General Chat

I do get sick and tired of people moaning about foreign aid. All the ills of our society seem to be able to be solved if we didn't send money abroad. Sorry, but I don't believe that. This particular issue - and I agree it is disgusting, inhumane and harrowing - is only partly 'money' related. It seems to me that management, incompetence, recruitment, training and superivision are the issues here. Just throwing money at it without looking into the basic problems won't work.

Sheila, absolutely agree with you!

Just like to make one point about CRBs as Shimms mentioned them and training, I had one recently, it means absolutely zilch really, just that either I haven't had a criminal past...or haven't got caught! After 3 days training I was in a position of carer to a 90 year old, alone, in her own home,

I believe part of the problem is that with the unemployment situation as it is, job centres are suggesting to all and sundry that they apply for jobs in the Care industry... there is (I was told ) one new job every 9 minutes in the health care system. I have sat in the job centre and eavesdropped (lol) on job seekers being railroaded into applying for such jobs that they have no experience of, or empathy with, or desire to do...because it's "go for the jobs or lose your JSA!".

Or as in my case, on one job description the job centre staff member pushed me towards...'position requres experience in lifting client with a hoist'...I pointed out that I did not have experience of same ....his response? "Well how difficult can it be?"...

Shimms....hope you are ok??

l agree with everything everyone says!!

You're right Rita the bigwigs don't know what the real world is like!!

Myself and Vic are lucky in that we have pretty good health (famous last words).....one member of my family needs more help than they're getting though!

But the caring & nursing situation is diabolical in 'some' care/nursing homes/hospitals and something should be set up to help family/friends to be heard if they are concerned!!

jude

Rose - that's so true. In our local paper, probably 60% of the meagre clutch of jobs on offer are care related. I may be looking for work later in the year but wouldn't consider such a job because I don't think I'm the right sort of person and have no 'vocation' for it. However I am lucky in that I don't have to claim job seekers. I really do think that individuals should have a real desire to do this sort of work, and not be 'pushed' into it - training is essential, of course, but the basic empathy has to be there first.

Yes l see your point as well Sheila, management, incompetence etc plays a vital role!!

jude :o)

Having worked in social care for all of my working life I feel I must add where i think the failings are!

for 6 years I managed a supported living scheme for adults with an LD, it was on a smaller scale to the residential scheme in the documentary as service users lived in 2s or 3s.
We were regularly inspected in my 6 years as manager BUT and this is the biggy, I was always given at least 2 weeks notice of an inspection.
any establishment who is doing anything dodgy will then have 2 weeks to make sure that all of their paperwork said the right thing, all of their staff had been primed etc. I know that the local authority and CQC can do unnanounced inspections but it never happened to me. A manager will know exactly what the insepctors want to hear and be able to cover up all manner of things.

I think the thing that worried me the most was that so many of the staff were in on it, there are often cases where an individual member of staff is found to be being abusive but the fact that everyone seemed to know about it and join in. those who stood by and watched it happen without reporting it to the correct authorities are in my mind just a culprable as they had the chance to stop it.

I just hope that this case does come to court and lengthy sentences are handed down to those involved however I am concerned that without other witnesses coming forward the prosecution may struggle as the service users will not be seen as reliable witnesses.

and finally- just a reminder for people if you have any suspision that a vulnerable adult is being abused please report it through you local authority social services department, ask to speak to the SOVA (Safe Guarding of Vulnerable Adults) lead, they have to follow up all allegations that are reported to them.

Julia (In Cambs)

When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible.

When sufferings become unendurable, the cries are no longer heard.

The cries, too, fall like rain in summer. (Bertolt Brecht).

Im disgusted words fail me