What is it about MPs and why they lack an understanding of the moral questions over their allowances. One should say a number of MPs as it is by far from all. One suspects the silent majority would still argue they ‘are worth it.’ Mmmmmmm. That is very debatable. The Telegraph today reveals some MPs responses to the formal review of allowances in this article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6112443/MPs-expenses-MPs-who-milked-the-expenses-system-now-complain-about-attempts-to-reform-it.html

Guido (http://order-order.com/) was also right the other day to comment that the MPs allowances  scandal will not go away soon and voters will remember come the time of the election.

They just aint got a clue. Wilt is thinking of inviting a few MPs for a video interview on how they can, for instance, claim the full £400 per month for food without receipts. Wilt can feed a family of three and a host of animal pets on that much and still get change from £400.

I wonder how many MPs will be willing to give an explanation of they can spend so much?

On other news Guido (http://order-order.com/) is back and Jeremy Paxman is too from Tuesday next week, no doubt followed by a horde of other political and other leading correspondents. Silly season will start again – just love it. In October the report on the competence of the GSCC will be published and no doubt another round of GSCC and Care Standards Tribunal case outcomes.

Strangely the GSCC have as yet not published the outcome of their latest hearing (a Birmingham Social Worker) and neither have Community Care. Mmmmmmmm! Is there something embarrassing on that one? Normally if the GSCC have successfully applied the ‘Cosh’ they immediately publish the outcome. Very curious indeed then, that there is no news, unless Wilt has missed something. No update on the GSCC recently concluded hearings (http://www.gscc.org.uk/Conduct/Conduct_hearings/recently_concluded_hearings/) and the case has been deleted from the upcoming cases (http://www.gscc.org.uk/Conduct/Conduct_hearings/Upcoming_hearings/). Very odd. Well, perhaps not, it is the GSCC. There is always a method in their madness, and madness prevails at the GSCC. It is probably a ‘damage limitation’ exercise – keep the public ignorant.

I wonder if Paxo will respond to my suggestion that he should look a litter closer at the GSCC?

Wilt

This Hilton Dawson chap at BASW is looking more like what I thought BASW should represent – the profession. See his scathing attack on the GSCC here:

http://www.basw.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=105&articleID=987 and there is further coverage by community care, here:

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/08/26/112437/conduct-basw-lambasts-gscc-over-right-to-fair-hearing.html

Dawson is certainly doing a better job than the former Scottish CEO of BASW who infamously accused the GSCC of not applying the ‘cosh’ to enough social workers – utter Dork.

At this rate Wilt will have to consider rejoining BASW having earlier resigned in utter disgust at the incompetence of BASW, and that was before the Care Standards Tribunal commented that Lisa Arthurworrey owed her success to winning her right to be registered as a social worker not because of but in ‘spite of’ the BASW representation, which they criticised – that was pre-Dawson days.

Here are some snippets from the BASW press release:

“Our Advice and Representation Service tell me that cases which have been hanging over social workers for periods such as a year are now being brought summarily to hearings to consider the interim suspension of staff from the register.

In a recent example a 295 page ‘bundle’ was received by the A and R Service 3 working days before a hearing which clashed with prior commitments of the officer who was to undertake representation.  Our request for a postponement of a few days was summarily refused and our request for a review of this decision was ignored.”

AND:

“Again in the past few weeks we have had a social worker appearing before an Interim Supervision Order hearing because of complaints about a Core Assessment where those bringing the case had not even read the document in question but had relied completely on the case provided by the complainant.

BASW staff succeeded in persuading GSCC not to suspend on this occasion but our efforts to have the whole case thrown out have been denied because procedures have recently been re-written to prevent the dismissal of cases before a full hearing.”

AND:

“However, the experience of our Advice and Representation Team is that the GSCC have a deal to learn from their counterparts about oppressive working practices.”

Yes, give it to them Dawson – Wilt loves ya!

BASW’s experience of the other 3 regulators (Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) is very different, citing proportionality, courtesy and fairness, albeit robust. That sounds about right on how Wilt has discovered from others. And it sounds like that is what it should be. Dawson accuses the GSCC of depriving social workers of their human rights and essentially tearing up the rule book when it comes to them abiding by the rules. Well, Hilton old chap, have you only just realised this?  That has happened from day one.

The GSCC does not have a resource problem it has a basic competence problem, and a serious culture problem where they believe that social work careers are just cannon fodder in their desire to earn their right to an existence.

Wilt prefers a more succinct description of the GSCC – bastards of the first order.

Well done, Mr Dawson.

Wilt

At last, the Government is seemingly seriously reviewing local government and civil servant pension schemes and in all probability make them not final salary schemes but “average” salary pensions – YES!! Finally, Wilt can look forward to a lower tax bill. See the article here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/pensions/article6810021.ece

It is predicted that local authority staff will take strike action. Um, OK! So what? Will it make any difference? Nope! Do we care? Nope.

Of course the next move will be to reduce salaries in local government – YES I did say reduce. That probably will never happen but Wilt predicts rises in salary will be in real terms nil or even reduced after taking into account inflation.

Then finally, local government service conditions will be reviewed and the stupid sickness leave and annual leave (and numerous other leave entitlements) will be curtailed.

Every major economic downturn has its silver lining – in this case putting public servants into perspective in terms of economic reality.

So, go on strike, Dorks. All the more money saved in tax, and less in your pockets. Excellent!

Wilt (happy at this news)

No wonder Wilt has such a high tax bill and why this economy is in such a ferkin mess. The Telegraph reports today:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6066181/NHS-staff-paid-overtime-when-off-sick.html

NHS staff are getting paid overtime while off sick!

For Gawd sake, beam me up Scotty and please stop the world and let me get off. What is wrong with these people? Here are some quotes from the article:

“The generous terms mean that when they are on sick leave they receive full pay, plus a selection of benefits. These include supplements for unsocial hours and overtime for six months, with half pay for a further six.”

“The deal means when an NHS worker – such as an ambulance worker, nurse, porter, or midwife – goes off sick they are paid according to an average of their total pay for the previous three months, rather than just their basic salary.”

“In many cases, workers have boosted their income by working nights or extra hours, or are paid a ‘recruitment and retention’ bonus, which can add tens of thousands of pounds to the basic salary of a middle grade worker living in London.”

And what exactly is the justification for this, someone please explain?

“However, supporters said NHS workers are exposed to unique pressures, with 56,000 physically attacked each year, and they deserve to be looked after.”

The article observers:

“The Telegraph has received allegations of NHS workers asking managers when their six months on full pay expires so they know when to return to work, people booking holidays and then taking sick leave to cover the time off, and posting photographs on Facebook of themselves out with their children while off sick.”

And:

“In the private sector, standard sick leave normally includes a short period on full pay, around one month or six weeks, followed by statutory sick pay paid at £79.15 per week for people earning £95 or more. In many cases employees are automatically put on statutory sick pay, once they qualify – which is when they have been off sick for four days.”

And:

“The Health Service terms and conditions also eclipse other areas of the public sector: police receive full pay for six months and then half pay for a further six, but do not receive any overtime. Teachers get full pay for 25 days off sick then half pay for 75 days in their first year, rising to 20 weeks’ full pay and 20 weeks on half pay after four years working.”

And:

“This is taxpayers’ money. The NHS has the expertise to get people back to work but they just do not use it on their own staff.”

This is outrageous – this has to change, together with the conditions of service for all local government, civil service and quango staff.  No wonder Wilt is so poor.

As well as the contrast with the private sector a further comparison needs to be drawn with those who run a small business or the self-employed – who (unless they pay for private insurance) get paid sod all when off sick, take a holiday and in most cases there is no such thing as overtime or extra rates for bank holiday or other unsocial hours.

These people are taking the piss, big time.

Wilt (grrrr)

Wilt is thinking of giving up business and becoming an “Intern.” See Guido blog article here: http://order-order.com/2009/08/18/gold-plated-interns/

£29000.00 for an intern!! Someone is taking the piss, aren’t they? I suppose the other question is, is the intern in question a relative of a Minister, MP or Civil servant?

What is wrong with these people?

I am all for this intern thing, apprenticeships and anything that helps the unemployed but paying them other than the minimum wage and perhaps a bit extra and reasonable expenses makes it a nonsense – or more to the point paying them £29000.00 (albeit pro rata for three months) is outrageous. No wonder the national debt and my firkin tax bill is so high. I despair.

I do however feel really sorry for our young community who have been so let down by Gordon Brown and his band of nerds.

It’s our fault, we vote for the turds and subscribe to this EU regulation crap.

Gawd help us all.

Wilt (grrr)

Another bites the dust. Generally the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council) are a bit more grounded and sensible than the GSCC but one still wonders, is a social workers practice so bad that further training or other conditions on registration would suffice rather than lose another from the depleted ranks. After all she does not have serious criminal convictions (as far as we know), is in good health (as far as we know)  has not robbed her clients and not shagged a service user.

Social Workers are leaving the profession – one friend of Wilt who lives in Glasgow, and a very competent and experienced social worker, just threw in the towel last year feeling it was a no longer for her. She now works part time undertaking a very menial job but utterly loves it – no overwhelming sense of responsibility (she  turns up and does the business), no paperwork or unfathomable computer screens, and no stress. It does not pay so well, but so what.

Of course we do not know all the details of the SSSC case but one does wonder if removal from the register is warranted. Let us also remember that Aberdeen are in utter chaos having had poor inspections and did this social worker get all the support she needed, were there competent managers and was her workload reasonable?  Could not an admonishment with conditions on continued registration have been made? Is this another CST (Care Standards Tribunal) case in the making?  And of course we know the SSSC do make cock ups too – see the following: http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/08/scottish-social-services-council/

I do really hope the SSSC are not going the way of the nerds at the GSCC. That would be sad. Keep a perspective people, please.

See the article here: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/08/17/112376/social-worker-barred-for-repeated-child-protection-failings.html

The SSSC website here: http://www.sssc.uk.com/Homepage.htm

Oh and by the way Glasgow is an ever so nice city, and the people a treasure (preferably when they are sober). Mrs Wilt loved the shopping as Wilt wilted under the pressure of retail therapy – Gawd!!  However, even Wilt was impressed with the choice of the retail facilities. Mrs Wilt spent a fortune so Wilt has crossed off any further options to visit Glasgow for the foreseeable future. Money is far better spent on cider, fags and gadgets.

Hamden Park however (http://www.hampdenpark.co.uk/) is a shithole of a venue – in fact it’s a disgrace. Excellent transport systems though – almost as impressive as those in Holland.

Wilt

This report of a £11,000 leaving bash is outragous. Who do these people think they are to, quite frankly, rob the taxpayer of this amount of money on getting pissed and well fed. When Wilt wants to get pissed or well fed (preferably both at the same time) and have a laugh with old friends, he pays – usually over the odds as jis retired mates are blood suckers despite their numerous local authority pension supported holidays abroad.

When Wilt left local government there were a few kind words and a trip to the local watering hole where Wilt paid for the beer, crisps and peanuts. It cost all of, lets think, £20. And Wilt was then a very senior local government officer and having spent over 20 years in service. So exactly what justifies £11,000 for a BBC executive! Further, what justifies that cost being charged to the tax payer? Well the BBC has the answer, apparently:

A BBC spokeswoman said: “Jenny Abramsky joined the BBC in 1969 and did almost 40 years service at the BBC. She was the first woman editor of the Today programme and launched numerous new BBC services which benefited the Licence Fee Payer including BBC Radio Five Live, BBC News 24 and BBC News Online – Jenny was also made a Dame for her services to radio.

“After such a long period of distinguished service to the BBC many people wanted to show their respect and appreciation for Jenny’s outstanding contribution to the organisation and this was reflected in a guest list of 540 who were invited to the event.”

Oh, OK that is fine then, you utter ferkin Dork.

See the full article here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/6015128/BBC-spends-11000-on-leaving-party-for-executive.html

Wilt (grrrr)

A new Care Standards hearing coming up:

Ford v General Social Care Council
Date: 17 August 2009
Judge: Tony Wadling
Non-Legal members: Lydia Gladwin, Claire Trencher
Venue: Care Standards Tribunal, 18 Pocock Street, London SE1 0BW
Time: 11.30am

All Care Standards hearings are published here:

http://www.carestandardstribunal.gov.uk/hearings.htm

The GSCC are an utter disgrace. A little while ago Wilt published the details of an upcoming Conduct hearing, see here: http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/08/mooo/

In it he had serious questions of what:

a)    This case had to do with the GSCC;

b)    It was not a real conduct issue; and

c)    The allegations went back so far.

Was Wilt right to raise these questions? Yes.

The GSCC’s own Conduct Committee criticised and raised the same concerns, see here: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/08/13/112353/gscc-criticised-for-lamentable-delay-in-bringing-conduct-case.html

“Lamentable” was the description of the GSCC conduct. At this point I must point out to those nice people at the GSCC what lamentable means, so excuse me otherwise intelligent reader. Here are some Thesaurus alternatives:

• Regrettable
• Woeful
• Sad
• Deplorable
• Inexcusable (Wilt likes that one)
• Terrible
• Appalling
• Dreadful
• Hopeless (Wilt also likes that one)

The dictionary description is “disappointingly bad” and “mournful.”

Hopefully the GSCC can now see the light, get an understanding of what utter Dirks they are.

We could also of course remind them that the Care Standards Tribunal  described them as “draconian” as reported by Wilt, here:

http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/08/gscc-draconian/

I would like to post the response of the GSCC to these allegations of utter Dorkish behaviour, but of course they never respond to bad news or report cases where the CST or others prove that they are utter fools. They only report when they have got rid of or suspended/admonished some social worker (some of whom deserve it).

Nothing thus far posted on their website, see here: http://www.gscc.org.uk/Home/ except of course the social worker struck off in an earlier case matter. Will they publish this new case? I bet no! Gawd knows how the head of conduct, Robin Weekes, will be feeling, or his team of 51 officers. Perhaps he is thinking of a career change, or if he is not Wilt suspects others might be thinking of it on his behalf.

There have been some who have claimed the GSCC are under resourced and under pressure because of the influx of complaints following Baby Peter – well that argument is blown out of the water as the case highlighted today goes back years. To quote the Community Care article:

“The committee said the delay between McLauchlan’s employer, East Sussex Council, referring his case to the GSCC and the hearing was “lamentable” as its investigation had yielded no material that had not been available to East Sussex during an internal disciplinary inquiry in 2005-6.”

In other words, no new evidence was available since the GSCC received details in 2005 -6 from the social workers employer. What were the GSCC doing in the subsequent 3-4 years. Piss all it seems – and please don’t some idiot suggest its lack of resources as otherwise I will vomit violently.

Let us just face the facts – the GSCC are utter incompetents, and the sooner they are rid of the better.

As if one bad news story for the GSCC is not enough, like a number 57 bus, two come along at the same time. Wilt just loves it – he must have an extra pint of cider at the pub tonight in celebration. Yes, in the headlines again, them ever so cheerful GSCC people.

See here: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/08/13/112358/gscc-took-six-months-to-seek-suspension-of-abuse-suspect.html

This is the case of Social Worker A who was accused of a serious sexual assault on a minor – just to explain again to GSCC folk, that is a minor (otherwise a child) as distinct from a miner (someone who works in a coal mine). I know it is subtle, but the difference is important!

Alerted to this fact the GSCC did, well let’s call it, firkin nothing – except after the criminal investigation and subsequent charges were dismissed in Court. So, let Wilt try to understand this – the guy (assuming it is a man) is acquitted on the higher threshold of ‘beyond reasonable doubt” and then the GSCC apply to suspend him on the lower threshold of “on the balance of probabilities.” Had they applied to suspend him whilst enquiries or the Court case was onging, that Wilt could understand.

Applying after acquittal appears to Wilt to be “double jeopardy.” The Community Care reports:

The barrister representing Registrant A, David Dadds, believes the case was among the backlog. “The GSCC has to become more professional in dealing with these investigations, not only on behalf of the public but for social workers as well,” said Dadds, of Essex-based law firm Liddell and Company.

“What if the allegations against practitioners are vexatious and unfounded? Delays within the GSCC are creating an infringement of their civil rights.”

Look here Mr Dadds, how dare you accuse those nice people at the GSCC of infringing peoples civil rights. How dare you!

Sorry, Wilt had a slight aberration there and forgot that is what the GSCC almost always do, attempt and sometimes achieve abusing the civil rights of social workers. Not that they mean to of course, as that would imply they are simple evil bastards of not only limited intellect but also lacking what the Prime Mentalist (blame Guido for that description) describes as a moral compass.

So, if they are not evil bastards it must follow they are utter firkin Dorks. QED (quod erat demonstrandum). I rest my case. Oh and by the way GSCC, “quod erat demonstrandum” is an old language of the nobles – as you have not yet mastered the English language it is probably best that you try not to fathom it.

Wilt is looking forward to that pint of cool cider. Yummy! One wonders what the GSCC people might be drinking.  Arsenic – well one can only hope!

Wilt

Quangoland  is a fairytale place of wonder, where all the folk are very well paid, get loads of holidays and wonderful benefits. The structure of its governance means that as a free state within a state it is accountable to no one. No one is elected in Quangoland.

Its economy is based on the Robber Baron concept of extracting taxes from those who are required to pay homage to them, and a very lucrative form of piracy where the Government of the day dole out huge sums of dosh to them.

Quangolanders are having a great time. No expense spared, not accountable to anyone and they can make up rules to serve themselves. Living in Quangoland is rather good. They love nothing better than taking the piss when all around them are trying to find real work to do and find enough dosh to feed the kids.

How do the subjects of Quangoland view them? Well, it is mixed but generally the subjects (not Quangolanders but serfs of the Robber Barons) are getting rather peeved.

“Why do we need these Quango” says one serf to the other, who responds “What good have they ever done?” Regrettably this is not a Monty Python sketch, as otherwise this story could end up supporting the Quango. In the Monty Python (Life of Brian) fashion the reply would be, “They build the roads, the aqueducts the sewerage system etc., etc.” In Quangoland however the Robber Barons have actually achieved very little, if anything – if someone has an alternative view, please do speak up. It is very probable that in many cases they have actually made things worse.

The serfs of the Quango are however in a bit of a pickle. Serfs do not have a vote and the Government who appoint them have no control over them. So what are they to do, the serfs that is? Armed insurrection? No the serfs are peaceful people. Refuse to pay their Robber Barons? All that will result is that they will end up literally in chains. Complain? Who do serfs complain to? The Barons, the Government? The Barons and indeed the Government have too much invested in each other, so what is the point. Try reasoned argument? That assumes the Quango or the Government are reasonable, and there appears little evidence of that.

Poke fun at them? Insult them? Prove that they are a ‘spot on the landscape’ (Note the Wilt connection)? YES, now that might help, if only to allow us poor serfs to have a bit of a laugh and prove we are intellectually superior to the Robber Barons of Quangoland.

A recent article to ponder over:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8198105.stm

and here:

http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/bcn136

and here:

http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/08/gscc-draconian/

and here:

http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/07/gscc-in-chaos/

and here:

http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/07/gscc-not-being-transparent/

and here:

http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/07/quango-review/

and here:

http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/06/the-care-standards-tribunal/

and finally, here:

http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/05/gscc/

Wilt