretary Alan Johnson in a green paper.
He proposed a standard salary, in addition to the allowances already paid to cover childcare costs, such as transport, food and clothing, and pointed out that foster carers are often forced to give up full-time employment to care for a child.
Source:- The Herald, Tuesday 10 October 2006
 
100,000 elderly in Scotland may suffer from abuse
More than 60 elderly people have suffered abuse in Scotland’s care homes during the past two years, a watchdog has revealed.
The latest figures show that the number of abuse complaints upheld by the Care Commission has risen by a third year on year.
However, Age Concern Scotland last night described the figures as a “vast underestimate” and claimed it was more likely that up to 100,000 elderly people were abused in Scotland annually.
Source:- The Scotsman, Tuesday 10 October 2006

Welsh news

Mental health problems costing £292m
More than £292m a year is being lost by employers in Wales due to mental health problems and stress according to an employment charity.
The Shaw Trust said that 3.3 million sick days in Wales were caused by stress and mental illness.
It is today, World Mental Health Day, urging companies to look after the mental health of their staff.
Source:- Western Mail, Tuesday 10 October 2006

Disabilities-plan row shock
Cardiff council bosses have said they are amazed by the angry responses from not-for-profit organisations about their plans for people with learning difficulties.
Carers and organisations supporting people with learning difficulties slammed the council last week over its plans to cut £3m from the budget for services for this group.
Source:- Western Mail, Tuesday, 10 October 2006