Poverty pimps, old rope, and lemon soaked paper napkins – welcome to a post-legal aid world?

May 20, 2012
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Last weekend, I attended a lawyer’s conference – ghastly concept, I know; it involved no natural lighting throughout a beautiful weekend. I got to cope by staying in my camper in beautiful places instead of at the conference venue, but that’s another matter… The conference explored changes to the legal landscape, and therefore along the… [Read more…]

The Great Tearing Asunder of Health and Social Care

May 18, 2012
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This morning I came across a deeply depressing blog post entitled the non-exaggerated death of mental health social work. There simply isn’t going to be such a thing as mental health social work within a multidisciplinary team.  Upset personally, terrified politically.  This Biopsychosocial model we’d all worked towards collectively, the idea that a person existed… [Read more…]

The politics of nursing and the lack of nursing in politics

May 17, 2012
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Andrew Lansley’s short speech at the RCN Congress this week did nothing to reassure the profession of nursing that they will have a long and happy relationship with him . While we all share the drive to provide good quality care  the voice of the people who are providing the care continues to be ignored. It is easy to… [Read more…]

Posted in: Uncategorized

The Costs of Home Care

May 16, 2012
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Today, the Guardian published an article about the inequitable costs of home care services throughout England and the shrinking of access to council-paid support for care in the home. The article refers to a survey and report comprised of a number of Freedom of Information requests. It says The survey, seen by the Guardian, shows… [Read more…]

Talking about Death

May 14, 2012
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Today marks the beginning of ‘Dying Matters’ Awareness Week. The organisation ‘Dying Matters’ aims to raise awareness of dying, death and bereavement. These are all matters that I work and live with, as we all do to a greater or lesser extent. While it’s been commonly said that ‘death’ is one of the last ‘taboos’,… [Read more…]

Posted in: health, older adults

The Queen’s Speech and Adult Social Care

May 10, 2012
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I was expecting little from the Queen’s Speech in relation to adult social care and I was exactly right in my assumption. The one line ‘A draft bill will be published to modernise adult care and support in England’ made my heart sink from the outset. ‘Modernise’ is one of those words that could mean… [Read more…]

Reforming Care

May 8, 2012
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There’s a good piece today in the Telegraph by Liz Kendall the Shadow Minister for Care and Older People about the need for the government to push through reforms to the system of funding (and provision) of social care in this country. The timing is pertinent of course although the message seems to have been… [Read more…]

When nobody wants to come to the party

May 7, 2012
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There’s a saying that in democratic politics, the world is run by those that turn up. But what if nobody turns up? For all the talk of low turnout at the elections last week, here’s something that is perhaps even more concerning – the ongoing national decline in membership of political parties. Take a look… [Read more…]

Posted in: Uncategorized

London Elections, Disengagement and a Vote for Ken

May 2, 2012
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I’m very aware that by writing about the London Mayoral Elections I will be alienating all those who don’t actually live in London and I apologise in advance for that. There are some issues that are solely ‘London’ and some which are more general about the voting that takes place tomorrow across the country in… [Read more…]

Posted in: politics

Four Seasons, Private Equity and the Care Sector

April 30, 2012
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Both the Guardian and the Financial Times report on the possible imminent buy out of Four Seasons by ‘Terra Firma’ – a private equity company. Guy Hands, who chairs the company is described by the Guardian as the tax exile and private-equity baron best known for his disastrous debt-fuelled takeover of EMI Comforting. Four Seasons… [Read more…]

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