Category: social services

Mental Capacity Act Code needs revising to enable more effective best interests decisions, says Mental Health Foundation – Family Law Week

Posted February 3rd, 2012 in codes of practice, mental health, news, social services by sally

“The Mental Health Foundation, in partnership with the Norah Fry Research Centre at the University of Bristol and the Centre for Applied Social Research at the University of Bradford, have published a report calling for the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Code of Practice to be revised to enable health and social care staff to make more effective best interests decisions.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 2nd February 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

‘Hidden army’ of abuse survivors could sue councils after £1m payout to incest victims – The Guardian

Posted January 23rd, 2012 in child abuse, damages, incest, negligence, news, social services by sally

“Four siblings who were sexually abused by their father and uncle have received what is believed to be a record £1m in damages from a social work department that failed to protect them as children.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Child offenders ‘dumped in prison’ as cuts erode social care – The Guardian

Posted January 16th, 2012 in budgets, children, imprisonment, news, social services by sally

“Thousands of children are being imprisoned for minor offences such as playground fights as support services are cut, says Centre for Social Justice thinktank.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Social care leaving elderly to suffer ‘terrible abuse’, says expert coalition – The Guardian

Posted January 3rd, 2012 in care homes, elderly, news, social services by tracey

“The government and opposition are being urged to overhaul England’s ‘failing’ social care system, which experts say is leaving 800,000 elderly people ‘lonely, isolated and at risk’. In a letter published in the Telegraph a group of more than 60 government advisers, charity directors and independent experts said failure to meet the challenge of an ageing population was resulting in ‘terrible examples of abuse and neglect’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Joshua Jones inquest: Two-year-old’s death ‘avoidable’ – BBC News

Posted December 20th, 2011 in inquests, news, police, social services, unlawful killing by tracey

“A coroner has said the death of a two-year-old boy from Cheshire in 2007 could have been avoided if police and social services had acted differently.”

Full story

BBC News, 20th December 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Will the Family Drug and Alcohol Court survive? – The Guardian

Posted December 15th, 2011 in alcohol abuse, children, courts, drug abuse, family courts, news, social services by sally

“The court gets results – but funding cuts put it under threat.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th December 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Record £130,000 child data error fine for Powys council – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2011 in data protection, fines, local government, news, social services by sally

“A council which sent details of a child protection case to the wrong person has received a record £130,000 fine for breaching the Data Protection Act.”

Full story

BBC News, 6th December 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Concerns’ over Kristiana Logina, killed by scalding shower – BBC News

Posted December 2nd, 2011 in causing death of children or vulnerable adults, news, social services by tracey

“Health workers had been concerned about a mother who went on to kill her toddler by holding her under a scalding hot shower during the girl’s early life, a report has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 1st December 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

 

‘No grounds’ to remove Phillip and Izaak Stevens before killings – BBC News

Posted November 29th, 2011 in children, murder, news, social services, suicide by sally

“Little could have been done to save the lives of two children killed by their mother, a serious case review has concluded.”

Full story

BBC News, 29th November 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home care providers in England face inspections – BBC News

Posted November 22nd, 2011 in care workers, elderly, news, social services by sally

“Home care services in England are to be subject to a fresh inspection by the Care Quality Commission from April.”

Full story

BBC News, 22nd November 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Social workers given guidance on inappropriate relationships with clients – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2011 in news, professional conduct, social services by tracey

“Rise in misconduct cases prompts regulator to publish advice on professional boundaries for staff.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Social Services have both statutory and common law duty to protect children from abuse – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 8th, 2011 in child abuse, duty of care, local government, news, social services by sally

“This case concerned the entitlement to compensation for the years of abuse the claimants, three brothers a sister, the youngest, who had suffered at the hands of their father. The older claimants had both suffered regular abuse from an early age until late teens. The third claimant escaped the prolonged abuse suffered by his brothers. The fourth claimant, who was conceived after the defendant social services became aware of the situation, nevertheless endured abuse for five or six years.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 8th November 2011

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

House of Lords will be able to vote on key NHS clause – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2011 in bills, health, ministers' powers and duties, news, private equity, social services by michael

“Peers will be able to vote on the government’s controversial plan to hand over its ‘constitutional responsibility’ to provide NHS services to an unelected quango on Wednesday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge reveals distress at ruling teenager cannot keep child – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 26th, 2011 in adoption, children, families, judges, news, parental responsibility, parental rights, social services by sally

“A teenage mother has lost her fight to be allowed to bring up the daughter she gave birth to when she was just 14 years old.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 25th October 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Recurrent patterns of failings in baby abuse cases, warns Ofsted – The Guardian

Posted October 26th, 2011 in causing death of children or vulnerable adults, child abuse, negligence, news, social services by sally

“Too many babies have been killed or seriously injured through child abuse because of failings by the authorities that are repeated across the country, a report has found.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Baby P effect puts record number of ‘at risk’ children in care – The Guardian

Posted September 9th, 2011 in care orders, child abuse, news, social services by tracey

“Record numbers of ‘at risk’ children are being taken from their families and placed into care, official figures show, as social workers respond to what they regard as increasing neglect and emotional abuse of vulnerable youngsters.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Harley Ruck killing by mother Jade ‘not preventable’ – BBC News

Posted August 19th, 2011 in children, homicide, news, police, social services by sally

“The killing of an 11-month-old girl by her depressed mother could not have been predicted or prevented, a serious case review has found.”

Full story

BBC News, 19th August 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Anglesey child policies ‘serious shortcomings’ – report – BBC News

Posted August 8th, 2011 in children, news, social services, Wales by tracey

“A report has highlighted ‘serious shortcomings’ in the way Anglesey council deals with the needs of vulnerable children.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th August 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dog ‘given priority’ over Newtown toddler – BBC News

Posted July 27th, 2011 in child neglect, dogs, news, social services by tracey

“A Powys toddler was left bitten and bruised after her parents gave their German Shepherd dog “greater priority”, a court heard.”

Full story

BBC News, 26th July 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Trafficked girl’s carer in court fight for access to children’s services – The Guardian

Posted July 21st, 2011 in children, news, post-traumatic stress disorder, social services, trafficking in human beings by sally

“A girl who spent her childhood imprisoned in a brothel before being trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation should not be treated as an adult, her lawyer argued on Wednesday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th July 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk