Fostering in Scotland unfair?

Sarah Lurie, director of Fostering Network Scotland writes in the Guardian, crticising the current lack of regulation by the Scottish Government in fostering, which has left local authorities and independent fostering providers to set their own fostering allowance rates, and foster carers potenitally being asked to care for higher numbers of children than in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, where the limit for unrelated placements is 3 at one time. This year the Scottish Government conducted a consulation exercise for the proposed Children and Young People's Bill. The new bill will hopefully bring Scotland into line with the rest of the UK in the above areas. Additionally Lurie is hopeful that proposals for payment for foster carers in line with the remuneration of staff in residential children's care will increase recruitment and retention of foster carers.

Into the Unknown - Children's Journeys Through the Asylum Process

This week the Children's Society published a report Into the Unknown, on the experiences of unaccompanied children seeking asylum on arrival in the UK. THe report is critical of the UK Border agency, with the Children's Society maintaining that the UKBA fails to ensure that children fully understand the process they are entered into and that children who may already be traumatised, having fled from violence, have to contend with a culture of disbelief. Many children reported that when being interviewed by the UKBA, there was no responsible adult to act on tehir behalf, and that interpreters often lacked the specific regional dialect or language to do the job properly. The Children's Society concludes that better training is essential for interpreters involved in this work and that an independent feedback and complaints system needs to be established to keep children fully informed of the process of their claim.

Alcohol and Older People

BASW have published a guide on Alcohol and Older People which attempts to explain some of the reasons why  older people may use alcohol and drink more than the recommended limits. Old age may bring social isolation and fears of ageing, or alcohol may be used as self-medication to cope with age related illness. Often older people may become involved in “drinking networks” simply to have some company. Older people may be more likely to be misdiagnosed by health services as alcohol related symptoms may present in conjunction with other age related conditions.
On the same subject, a BBC Panorama broadcast Old Drunk and Disorderly, examines why those over 65 are more likely to drink every day, and drink alone, than anyother age group, leading to more alcohol related hospital admissions for older people than for the often assumed to be heavy drinking 16-24 year old age group.