Study clears social workers of ‘snatching children’ – The Guardian

Posted March 3rd, 2008 in children, news, social services by sally

“A government-commissioned report will this week lift the lid on the scale of the abuse suffered by children who are taken into care to be protected from their families.”

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The Guardian, 2nd March 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Father of boy killed in tractor accident is fined – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 29th, 2008 in accidents, children, fines, health & safety, news by sally

“A farmer whose 12-year-old son died in a tractor accident has been fined for breaching agricultural regulations.”

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Daily Telegraph, 29th February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

R (M) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted February 28th, 2008 in children, housing, law reports, social services by sally

R (M) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council [2008] UKHL 14; WLR (D) 64

“A child who had been provided with accommodation by the housing department of a local authority but had not been brought to the attention of their children’s services department had not been ‘looked after’ under s 22(1) of the Children Act 1989 and was accordingly not entitled, having reached 18, to support under the Act as a ‘former relevant child’.”

WLR Daily, 27th February 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Cash aid to help grandparents care for children in drug-risk families – The Guardian

Posted February 28th, 2008 in benefits, children, drug abuse, grandparents, news by sally

“Grandparents are to be given financial support and legal backing to make it easier for them to take over the care of children with parents who are problem drug users, under government plans revealed yesterday. The package includes the government’s intention to dock the welfare benefits of unemployed problem users who fail to make contact with treatment services. Ministers intend to announce more steps linking benefit rights to completing treatment courses.”

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The Guardian, 28th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children need more space, less ultrasound, says Archbishop – The Guardian

Posted February 26th, 2008 in children, news by sally

“The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, today weighs into the debate over attitudes to young people in Britain, arguing that many loiter in groups or take refuge in computer games because adults make them feel insecure and unwelcome in public spaces. Far from intending to ‘menace’ others, youngsters congregate and hang around together in order ‘to feel secure’, Williams writes in the Guardian today. They fear not only aggressive gangs but ‘unfriendly adults’, he says, arguing that adult discouragement of games in public places intensifies the problem.”

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The Guardian, 26th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

More security for child database needed, says review – The Guardian

Posted February 21st, 2008 in children, data protection, news by sally

“Further security controls are needed to ensure the safety of data stored on the government’s new database, which will contain information on every child in the country.”

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The Guardian, 21st February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ban on children held in prisons – BBC News

Posted February 21st, 2008 in children, news, prisons, Scotland by sally

“The Scottish Government is to scrap laws which allow children under 16 to be held in jail without having been convicted of an offence.”

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BBC News, 21st February 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Teenager wins damages after council took baby – The Guardian

Posted February 19th, 2008 in children, damages, mental health, news, social services by sally

“Nottingham city council today agreed to pay damages to a teenage mother after admitting it acted unlawfully by taking away her newborn baby.”

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The Guardian, 18th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Senior Labour MPs lead campaign to ban smacking – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2008 in children, corporal punishment, news by sally

“A fresh parliamentary attempt is to be made to ban the smacking of children, led by senior Labour backbenchers, including the chairman of the all-party health select committee.”

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The Guardian, 15th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mother went on holiday leaving girl, 14, £100 to survive six weeks – The Independent

Posted February 15th, 2008 in child neglect, children, news by sally

“A mother who left her 14-year-old daughter at home alone with £100 and a refrigerator full of food while visiting her lover has been convicted of neglect and abandonment and could face jail.”

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The Independent, 15th February 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fear factor leading teenagers to carry weapons, says report – The Guardian

Posted February 14th, 2008 in children, news, offensive weapons by sally

“Teenagers are increasingly arming themselves with weapons to protect themselves against attacks in the street, according to a report by a leading children’s rights advocate.”

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The Guardian, 14th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

In re Trinity Mirror plc and Others – Times Law Reports

Posted February 13th, 2008 in anonymity, children, law reports by sally

In re Trinity Mirror plc and Others

Court of Appeal

“The crown court had no jurisdiction to grant an injunction to restrain the publication of the name of a defendant or the nature of his convictions on the basis that his children would be harmed since such an order was not incidental to the defendant’s trial, conviction and sentence.”

The Times, 13th February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Tighter controls on video games – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 11th, 2008 in children, news, video games by sally

“The classification system that prevents children from playing violent or sexually explicit video games is likely to be extended under recommendations in a report commissioned by the Prime Minister.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Children’s tsar seeks to ban sonic weapon used on hoodies – The Guardian

Posted February 11th, 2008 in children, news by sally

“A controversial weapon in the war against antisocial behaviour should be banned, the children’s commissioner will warn this week in a move that threatens a new Whitehall battle over ‘hoodies’ rights’.”

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The Guardian, 10th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children think Asbos are cool, study finds – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 11th, 2008 in ASBOs, children, news by sally

“Many children do not see receiving an anti-social behaviour order as a sign they have done anything wrong, and some even think they are ‘cool’, a new report has concluded.”

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Daily Telegraph, 11th February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘Smacking can turn children into criminals’ – The Guardian

Posted February 11th, 2008 in children, corporal punishment, news by sally

“Smacking children, however lightly, should be outlawed because it increases the chances of aggression and anti-social and criminal behaviour in later life, a new report concludes.”

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The Guardian, 10th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Baby must remain in foster care – BBC News

Posted February 8th, 2008 in children, mental health, news, social services by sally

“An 18-year-old mother, whose baby was taken into local authority care hours after he was born, has had her appeal to get him back turned down.”

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BBC News, 7th February 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jail for child porn ex-policeman – BBC News

Posted February 7th, 2008 in children, internet, pornography, sentencing by sally

“A retired Metropolitan Police officer has been sentenced to three years in prison for distributing 1,863 indecent images of children on the internet.”

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BBC News, 6th February 2008
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

More than half of 13-year-olds have drunk alcohol, says home secretary – The Guardian

Posted February 7th, 2008 in alcohol abuse, children, news by sally

“The majority of Britain’s 13-year-olds have drunk alcohol, marking a worrying ‘tipping point’ for underage drinking, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, warned yesterday as she promised to step up enforcement action.”

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The Guardian, 7th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

ID ban lifted on child porn man – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2008 in children, news, pornography, reporting restrictions by sally

“A man convicted of child pornography offences can be named, the Court of Appeal has ruled.”

Full story

BBC News, 1st February 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk