Families in line for £0.5bn refund over tax credits fiasco

Families in line for £0.5bn refund over tax credits fiasco

Families who were forced to give back overpaid tax credits are to have up to £500m returned to them after ministers admitted Revenue and Customs officials followed the wrong procedures when they attempted to recover overpayments.

Source:- Daily Mail Monday 3 September 2007 page 4

The deadly secret

Birmingham safeguarding children board has criticised professionals for delayed responses to rape allegations by a 15-year-old girl who later hung herself.

In a report into the death of Anna Maria Averill, the board said it was impossible to say whether earlier investigation of her claims could have prevented her death.

But it said there was evidence of professionals, including a community psychiatric nurse, respecting Anna Marie’s confidentiality rather than reporting allegations to the police or social services, and said delayed responses to allegations could have put others at risk from the abuser.

The man she identified as her abuser was jailed for five years last year for a string of sex attacks.

Source:- Daily Mail Monday 3 September 2007 page 5

Report into death of boy, 14, calls for reform of youth custody

A report into Britain’s youngest death in custody will today condemn the youth justice system for treating 14-year-old Adam Rickwood more as a criminal than as a vulnerable child in need of care.

In a report, Lancashire’s safeguarding children board said the restraint used on Adam before he killed himself was “probably” in breach of guidelines.

It called for “urgent clarification” from the Department for Children, Schools and Families on the legal status of all children in the secure estate.

Source:- The Guardian Monday 3 September 2007 page 4

Academic challenges cut pupils’ antisocial behaviour, study says

Primary school pupils who push their pupils academically reduce antisocial behaviour, a government-funded study by researchers from Nottingham, Oxford and London universities has found.

Source:- The Guardian Monday 3 September 2007 page 6

Tories to pledge ‘schools revolution’

The Conservatives will look at giving schools financial incentives to take more disadvantaged pupils, Tory leader David Cameron has said.

Source:- The Financial Times Monday 3 September 2007 page 2

Primary school children blamed for 3,000 crimes

Children under the age of ten were the prime suspects in nearly 3,000 crimes last year, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Source: – The Times, Monday 3 September 2007, page 12

Charities want ageism ban in finance and health services

Ministers will face calls this week to extend the laws to protect the elderly as tribunals brace themselves for a surge in age discrimination claims.

Source: – The Times, Monday 3 September 2007, page 19

Adult court trials harm children, says QC

A leading barrister and part-time judge believes ASBOs should be scrapped because they could lead to severe injustice. Sally O’ Neill, who takes over this week as the chairman of the 4,000-strong Criminal Bar Association, also urges a radical review of youth justice.

Source: – The Independent, Monday 3 September 2007

Probe on scald girl

An investigation has been launched into the death of a disabled teenager who climbed into a scalding bath at a care home.

Source:- Daily Mirror, Monday 3 September 2007, page 27

Welsh News

Almost 3,000 crimes committed by under-10s

Chlldren under 10 in England and Wales were responsible for nearly 3,000 last year.

They included about 1,300 incidents of criminal damage and arson and more than 60 sex offences, according to figures obtained by BBC Radio Five Live under the Freedom of Information Act.

Children aged nine or under cannot be charged with an offence in England and Wales, although the crime will be recorded by police.

The figures were based on data from 32 of the 43 forces in England and Wales, the BBC said.

Of the 2,840 crimes where the suspect was under 10, about half were cases of arson or criminal damage.
There were also 66 sexual offences, including a number of sexual assaults on children

Source: www.icwales.co.uk

Call for ban on ageist behaviour

Almost two thirds of older people do not believe the government is doing enough to erradicate age discrimination, according to research by Help the Aged.

The charity found 78 per cent of people want an outright ban of age discrimination. While Just over half of older people (51%) said health professionals dismissed symptoms as “just old age”, while 53% believe there is little dignity for the elderly in hospital or care homes.

Source: www.icwales.co.uk