Boarding school backed as alternative to fostering

Boarding school backed as alterntive to fostering
More than two-thirds of young people in care believe they should have the option of going to boarding school rather than into residential care or a foster family, according to figures published yesterday.
Responses to the government consultation on plans to overhaul the care system revealed that the same proportion of care professionals backed the boarding school option.
Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 8

High immigration harming poor
Inequality and child poverty are two of the main side effects of migration, immigration minister Liam Byrne said.
Source:- The Times, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 2

Women accused of child cruelty
Two women tortured six children over nine years, making them eat chillies, whipping them with nettles and beating them, Canterbury crown court was told yesterday.
Deidre Carrington and Maria Keable deny seven counts of child cruelty.
Source:- The Independent, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 14

Man gets 11 years in jail for decade of abuse on pupils
A primary school teacher who sexually abused boys in his care for more than a decade was jailed for 11 years yesterday.
Peter Shotton was found guilty of sexually abusing three pupils under 13 at Bewbush community primary school in Crawley, West Sussex.
Source:- The Guardian, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 11

Heroin: desperate measures
A university lecturer explains why she feels she must buy heroin for her son, who is an addict.
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 1

Voluntary sector: has the Compact finally come of age?
The body charged with monitoring the third sector’s relationship with government has been challenged to get tough on public bodies who fail to meet the standards of the Compact, the agreement on how relationships should operate.
The Compact Commission was told to “show us a few scalps” by Stephen Bubb, head of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, rather than concentrate on promoting good practice.
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 2

Drugs services not appropriate for young people
The current state of drugs services ignore consumption patterns among young people, which are focused on alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, Howard Parker, emeritus professor at Manchester University’s school of law has said.
Most alcohol services are full of middle-aged drinkers while drugs services are focused on crack and heroin users, meaning neither set are appropriate for young people, he said.
Source:- Society Guardian, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 4

Prison rethink
A new sentencing regime in which judges punish offenders according to cost was called for by the former Lord Chief Justice yesterday.
Source:- The Times, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 2

Teacher jailed
A teacher who forced schoolboys to perform sex acts with him was jailed for 11 years at Hove crown court.
Source:- The Times, Wednesday 18 April 2007, page 4

Scottish news
 
Police hunt for killer mental patient
A schizophrenic who stabbed a schoolteacher to death in an attack eight years ago is being sought by police in Strathclyde after going missing from his supported accommodation.
Anthony O’Brien was last seen at his home in Inverness after being released into the community on licence.
He was subjected to a restriction order in 2000 after he admitted killing Bill Scott who was attacked in Cumbernauld the year before.
Source:- The Herald, Wednesday 18 April 2007

Door-to-door researchr fought sex attacker
A market researcher fought back after being assaulted by a convicted sex attacker who invited her into his home for an interview.
The woman called at the flat unaware that Gordon Melrose, who lived there, had served jail terms totalling 18 years for assaults and sex attacks.
Melrose was convicted of assaulting the researcher with intent to rape her in Leith on 7 November. He had denied the attack.
Source:- The Scotsman, Wednesday 18 April 2007

Welsh news

Dead girl was bullied, inquest told
A school girl who died after walking out in front of a train was being bullied an inquest has heard.
Kay Miller, 14, was killed instantly when a train travelling between Heath High Level station and Llanishen in Cardiff hit her last August.
Miller alleged that she was being bullied by one of her fellow pupils at Llanishen High School.
Source:- Western Mail, Wednesday 18 April 2007