Child Poverty in Scotland

240 000 children in Scotland are living in poverty, with 90 000 children living in families where there isn't enough money to provide essentials like winter clothing and decent food. See Save the Children Scotland for briefings on severe child poverty and the impact of poverty on education. See also BBC Scotland for their coverage from January 26, 2010.

Who Care's Scotland - anti -stigma campaign

Youing people in care in Scotland chose tackling the stigma associated with being in care as their number one priority in a Who Care's consulation - hence the launch of the 'Give me a chance' campaign. See BBC Scotland for further reportage.

Intute - internet social worker

The Intute gateway for social sciences offers a free online research tutorial for university students at Internet Social Worker.

NHS choices Alzeimer's video.

NHS Choices have posted a large collection of videos on health care and caring on YouTube, including this one on Alzeimer's care.

Palliative Care

In a week which has seen much coverage of "mercy killing" court cases and proposed right-to-die legislation in Scotland, reportage by those working in palliative care offers another perspective. See  A Tradition of Excellence in Palliative Care, Financial Times, 22 January 2010.

Building user & carer involvement in social work education

This At A Glance publication from SCIE aims to provide help with the mandatory requirement for Higher Education Institiutions offering the social work degree, to consult with service users and carers to ensure that their needs and opinions are reflected in the design and development of courses.

In CareKnowledge this week

Children's Hearings and the love that binds - transcript of the 9th annual Kilbrandon Lecture by professor Kathleen Marshall.
The societal cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland for 2007: research conducted for the Scottish government by the University of York.
Universalism and personalisation,G. Wistow (2009), Housing Care and Support, 12 (4).

Doncaster social services criticised re grevious bodily harm case

Social services in Doncaster have been criticised in a leaked report by the Safeguarding Children Board with regards to the case of two brothers in foster care, then aged 10 and 11, who seriously and sexually assaulted two other young boys. The board stated that the brothers had been failed by nine seperate agencies, who had missed more than 30 opportunies to intervene in their lives before the assaults took place. The boys will be sentenced later this week. BBC Newsnight January 18, 2009.

Child protection - a police officer's account

"Baby X", Detective Seargant Harry Keeble's account of working for Hackney Child Protection is published this week.  An article about hs experiences, "How can a child be beaten to death, yet no one is jailed for murder" appeared in the Observer 17 January.

In Children and Young People Now this week.

The 12-18th January issue of Children and Young People Now (Jordanhill Serials 362.7) carries articles on a fathers' support group and  family drug courts. The Child Right section focuses on protection from forced marriage and age assessments for unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

Why refugees come to the Uk.

Independent research conducted for the Refugee Council reveals that refugees have little or no choice over which country they come to to seek asylum and many did not know their destination, had no expectation of financial support and had the primary objective of seeking safety. See the research report and press release.

Men who pay for sex

Men who buy sex: who they buy and what they know. (2009). London. Eaves. The respondents in this study describe their patterns of use of the services of prostitutes, their awareness of violence and coersion and their attitudes to legal sanctions and enforcement. This is part of an international study. See also co-author Jullie Bindel in Guardian January 15, 2010.

Haiti Earthquake appeal for funds

Possibly the easiest way for UK residents to give aid to survivors of the Haiti earthquake is via the Disasters Emergency Committee, which is coordinating collections on behalf of 13 major UK aid organisations. Give via tinyurl.com/yh28dtg or phone 03706060900.

Cutting crime: the case for justice reinvestment

The House of Commons Justice Committee first report, Cutting crime: the case for justice reinvestment examines the current situation where, under successive governments, the UK prison population has risen, and the failure to address the causes of the increase, including media and public opinion, politicisation of the criminal justice system and the failure of agencies outside the criminal justice system to effectively reduce the numbers of people entering the criminal justice system. See also coverage in the Guardian January 15 2009.

Managing Performance

Social Work Inspection Agency. (2009). Guide to managing and improving performance: taking a closer look at managing and improving performance in social work services. Published by the Scottish Executive following consultation with six Scottish local authorities.

Recent e-documents

Risky behaviour and social activites (2009), research report from the Department for Children Schools and Families.
Provision of mental health services to care leavers (2009), published by NFER and the Local Government Association.
Increasing the number of care leavers in 'settled, safe accomodation' (2009), by the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services.
Children's care monitor 2009 Children on the state of social care in England, reported by the Children's rights Director for England.
Children talking to Childline about sexual abuse (2009). Childline case Notes, NSPCC.
The chance of a lifetime: preventing early conduct problems and reducing crime (2009), Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.
Family life: the significance of family to homeless young people (2009). J Monford, Centrepoint.

Accomodation for Runaways

Rees, G. et al (2009)Commissioning, Delivery and Perceptions of Emergency Accomodation for Young Runaways, Dept for Children, Schools and Families is a research report by members of the Children's Society and the Social Policy Unit at the University of York. The scope of the report includes England, Scotland and Wales.

Forced Marriage - the role of social services.

One Year On: the initial impact of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 in its first year of operation. The act has been used to protect women and girls ranging widely in age from 9 to 35 years, with 86 Forced Mariage Protection Orders being issue in the first year of operation. Unfortunately, in this report social work departments have come in for some criticism, with some local authorities being slow to make use of orders and their potential for integration with child protection procedures. See also Guardian The Times, both 8 January 2009.

Child Mental Health

Following the independent review of CAMHS sevices, the final report of which was published in November 2008, the Westminster government have published a response paper, Keeping Children and Young People in Mind.

Highlights from Careknowledge this week

Care knowledge brings together 11 social work journals and useful reports from a variety of sources. This weeks reports include A Recipe for Abuse, a Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland investigation into the care and treatment of a supported landlord scheme; What are we learning about protecting children in the community?, a Save the Children Report; and Risky People or Risky Societies? : rethinking interventions for young people in transition, from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.

Airport body scanning of children illegal?

The introduction, on a trial basis of body scanners at airports has provoked child welfare campaigners to inform Manchester Airport management that the scanning of persons under eighteen would constitute an offence, in that it would create indecent images of children. See report and comment in the Guardian January 4, 2010.

Keeping In Touch

Keeping in Touch is a new report from the Children's Rights Director for England, which presents the views of 370 looked after children, with regard to keeping in touch, or choosing not to keep in touch with birth family members and friends.