Society daily 13.05.11

Sign up to Society daily email briefing Today's top SocietyGuardian stories • Jobcentre posts cut by 2,400 as coalition plans to axe a fifth of staff • Council to charge children £2.50 to use playground • Cuts will force child poverty levels to increase again, says thinktank • Southern Cross calls on landlords to cut rents by 30% • Children and the law: new case may transform criminal courts' approach • Hardest Hit march: panel verdict • Drug regime could halt spread of HIV • IVF multiple birth rate drops • Martin Kettle: This Tory attack on red tape will cause a clearout of good law • Bob Reitemeier: We must listen to the children, as Munro says All today's SocietyGuardian stories Other news • Taxpayers may have to pay an "old age care levy" to help fund the nursing homes of the future, according to the Independent. It says Andrew Dilnot's Commission on Funding of Care and Support will recommend next month that the government must significantly increase the amount it spends on the elderly. • The chair of the RNIB has accused charities of being "conservative, comfortable and even self-satisfied" , reports Third Sector. It says Kevin Carey told the Charity Finance Directors' Group annual conference: "If we believe our own rhetoric, we are cutting-edge, fleet-of-foot risk-takers – but I don't believe our own rhetoric." • 12-year-old Tia Rigg , who was raped and murdered by her uncle in Manchester, was failed by child protection agencies , a serious case review has found. The BBC reports that the review found Tia's murder was not predictable or preventable. • The Home Office is halving the number of people who work in its anti-social behaviour team , according to Inside Housing. It says the 14-strong team, which is carrying out a review of ASB powers, has been reduced to seven members following staff restructuring at the department. • Staff at Southampton council have voted to take industrial action over the authority's decision to introduce pay cuts of up to 5.5%, reports Community Care. Unite and Unison balloted their members after the authority announced the majority of the council's 4,300-strong workforce would have to accept the cuts, which vary depending on salaries, or face dismissal. On my radar ... • Nursing . The profession is the focus of our NHS reforms live blog today. In an exclusive interview, Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing , warned there will be a "major collision" if no changes are made to the health bill after the listening exercise. From 1pm the online "staffroom" will see doctors and other NHS professionals commenting on the news covered by the blog this week and at 4pm, Tim Curry, assistant head of the nursing department at the Royal College of Nursing, will be joining a panel of other nurses to answer questions live online. We're hosting our own listening exercise event next Monday, 16 May, at the Guardian's London office. Have your say on the health reforms by challenging Prof Steve Field, head of the government's listening exercise. If you'd like a free ticket to attend please email [email protected] Comment of the day comes from Sieghbert on our blog about NHS reforms by Melanie Henwood, which argued that the health secretary is on borrowed time: "Call me naiive, but I saw Andrew Lansley at an event yesterday and thought what a really nice, genuine, knowledgeable, self-deprecating, committed and forward-looking guy he is. I have to say that I think the NHS would be safe in his hands. However, his party is another thing and their supporters are another thing too. The speed with which commercial organisations are already taking over NHS and other care functions is entirely alarming. The freedom with which NHS grandees are giving valuable rights and priviledges to commercial firms without competitive procurement process is remiscent of the fall of the Soviet Union. Commissars are jumping ship with the state assets and becoming private sector oligarghs. Lansley may be remembered as the velvet glove that delivered the iron fist despite his best intentions. He's not exactly Kerensky - someone may be able to offer a better historical analogy - but you get my drift." Meanwhile, Political Scrapbook reports that Mark Britnell, global head of health at KPMG (and former NHS director general for commissioning and system management) told a conference of health executives that the NHS will be privatised . It says he told the conference, run by $20 billion private equity firm Apax Partners: "In future, the NHS will be a state insurance provider not a state deliverer." • The 70+ reports and testimonials submitted to our Cutswatch project , ranging from lengthening waiting lists in Coventry to job cuts in the north-east of England. Find out more about how you can get involved • Tweet of the day comes from Sally Bercow , who reports: "Letters this morning *complaining* that I participated in #hardesthit march. Damages the husband's office apparently." She also features in this excellent video report on the protest ; this afternoon's Technical Difficulties show on the wonderful Resonance FM will also be looking back at the event, with Kaliya Franklin as special guest. • The Rally Against Debt , the pro-cuts march , which is taking place in London on Saturday. Will it match the turnout for the March for the Alternative or the Hardest Hit protest, I wonder .... On the Guardian Professional Networks • Delivery of public services needs to be turned on its head in order to provide the services that different communities need , write Ed Mayo, secretary general of Co-operatives UK, and Andrew Laird, a director of Mutual Ventures • The NHS has 'more pilots than British Airways' , according to the Department of Health's chief information officer , who wants to see more sharing of successful work rather than endless trials • Private firms are asking the government for money to take on public sector staff , according to a new report SocietyGuardian blogs Patrick Butler's cuts blog Joe Public Sarah Boseley's global health blog SocietyGuardian on social media Follow SocietyGuardian on Twitter Follow Patrick Butler on Twitter Follow Clare Horton on Twitter SocietyGuardian's Facebook page SocietyGuardian links SocietyGuardian.co.uk Guardian cutswatch - tell us about the cuts in your area Public Leaders - the Guardian's website for senior managers of public services The Guardian's public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs SocietyGuardian acting editor: Anna Bawden Email the SocietyGuardian editor: [email protected] SocietyGuardian.co.uk editor: Clare Horton Email the SocietyGuardian.co.uk editor: [email protected] Interested in education policy and news too? 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