Council told to pay family for disabled woman’s care

Council told to pay family for disabled woman’s care

Trafford Council, Greater Manchester, has been asked to pay a family almost £100,000 for failing to arrange suitable care for their disabled daughter, who has been left in the care of her parents as a result.

The local government ombudsman, Anne Seex, found the council had failed to plan for Carly Wright’s transition from a special needs college to a long-term residential adult placement where her high personal care needs could be dealt with.

But Seex found Trafford made two offers of residential placements, both of which had problems, meaning Wright has had to be cared for at home since August 2004.

Seex urged the council – which can reject the ruling – to pay the family £1,000 for every week Carly has spent at home – barring respite – until a suitable placement is arranged, plus £3,000 for distress caused.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 3 August 2007 page 16

Low-paid health staff given pay boost

Health secretary Alan Johnson yesterday offered low-paid NHS staff a salary boost of £400 a year each to stave of industrial action over the low pay settlement imposed on health workers this year.

Johnson increased the pay offer to the lowest paid after unions objected to the government’s decision to increase overall salaries by 1.9% this year, below the 2.5% recommended by the independent pay review body.

Source:- The Financial Times Friday 3 August 2007 page 2

Workload is mentally damaging to our troops

The intensifying demands of the wards in Iraq and Afghanistan are leading to mental health problems for the armed forces, researchers say.

The research, published in the British Medical Journal, found that excessive drinking, post-traumatic stress disorder and difficulties at home all rose in military personnel deployed for 13 months or more, over a three-year period.

Source:- The Independent Friday 3 August 2007 page 7

Two new jails to be run by private sector

Two new prisons are to be built to tackle the overcrowding problems in the system.

The prisons, which will be run by the private sector, will be built at Maghull on Merseyside and on land next to Belmarsh in South East London.

Source:- The Times, Friday, August 3, 2007, page 22

Father killed baby

A father has been found guilty of shaking his baby to death.

Gary Peel, 34, of Runcorn Cheshire was found guilty of manslaughter and malicious wounding.

Source:- The Times, Friday, August 3, 2007, page 22

Carer jailed for theft

A care homeowner who stole more than £1, 200 from the bank accounts of disabled residents has been jailed.

Caroline Rice, 54, from Rothley Leicestershire was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Source:- The Times, Friday, August 3, 2007, page 22

Scottish news

University fees waived for children of refugees

Children of asylum seekers who have been in Scotland for more than three years will be treated as Scottish residents when it comes to paying university fees, the Scottish Executive will announce.

The move will mean those who gain a university place after studying at Scottish schools will not be turned away because they cannot afford the hefty fees demanded of foreign students and follows lobbying from Universities Scotland and the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC).

The executive has also pledged to work with Glasgow City Council to provide more state nursery places for three and four-year old asylum seeker children, following an inspectors report which found a shortage in these places.

Source:- The Herald, Friday 3 August

Paedophile wins right to see social workers’ records

A paedophile who abused more than 30 Scottish children has won the right to obtain the details of the criminal convictions of social workers.

Joseph Millbank, who is serving a ten-year sentence in an English jail, used Freedom of Information laws to seek the details on staff employed in Dundee Council’s criminal justice department.

After officials refused to provide answers, he took his case to Kevin Dunion, Scotland’s information commissioner and now Mr Dunion has given the city council 45 days to comply with the paedophile’s demand.

Source:- The Scotsman, Friday 3 August

Laughing neds pull OAP off scooter

Three young men dragged an 87-year-old disabled man off his mobility scooter for fun.

Police say the teenagers “laughed their heads off” as the pensioner shouted for help and struggled to get back up. They then cycled off, leaving him helpless on the ground.

The neds were cycling in Rex Park, Dunfermline, on Wednesday when they spotted the old man on a path. One of them grabbed his arm and dragged him off the scooter and on to the ground.

Source:- The Daily Record, Friday 3 August

Welsh news

Girl drowned in lake at foster parents’ home

An 11-year-old girl drowned in a lake near her foster parents’ home, an inquest heard yesterday.

Kirstey Leigh Thomas had lived with Trevor and Sue Wanmer in Llandysul, Carmarthenshire for three years when she drowned.

Source:- icWales, Friday, August 3, 2007

Hunt begins for Children’s Commissioner

The recruitment of the new children’s commissioner for Wales has begun.

Peter Clark became the first ever commissioner in Wales in 2001. He passed away in January of this year.

Source:-icWales, Friday, August 3, 2007