Whether it is local government or central government bodies (including quango) the realities of cutbacks, reducing outrageous perks and job slashing is becoming a daily headline. From the Government perspective it is reducing waste (which they created – mostly by Gordon) and the Conservatives which is remodelled as doing more for less. They are different sides of the same coin, except the Conservatives (rightly) would reduce public expenditure with or without a major budget deficit. Here is but one example:
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/09/114010/efficiency-savings-could-lead-to-bigger-council-cuts-warn-directors.htm
and here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7056366.ece
My mate, who is a senior Conservative figure in the local Council, (and indeed other Councillors or all political colours in other areas) are explicit that cutbacks are possible without major effects upon so called “frontline” services. And posts (if not staff on the payroll) will very shortly no longer exist.
However, such cutbacks need to be combined with a reduction in expectations and paperwork (and culling a few quango entirely whilst combining others) as in rejecting aspects of Laming’s (Baby P) recommendations as essentially well intentioned but distorting of the role of social workers, as outlined in this article:
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/10/114013/scrap-lamings-social-work-assessment-plans-says-lga.htm
and this one:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8558463.stm
Wilt once shared a stage with Laming (shortly after the latter retired) in giving a conference speech and met him later at another event – nice guy but (despite how he portrays himself) not very much of this world. He was after all a former senior Whitehall mandarin who although thoughtful, caring and hard working was and remains slightly unworldly and not grounded in the realities of modern social work.
When Wilt was a fledgling social worker the job was not easy but today he would, if starting out anew, be seriously challenged – it is only a wise old head and the ability to select what work he does which allows him to practice with a level of competence, partly as a auditor/inspector, occasional interim manager, tribunal member, children’s guardian and professional (“expert”) witness. Going back to the frontline of children and families work would be very hard, and I probably would not (at my time in life) quite come up to expectations.
Laming should perhaps reflect on his position as should his successor Dame Denise, both of whom were in fact good Social Services Inspectorate Chief Inspectors (and Denise also the former Chair of the former CSCI). However, it is Laming, hailed as the oracle of children’s social care, who needs to get a grip on avoiding the confusion where one cannot see the wood for the trees.
He is as indicated, well intentioned but lacking the recent knowledge of what it is like on the frontline.
He and Wilt, along with some other bloggers, however share a common status – those who can do, those who can’t teach!
At least Wilt is self deprecating in good British fashion. He read recently the reason for this British characteristic – it is because Britons have a long history whereupon they can self deprecate in the full knowledge that they have a long cultural/historical deposit to call upon, whilst others (like the USA) are still developing their history and as such continue to fly the flag and deny even the most obvious errors.
That reminds me of the GSCC – their history is not exactly littered with huge success, rather their efforts to fly their own flag. Perhaps, also similar to both Laming and that twat Ferkin Balls – the latter the demonic reincarnation of Damien.
Hard times and hard decisions ahead.
Wilt