Society briefing: NHS culture 'must change to protect whistleblowers'

Society briefing: The pick of the Guardian’s social affairs news and comment NHS whistleblowers | Empty homes | Charitable ways to spend Valentine’s Day Clare Horton theguardian.com, Wednesday 11 February 2015 07.47 EST Sir Robert Francis QC, author of the Freedom to Speak Up report on whistleblowing in the NHS. Photograph: Martin Godwin/Martin Godwin Sign up to Society briefing email Please note: there will be no Society briefing next week. The bulletin will return on 25 February Today’s top SocietyGuardian stories • NHS culture must change to protect whistleblowers – official review • NHS whistleblowers: the staff who raised the alarm • Unemployment causes 45,000 suicides a year worldwide, finds study • Powers to bring empty houses into use ‘ignored’ • Inquiry into Nottingham police finds serious child protection failings • UK prisoners banned from voting not entitled to compensation • Girlguiding launches badge for global gender equality • ‘I thought I would never marry again, but I found love at the age of 80’ • Owen Jones: The Tories are putting Britain’s democracy up for auction • Ally Fogg: Prison is no place for healthy sexual development All today’s SocietyGuardian stories In today’s SocietyGuardian section • Could supermarkets for poor people tackle the UK’s chronic food poverty? • Jack Monroe: Community Shop is no good if you don’t have any money • Young people are setting up workers’ co-operatives to fight against inequality • Zara Aziz: Being a ‘generalist and gatekeeper’ is no longer sustainable for a GP • Regional cities drive prosperity, says a charter for local freedom • After Rotherham, how can councils do more to protect children? • Women with learning disabilities are hidden victims of domestic violence • Carolyne Willow: ‘We closed workhouses, let’s get rid of child prisons’ Jobs of the week • Chief executive, York Museums Trust • Head of IT and transformation, Aberdeen city council • Director of education planning and access, Kent county council • Project manager for community led housing project, Rural Urban Synthesis Society The Guardian’s public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs On the Society Professional Networks • Five charitable ways to spend Valentine’s Day • Domestic abuse: how can services protect children in violent homes? • Why Blackpool has asked the Treasury to slash residents’ housing benefit • Why can’t patients receive blood results via text or use Skype for appointments? Pick of the blogs • Emran Mian, Institute for Government: Get off the ring-fence • Ela Hunter, New Start: Making the criminal justice system work • Pete Jackson, 21st Century Public Servant: A school for local government radicals? • Helen Milner: Independent libraries: freedom, equality, community • Ben Matthews, FutureGov: Smarter and more collaborative use of technology and data could save local government billions • Zarathustra, Not So Big Society: NHS psychotherapy services hit by austerity • James Nazroo, Manchester Policy Blogs: Ethnic inequalities in health – policy paralysis and the need to be ambitious Other news • BBC: Sturgeon - UK austerity ‘has failed’ • Children & Young People Now: May criticises councils over insufficient secure accommodation • CivilSociety.co.uk: Independence Panel - ‘The future of an independent voluntary sector is at serious risk’ • Community Care: Social workers hit by real terms pay cut, official figures show • Independent: Capita accused of using major government contract to short-change small companies, driving some out of business • Inside Housing: Welfare of thousands of homeless babies at risk • LocalGov.co.uk: Cost of council outsourcing contracts climbs to £30m average • Public Finance: ‘Weak’ council scrutiny raises concerns • Third Sector: We want charities to be more self-reliant, says Office for Civil Society’s Ben Harrison SocietyGuardian blogs Patrick Butler’s cuts blog Sarah Boseley’s global health blog SocietyGuardian on social media Follow SocietyGuardian on Twitter Follow Patrick Butler on Twitter Follow Clare Horton on Twitter Follow Alison Benjamin on Twitter SocietyGuardian’s Facebook page SocietyGuardian links SocietyGuardian The Guardian’s public and voluntary sector careers page Hundreds of public and voluntary sector jobs SocietyGuardian editor: Alison Benjamin Email the SocietyGuardian editor: society@theguardian.com Sign up for the Guardian Today Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for the daily email