A merger to form the UK’s biggest HIV charity has been branded ‘secretive’ by Scots rivals who claim the new charity has a history of aggressive business tactics. Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), one of the biggest HIV charities in England and Wales, this week announced a merger with Glasgow-based PHACE Scotland to create THT Scotland. However, Scots charities who have been engaging in talks to create a single Scottish national charity say it could have a negative impact on the life-styles of people with HIV in Scotland.

Research by Shelter Scotland has found that more than 6,000 families are being evicted from their home each year. The study showed that 1,625 households were evicted by local authority and registered social landlords in 2004-05 and that 4,441 households were made homeless by the loss of their private sector tenancy in that period. Shelter has called on people in Scotland to back its Home Is… campaign to ensure everyone is housed by 2012. The campaign aims to collect at least 5,000 quotes on what home means to the people of Scotland, to highlight its importance to politicians.

Communities Scotland has awarded £150,000 to Greyfriars Community Project to establish a project giving opportunities to homeless people to make and sell products in Edinburgh’s Old Town. The funding will be used to secure premises and to set up workshops to produce goods to be sold in the shop. In addition the Edinburgh Cyrenians organic farm will supply vegetables to be sold in the shop. The aim of the project is to create 10 full-time jobs and help 60 people into a job.

Sensitive criminal record information and pre-conviction data is to be pooled in a UK-wide database for the first time to try to improve child protection provisions. The Scottish intelligence database has traditionally been kept by and for Scottish forces. But from September, it will be linked to the new national system in England and Wales, allowing officers to access information on any individual across Britain.Critics say the move, which follows the inquiry chaired by Sir Michael Bichard into the deaths of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in 2002, raises questions about civil rights and data protection.

Homophobic crime is rising in many parts of Scotland, according to alarming figures which show that attacks on gays and lesbians have increased by as much as 100 per cent in the past year. The figures obtained by The Scotsman have triggered fresh criticism of the Executive’s decision last month not to extend the definition of hate crimes to include homophobia. In the Lothian and Borders region, police have revealed that 30 homophobic offences have been recorded this year, compared with 37 for the whole of 2005. In 2003, just 19 incidents were recorded.

Young people who’ve completed a six month ProjectScotland volunteer placement can now apply for a Personal Development Fund of up to £1500 to help them take their next career step. ProjectScotland is the revolutionary volunteering organisation which matches young Scots to full-time community work. Some of the first ProjectScotland volunteers have already taken advantage of the Fund. Helen Armstrong (23) spent her six month ProjectScotland placement at Canongate Youth Project in Edinburgh. The experience underlined her resolve to become a teacher.

More than 28,000 people are waiting for their initial appointment with a physiotherapist in Scotland, according to the first ever official survey. The unprecedented investigation found patients can face delays of up to a year for their first treatment session. Queues of 12 months or more to see other health professionals including dieticians, chiropodists and speech and language therapists were also recorded. Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Health Minister, called for health boards to examine therapy services in light of the information and drive waiting times down.

A judge yesterday ordered an inquiry into how a convicted paedophile was able to sexually abuse a 10-year-old child despite social workers being tasked to supervise him. Lord Hardie demanded answers to a series of questions about the handling of the case of James Steele, 28, who carried out an indecent act against the child nine months after he was released from an eight-year jail sentence for sexual offences against two boys. The High Court in Glasgow heard that Steele befriended the boy and his family under the noses of social workers delegated to monitor him while he was out on licence.

Hundreds of British psychiatric casualties of the war in Iraq could be left without adequate care unless the UK’s leading military mental welfare charity can raise £150,000 to help provide specialist therapy for veterans. Combat Stress, which runs Hollybush House in Ayr, Scotland’s only residential home for soldiers affected by the horrors of conflict, is to launch a nationwide appeal for funds this week. The charity dealt with 939 cases of clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder at its UK network of care homes last year, up 21% from the 775 casualties referred for treatment in 2004. Combat Stress needs £5m a year to operate its three homes and welfare programme.

Professor Morag Cameron Faulds, who died peacefully after a long illness, was born in Tobermory on the island of Mull. She began school there and later attended Oban High School. Subsequently, she took an arts degree at Glasgow University followed by a diploma in social sciences. From there, she went on to qualify as an almoner (a medical social worker) under the auspices of the Institute of Hospital Almoners. In 1946, she was appointed as a social worker at Kings College Hospital, London. In 1948, she returned to Scotland as head social worker at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, then held a similar post at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow.