John Eastwood Hospice Charity
Concert
Friday October 28th
Forest Town Welfare
Winning Raffle tickets..........
1st Prize £100 ........Ticket 2070
2nd Prize £50 .........Ticket 2404
3rd Prize £20 ......... Ticket 3095
Total raised so far is £2900 and rising.
Money For
Nothing
I can't help
but hear about all the cuts that have to be made to public
services. I agree something needs to be done. It's my opinion that
cuts are initially the wrong thing to do.I'm sure that if public
services were looked at, there are many many ways they could be
made more cost effective. There seems to be obvious signs of waste
and miss management visible to the general public. Why can't it be
seen by the government? I raise money for a local hospice charity.
The director of the hospice has pointed out to me how much
equipment costs them. I couldn't believe the ridiculous cost of
some of the equipment.It seems to be think of a number and double
it . Now the same must be the case for the NHS. Perhaps the
government should be looking into extortionate costs being charged
to the NHS and other such organisations.
Cedar Avenue Mansfield
Woodhouse 3/2/2011
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I walked down Cedar
Avenue yesterday.It was less than a month ago that the council
workers were replacing the old paving slabs. Now look at it. It's
been dug up by the gas people. On the side of our new Prime
Minister, I think this is the sort of thing he is talking about.
What a waste of time and taxpayers money.
Robbed of £11.95
I have also found over the past few
days that moral is very low within parts of the public sector
because of all the cuts that are looming. I personally have just
been ‘ripped off’ , by an internet trader. I purchased goods, they
arrived but were faulty. I was told to send them back. They would
not organise the return. I sent them back. The goods were replaced,
then I was told that they would only refund me £10 of my return
postage. It had cost me £21.95 to send them. Now if they had come
into my house and stolen £11.95 ( the balance), I could have
‘phoned the police as I had been robbed. Not so easy for me. I
contacted the ConsumerDirect website. A case number was generated
and they advised me of my consumer rights i.e. sale of goods act
1979. It appears I should not have been charged anything at all.
The company refused to refund me the balance. I returned to
ConsumerDirect. They told me to visit the Citizens Advice Bureau.
CAB advised me that I have even more rights because of the laws
governing e-commerce and distance selling. and to contact Trading
Standards.I ‘phoned Trading Standards who told me that the company
had broken the law, but it would cost me at least £200 to try and
get my £11.95. I would have to pay for the proceedings and hope
that the company repaid me the £11.95 plus the expenses, There is
no guarantee they would pay me. None of these government
organisations offered to lift the ‘phone and ‘phone the illegal
traders. I guess I can’t blame them, it’s only £11.95, not
thousands of pounds. I have purposely with-held the companies
details, but they are in Southampton and I have found that their
registered office is a private house in Eastleigh.
I know from experience that in the past, Trading Standards sent
letters and investigated situations like mine. wuduslad.
A waste of
money?
Having paid my taxes since I left
school in 1965, I think it's about time I got value for money. No
doubt there are many out there that agree with me. When you pay for
a service or goods from a private company, you mostly get what you
pay for. I have worked in the private sector since 1965. Private
companies know that you cannot spend more than you earn. A fact of
life. They are constantly trying to be as efficient as they can. If
they fail, they go out of business. Another fact of life. Perhaps
local councils should look at being more efficient . Let me give
you a couple of examples:-
When my daughter initially viewed to her Mansfield council house,
there was a small wooden gate in the front garden wall. The house,
inside, was also in a very poor and filthy state. She was told that
it would be cleaned before she moved in. Below are photographs I
took on the day she was given the keys, the day she was supposed to
move in with her four very young daughters. She was, still is, a
single parent, but thats another story. This was in
2007.
We took the keys and the digital camera back to show the
council. Apparently contract cleaners are used to prepare houses
for new tenants, it was their fault.Not the council. Mind you no
one from the council had been and checked the property. Or so they
said.They promised to send the cleaners back to do the job. It's
now 2011. She is still waiting. She had to move in, so we set-to
and did the job ourselves. She was given a grant of £150 to make
good the walls etc and to decorate. The voucher was to purchase
decorating material from the most expensive shop in Mansfield. No
choice . She could have purchased twice the amount of materials
from DIY supermarkets! It has taken the best part of three years to
get that house into a comfortable state.
Between viewing and moving in, the garden gate had
gone missing. She 'phoned the council. They sent a surveyor who
measured up and said he would send someone to fit the new gate (
about 3' square- not a large size).Weeks later, three blokes turned
up in two transit vans and took three or four hours to fit the gate
onto the old, rotting gate posts!
Next problem. A leaking radiator in the kitchen. Council 'phoned.
Surveyor came days later. Measured up, and said someone will come
and fit a new one. A few days later a council plumber arrived.
'You've got a faulty rad?'. He measured it and said he would fetch
one. Dissapeared. None in stock.... have to wait. Eventually
someone came and fitted the new radiator. They had to be called
back days later as the connection was leaking. A guy came with
spanner and tightened it. 'Should be ok'. They had to be called
back. Another guy came and retightened the compression joint. It
still leaked so I tightened it myself. It's still ok. These are
just a couple of money wasting occasions from the past three years
or so. I bet there are many of you out there with other tales to
tell. I'd be interested to hear about them.
LEGAL AID TO BE
CUT?
The
Government is currently consulting on proposals which will see the
dismantling of Legal Aid in this country. Legal Aid will be
removed from a whole swathe of matters including virtually all
Immigration, Housing, Debt, Welfare Benefits and Employment cases.
Many Family cases (including those which involve issues regarding
access to children) will also no longer be publicly funded.
These changes will mean that those on low incomes will not be able
to access legal advice and representation, leaving some of the most
vulnerable people in our society open to abuse and
exploitation. It is also likely that many Legal Aid suppliers
– both private firms and not-for-profit agencies – will finally be
forced to abandon Legal Aid work as it will no longer be
financially viable. The Government has produced a 215 page
document with a ‘consultation response’ document which is complex
and difficult to navigate. However, they have also provided
an email address for people to send in their responses
: legalaidreformmoj@justice.gsi.gov.uk
If you want to find out more about the campaign to save Legal Aid,
go to the Justice for All website at www.justice-for-all.org.uk
Police
cuts
Recently
the Police Minister, Nick Herbert, made a speech to The City Forum
about the cuts to the Police Budget . What follows are extracts
from that speech. You can see more details by clicking here ...
SPEECH .
'Let me start by addressing some of
the concerns that have been set out.
There are some who say that police funding should not be cut, or
not by so much. But this government inherited the toughest
fiscal challenge in living memory. We have had no option but
to reduce public spending. The police service, in spending
over £13 billion a year, cannot be exempt from the requirement to
save public money.
This challenge requires real leadership, decisive
leadership. Transformational leadership from chief constables,
who I know can provide it. Local political leadership from
police authorities and their successor directly elected Police and
Crime Commissioners. And strong, strategic leadership from the
government, which the service rightly expects and which I am
determined to provide. So let me explain the broad strategy
– and how we will ensure that it is delivered. It is
to:
- improve frontline services
- spend the minimum on other functions
- from the start think about transformation and long-term change, not tactical salami slicing
In Brighton, Sussex Police, my own force, have put in place a dedicated team for secondary investigations, reducing the amount of paperwork that response officers have to complete and allowing them to return quickly to the streets after answering a call. This saved nearly £1 million, improved response times, and sped up the time it takes to complete an investigation.
At the same time, the police service needs to minimise what it spends on non-frontline functions. Some of these are back office functions (like finance and HR) and some of these are what we tend to call middle office functions (such as training, custody and criminal justice administration). These functions have grown disproportionately as the money rolled in and bureaucracy predominated. As Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, told the Home Affairs Select Committee earlier this month: ' ... some of our headquarters operations had got too big.' I’m not saying that these functions can or should be abolished. I am saying that they need to become much leaner. They need to cost the minimum consistent with supporting the frontline in the context of a less bureaucratic approach to public service delivery.'
UNISON
CHALLENGE
Libraries For more than 150 years, through the doors of
their local library, people of all ages have found a wealth of
opportunities between the pages of books. The UK’s 4,517 libraries
give young people the chance to learn to read, give older people a
connection with the outside world, and provide a vital hub for
communities large and small. But never before has the service, and
the millions of people who rely on it, faced such a threat.
Libraries account for only 1% of council’s overall budgets but more
than 500, (around 10%) are currently under threat of closure.
Included in this total are 74 mobile libraries, which provide a
vital lifeline to many people, including those in rural
communities, and in schools, for the elderly and the disabled. Only
11 local authorities have pledged not to cut their library service.
The affect on local people will be huge. In a recent survey of
library users, 74% said they think libraries play an essential, or
very important role in their lives. Even non-users are aware of the
value of libraries. 59% said they think libraries play an
important, or very important role in their community. The recent
explosion of grassroots support for libraries with read-ins taking
place across the country, and novelists like Zadie Smith lining up
to give moving tributes to the service, shows just how much local
libraries mean to people. Library supporters know that access to
books, CDs and computers, free of charge, and well trained
librarians, don’t just enrich an individual’s life, they enrich our
society and our culture too. They know that it would be a tragedy
if thousands of children and elderly people missed out on the huge
benefits that having a well-stocked local library can bring. This
outpouring of support follows years of under-investment in
libraries, with spending on new books falling by 15% in the last
ten years. But if investment is boosted, visits by members of the
public jump. After a period of investment in Welsh libraries, the
number of visits grew by 5.6%. Against this backdrop, voters in
many parts of the country will head to the polls on May 5. UNISON
is challenging all councillors standing in local elections to love
their libraries, and pledge adequate resources for the services,
for well-trained staff and decent premises, opposing cuts and
privatisation. Local people can use their votes to protect local
services, including local libraries. This is the first opportunity
many people have to send a warning shot to the coalition,
signalling their opposition to the speed and scale of the spending
cuts. As well as campaigning for libraries, UNISON will continue to
call on the government for an alternative economic approach. This
must include tackling the bankers, and making taxation fairer,
instead of ploughing on with the cuts, regardless of the wider
social and economic costs.
Social care On 5 May,
local elections in England, and parliament and assembly elections
in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be taking place.
People will be heading to the polls against the backdrop of
the biggest cuts in living memory hitting councils. As a large
chunk of council spending, social care is squarely in the firing
line. But as anyone with experience of the care sector
knows, services are already stretched to breaking point. The 2006
Wanless report warned of a £6.6 billion funding gap by 2026. Now
Age UK estimates that cuts have stretched that gap to £8.8 billion.
Falling through this gap are vital local services. Hundreds
of adult day centres are closing their doors. Charges are on the up
for services such as meals on wheels, community transport and home
care. Eligibility thresholds are also increasing. Only people with
the most desperate need will now be eligible for care. Six
out of ten residential care homes rely on public funding and the
cuts are leading to reduced services and places. One in five
independent providers tell us they don’t believe they will survive
in 2011. Many charities, that provide services for local councils,
are fighting for survival because of cuts, spelling danger for the
Tory’s much hyped Big Society. Cuts also mean misery for
those working in the sector – many (90%) of whom are women, who
also do most of the unpaid caring too. Tens of thousands of jobs
stand to be lost - thousands have already gone. Cameron is pushing
women backwards into the Big Society, so they can do it all for
nothing. Just two years, average wages have dropped from £6.75 per
hour, to just £6.00. Some people are paid even less - a
report by the Low Pay Commission revealed that nearly one in ten
social care staff are paid below the minimum wage – nothing short
of exploitation. Car allowances, and unsocial hours are also
being cut, with some companies asking workers to stay at home on
call, refusing to pay them unless they are called out. It is hardly
surprising that staff turnover has hit 25%. Despite the recession,
some local areas are struggling to cope, due to lack of staff.
Cost pressures mean councils are rushing ahead to privatise
remaining in-house services. The Tories have sweetened the deal for
private companies by announcing plans to end the two-tier workforce
agreement. This is a recipe for exploitation, and will hit low paid
women, working in cleaning, catering and caring professions,
hardest. Privatisation in the care sector – which has seen
15 minute care slots sold off to the lowest bidder - has been
synonymous with falling standards. The race to the bottom on pay,
conditions and training will all add up to a worse service.
Whilst these cost pressures can be traced back to decisions made in
Whitehall, councils do have other choices. Smart councils are
bringing services back in house, saving on contract costs, and
re-investing these funds into giving the public better services.
Others could dip into their sizeable reserves. There is a
growing demand for social care services – but the Tory-led cuts are
threatening to bring social care to its knees. UNISON will continue
to lead the campaign for a fairer route to growth and recovery,
which keeps up investment in jobs and vital local services. We are
calling on people to join us, and to vote with their feet against
the hard and fast Tory cuts in the up and coming local
elections.
Youth services All across the
country, voters will be heading to the polls on May 5. This will be
one of the first opportunities for the public to send the Tory-led
coalition a strong message about the damage that the speed and
scale of the spending cuts is inflicting on our communities.
Councils are being hit with the biggest spending cuts in living
memory. No service is safe – but one of the hardest hit is services
for young people. Just as youth unemployment reaches record
levels, with more than a million young people out of work, youth
services and support for young people is vanishing. Top of the hit
list are ‘open access’ youth clubs and centres. Over the years
these centres have been successful in reducing anti-social
behaviour by providing a place where young people can meet and find
entertainment and support. Universal provision for young people is
also disappearing fast as councils focus on targeted youth work –
only those in the greatest need will now get help and support. Some
authorities are going even further, and laying plans for a complete
withdrawal of youth services. Youth services could be the first
public service to disappear in some areas. Years of professional
expertise and partnership working between the statutory and
voluntary sectors will be lost. The Connexions service, which gives
targeted help for the 16- 18s to find work, is also being hit hard
– with one in four advisers set to lose their jobs. Some areas are
even shutting the services down entirely, leaving young people
without much needed support to find a job. So does this
government have a plan B for young people? Among other options
being suggested are greater involvement of the charity and
voluntary sector. But with 70% of funding for the sector coming
from councils, this will be impossible in reality.
The government is also looking to
volunteers to plug the funding gap. There are already 500,000
volunteers in youth work, but they depend on a framework of full
time paid staff to support, educate and engage them. The John
Lewis, or mutual’s model is also being held up as a cure-all.
However, in the current climate there are real concerns about the
financial stability of mutuals. If they get into financial strife,
they will quickly be ripe for takeover by big companies such as
Compass and Serco, who bring yet another set of complex problems to
the table. This is also a relatively un-tested model, and also has
implications for democratic accountability. In the lead up the
elections, UNISON is calling on councils to think long-term about
keeping up investment in youth services. There is another way.
Councils need to make political decisions about whether they
support young people or throw them to the wolves. They should be
talking to youth workers and to young people about what services
they really need. They should resist the pull of the market, and be
clear about the ability and the limitations of relying on the
charity sector to provide services. We know that youth services
make a huge difference to outcomes for young people, and that
cutting them will store up problems for generations to come. Once
these services are destroyed, they will take a long time to
recover. Surely every young person deserves a fair
chance?
|
NHS "listening exercise" |
"When we tell him his plans aren't working, he doesn't seem to want
to hear what we're saying."
| Dr
Hamish Meldrum, Chair of the British Medical Association, May
2011 |
He wants to use it to claim he's listened - then plough ahead with dangerous changes to our health service. So he's not going to be too pleased to see adverts across the newspapers, funded by 38 Degrees members, showing him with his fingers in his ears.
The "listening exercise" has six days left to run. We'll deliver a copy of the Save the NHS petition on the final day.Let's make sure that our huge petition being carried into Andrew Lansley's office – in full view of the media – becomes the enduring image of the whole process. That would stop him being able to use the "listening exercise" to justify dangerous changes to the NHS.
Can you help spread the word and make sure the petition is as big as possible by next Tuesday?Please forward this email and ask your friends to sign now:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
So far over 390,000 of us have signed our Save the NHS petition.That's no surprise - protecting the NHS is a matter of life and death. We rely on it to look after us and our loved ones. So many experts - doctors, nurses, health charities, patients' groups - are all warning that Lansley's plans could spell the end of the NHS as we know it. We just can't risk that happening. [1]
Lansley's "listening exercise" has been carefully stage-managed from start to finish to paint a positive picture for the media. When 38 Degrees members went to meet their MP in Sheffield, they found out that there'd been a "listening exercise" in their city just hours earlier - but it had been kept secret until after it was over. [2] That's been the story across the country.
Thanks to donations from thousands of 38 Degrees members, Save the NHS adverts exposing the sham "listening exercise" will be seen by millions of people today. That will boost the number of signatures on the petition.But people are so much more likely to sign if, as well as seeing adverts in the paper, they are asked to sign by their friends.
If you use Facebook, post the advert to your profile:http://www.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-facebook-share
If you use Twitter, send a tweet about it:http://www.38degrees.org.uk/NHS-twitter-share
Working together we are making it impossible for politicians to gloss over concerns about their NHS plans. 38 Degrees members voted in February to make the NHS our top priority. Since then hundreds of thousands of us have signed the petition, emailed and visited our MPs, and donated to run adverts in the newspapers. We're turning the tide, but we're not there yet.So now let's make sure we have as big a petition as possible to deliver to the "listening exercise" next Tuesday.
Please forward this email and ask your friends to sign the petition in time for it to be handed in to the NHS "listening exercise" next Tuesday:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/Save-our-NHS
Thanks for being involved,
Johnny, Marie, Becky, David, Hannah, Cian and the 38 Degrees team
PS: You can see which papers our ads are in here:http://www.38degrees.org.uk/our-lansley-ads
NOTES
Quote from Dr Hamish Meldrum:http://www.politics.co.uk/interviews/health/interview-bma-s-hamish-meldrum-$21388805.htm
[1]http://38degrees.org.uk/pages/save-our-nhs-who-is-worried
[2]http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/05/andrew-lansley-nick-clegg-still-not-listening-on-nhs/
| Dear
John, Health minister Andrew Lansley's so-called NHS "listening exercise" ends on Tuesday. |