Heroes/heroines...........

Wilt has been working hard, hence his absence from the Blog. However, he has been doing some catching up with, even for him, an earlier than normal start to the day.

It seems according to Community Care: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/04/113956/one-third-of-foster-carers-forced-to-consider-giving-up.htm that foster parents are displeased with their remuneration, and that comes as no surprise as they are as a whole undervalued and not really seen by many in social care as partners.

It is further reported here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8548636.stm by the BBC.

Let me be clear, the vast majority of foster parents are true professionals, occasionally far more grounded and professional than some of those spotty faced newly qualified social workers, their managers and elected members – generally, although not always the voluntary and independent agencies are much better at managing these services and is one area where local authorities would be best to chuck in the towel.

I say generally as to be fair some local authorities are very good at it, but even the best of them struggle.

Foster care is no panacea as there remains as evidenced (mostly in the private sector) in the high numbers of children’s homes in operation. Equally, as there are Dork social workers there are utter idiots and charlatans among the ranks of foster parents, purely out for their own ends and to do as little as possible and, in order to divert attention from their failings/inadequacies, spend immense energy in finding fault with others – as in Mrs C.

So whereas the VAST majority of foster parents work hard, diligently and with complete focus on the child, others (and there is usually one per agency) simply want to create as much havoc as possible in the hope of promoting their personal vanity and lazy/false suggestion of their talents in professional child care. They are a distraction which on the whole obscures the tireless but genuine foster parents who quietly get on with the very hard task of caring for neglected, rejected and abused children, of all ages.

In days gone by the former National Foster Care Association, now the Fostering Network (http://www.fostering.net/) were an organisation you could do business with and were a true and righteous political pressure group, led by good people who, although occasionally lacking a sense of reality, actually cared about children.

They struggled in balancing the factual portrayal (then) of foster carers being intrinsically and instinctively motivated by no personal gain (other than caring for children) and the aspiration that they should be recognised as equal professionals. That struggle is ongoing sadly, but the new Fostering Network does not help itself when failing to distinguish between really good foster carers and really rather poor, questionably motivated people like Mrs C – it is rumoured/reported (from numerous sources) that Mr C is the real foster parent whilst Mrs C is just, well, a waste of space and to boot does not give a shit. And these are reliable sources.

Most “normal” people simply get on with the job – they perform well and are rewarded by results. Some however do the least possible and divert attention away from their personal failures, as in Mrs C.

A bit like social work, foster care is as much a passion and vocation as it is a professional task (unless you are Mrs C et al) but it is imperative that there is “body” which promotes its advance. As BASW is a false hope for social work, so equally is the Fostering Network under its current leadership.

If the Fostering Network (among others) wish to (and it seems it is a wish) defend the likes of Mrs C on the indefensible, then so be it – all it will achieve will be to drag itself down to the level of Mrs C, which it has done hitherto even to values and means exploited by the GSCC, and one gets low in moral standards at that level. In a case matter even the GSCC considered the Fostering Network as a hopeless witness in a (unpublished) finding and the Police were simply, well, spitting in their contempt for this (so called) representatives of foster carers.

Dorks come to mind.

However, better recognition (professionally) is necessary – they like others will however need to ride out the recession and consequential major cutbacks soon upon us. They remain however, with a few exceptions, my heroes.

Wilt

Just lost..............

Just lost..............

Private fostering has been a disgrace for centuries let alone decades or in fact during the term of this Government.

This area of practice remains little understood and even less cared about (despite Climbe) and very much under resourced.

See the article here: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/childrens-services-blog/2010/03/privately-fostered-three-year-old-killed-by-carers-in-wolverhampton.html

And Wolverhampton is now at the forefront of the next disaster in failing to address this age old problem. It is a problem probably replicated in every Council in the land, but a further major accident somewhere is waiting to happen.

Wilt

Who gives a shit..............

BASW are I am afraid, very afraid, again losing the plot. Wilt had great hopes for Hilton Dawson but has increasingly edged towards the conclusion that he has become infected with the BASW virus of “not living in the real world.”

Or is it that BASW (and Hilton) have complete delusions of grandeur?

It is a real shame, BASW were shaping up after the disastrous intervention of its previous total idiot (expenses laden and alcohol driven Scottish Dork – first order with ribbons) leader (sic) only to become increasingly it seems to me lost in its own false reality – as in anyone really understands them.

See the article here: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/04/113959/basw-asked-to-step-down-from-social-work-college-talks.htm

It is a disgrace that BASW are the organisation (whose membership fee is no small amount) can be “sidelined” even by this even more disgraceful Government. And  they have the temerity to say they will set up their own college: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/04/113975/childrens-minister-criticises-basw-college-pledge.htm

What is wrong with these people?

In the wake of the loss of Michael Foot, a man I loved and few could regard as anything other than a political icon, one is given to remember some of his foibles, not least his “manifesto” designated as the “longest suicide note in history.” It seems BASW are doing the same for social care as that manifesto did for the labour party.

Wilt sadly never ever met Foot although he did meet Tony Benn, a not dissimilar political icon, but he did get a feeling for both as conviction politicians as distinct from today the career politicians, although would add Blair and Thatcher, and indeed Churchill as political heroes.

Whereas some have merit, warts and all, where does former MP Hilton Dawson fit? A wannabe social care battle warrior fighting the wrong enemy, perhaps?  A lost soul in the crap of BASW?

Whatever, Wilt is putting off his membership application to BASW.

Wilt

Hearings........

Here is the latest list of GSCC hearings: http://www.gscc.org.uk/Conduct/Conduct_hearings/Upcoming_hearings/

And here are the latest Care Standards Tribunal list of hearings: http://www.gscc.org.uk/Conduct/Conduct_hearings/Upcoming_hearings/

The GSCC are to revise their website and you can comment here: http://www.gscc.org.uk/Home/ - beware however they log who has commented! We wonder why?

Wilt

Blogging...........

Here is a list of search terms (mostly Google) used to access Regulator Watch Statistics for Regulator Watch Feb 2010 during February 2010.

“All very interesting”, said the professor. In addition there are of course those who simply access the Blog through a “saved” URL and others who access via a link in another Blog or website.

The Blog has had traffic from a wide range of public bodies (police, government departments, local authorities, Ofsted, GSCC, the information commissioner et al) the majority of which is generated by complaints by Mrs C in Warwickshire. As yet the milk marketing board have yet to visit! Some are friends (insiders) of Wilt in those agencies who are very familiar with Mrs C. Wisely they do not use their work computers to leave postings on the Blog.

Mr Plaskitt MP has disappeared entirely – we suspect his focus may be on the upcoming election in his very marginal seat.

By far the most prolific visitor is Mrs C rising from an average 3 times daily to up to 7-8 times some days and late into the night on occasions. She leaves her muddy footprint (hobnail boots) all over the Blog and yet will not contribute. As usual she does everything by proxy i.e. complaining to others. Something about missing/stolen files or something!

Yesterday she visited 4 times – last weekend over a dozen times, even whilst away from home via t-mobile. Now, that is true obsession.

Overall traffic on the website is growing from all over the world but the UK remaining by far the largest. Nothing from Turkey yet, although Wilt knows a man who has a summer visitor to his website from that location – wonder who that might be?

We love the blogosphere and of course there are now offspring (sons and daughters) of Regulator Watch and other Blogs linking to us, which we reciprocate.

There remains efforts by some to “spam” messages selling everything you could think of – hence the need to moderate.

Now the LGA (Local Government Association) are encouraging much more engagement with the press according to this Community Care article: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/01/113928/lga-urges-social-workers-to-develop-relations-with-media.htm

File Doctor et al are now doing this on the Mrs C case matter. They keep going on about something called “freedom of expression” although unlike Mrs C those correspondents actually use facts as distinct from distorted or data restricted to a certain point of view (such as Plaskitt MP or Mrs C might like – you know the full details, and things which others would prefer not be published.

Wilt

Ferkin Freezing.............

Mrs Wilt took it upon herself to have a £30,000 new fitted kitchen - OK we can afford it. All new floor/wall tiles together with (all marble throughout) unit top’s set off by solid oak bespoke kitchen units – and I do not mean just the front doors!

New lighting too - in fact enough to serve Heathrow runway (s)!

Oh and of course there are those top of the range German (Yuk – would prefer British) cooker hoods, oven(s), hob(s) and sink unit(s) fitted (huge) fridge freezer and dish washer(s).  It all looks very good on the design our LOCAL small business people/fitters have supplied – and I think they will produce an excellent product. GO LOCAL – keep it British as far as you can.

And we thought; whilst we are at it, let’s replace the central heating boiler too.

All the old stuff, well we will have it recycled into the garage – a second kitchen cum laundry – even more for the cleaner to keep spick and span.

In the mean time I am ferkin freezing.

What I never realized (but should have) was the whole of the gas supply would be disconnected – hence no heat.

I and Salty Dog are cuddling up in bed trying to retain some warmth. All the banging, cutting, drilling etc however prevents any effort at even snoozing – by tomorrow night the central heating should be back on and, courtesy of the boiler scrappage scheme we get £400 off the cost – thank you. See: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Heating-and-hot-water/Boiler-Scrappage-Scheme

And you know the odd thing is, neither Mrs Wilt or yours truly really actually cook – it will however have a nice (fitted) new microwave too.

How many households do you know of that have two washing machines, tumble dryer, two fridge freezers, two dishwashers and three fitted 1.5 sink units?  Not to mention various ovens and hobs and microwaves. Salty Dog will be busy doing the washing and ironing, loading and unloading the dishwasher and doing the cooking.

It is a good dog, very cuddly and warm too – however it needs some better under arm deodorant, and some possible better toothpaste to improve dental hygiene.

Mind you, that is what Mrs Wilt says about Wilt. (grrrrr). It comes of using toothpaste under my arms and swilling my mouth with cider – did I get that wrong?

Perhaps we can move Ms or Master Wilt into the garage - now that is a good idea!

Next projects the granny flat extension and the loft conversion and finally the atrium - cosy.

Wilt (meanwhile sneezing)

Decimation..............

The Romans had a process known as decimation for ineffective or mutinous soldiers where one in 10 would be culled. It tended to focus the minds of the troops!

Well, that is what is happening in local authorities up and down the land – and it aint all bad despite what the unions and others might say. My political friends have talked not only about 5, 10 – 20% budget cuts but also 30 % cuts over a two to three year cycle, and although these are extreme they do reflect the bloody mess of the economy and they confirm there is some scope for efficiency savings – especially in Chief Executive offices, middle and senior management.

See the BBC article here:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8528836.stm

It will mean massive outsourcing of services too.

And of course it will not be just local authorities – central government and especially quangos will find themselves either no longer existing or very much reduced in size. There will be a lot of squealing as the knife hovers over the throats of those bloated tax revenue over resourced and unaffordable government workers with excessive holiday, sick leave and pension perks.

It is what Tony Blair aimed for but which Gordon Brown has consistently undermined in favour of putting more and more tax money into public (sic) services. Now even he is squealing infamy, infamy, they have all got it in for me – actually it’s called reality.

The Telegraph has this take on the matter:   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/7337946/Worst-round-of-council-job-losses-for-a-generation-with-25000-predicted-to-go.html

Less tax for Wilt, more outsourced work and a significant fewer are holes claiming outrageous expenses.

Excellent!

And with fewer quango and even less government bloated toads, where on earth will Mrs C go? Whose ear will she be able to bend? Who the hell will have time to deal with her stupid, self-serving and distorted, unnecessary concerns? Not that they give a shit anyway.

And of course Plaskitt lad will be off on other equally personal wealth producing scams and can rightly, and no doubt relieved, relinquish his commitment to “his constituent” as he hands over to a new member of parliament.

The new potential incumbent is well versed in the Mrs C case matter.

Wilt