Robert Jones from the Isle of Wight has commented on my initial Naffolk posting. Rather than leave it buried in the comments section I’m copying it here. It would be excellent if we had comparisons from other LINks around the country and I would be happy to publish such
a collection on ppeyes.
Here is Robert’s contribution:
I suppose it could be said that you at least had a strategy group in Norfolk. We didn't even have that on the Isle of Wight. Each LA has interpreted the transitional duty in its own, usually inadequate, way. And we, like you, now have a star chamber -elected in our case by a group of people who can't even be identified. Wonderful thing, democracy. Data protection, you know. Can't share the electoral roll with anyone.
It's just about the worst start the LINk could have had. I haven't written it off yet, because it's a very recent development on the IW, but the early signs are discouraging; what is happening is that the semi-professional third sector is taking over; and what they're professional at is not public involvement, but securing income streams to keep their ramshackle organizations afloat.
And I agree with Robert that it is retired and even active professionals (at least one of Naffolk’s Star Chamber officers is an active business professional) and they include retired health professionals who could possibly (and this is NOT claiming they are) be involved in self-employed private health practice. There are also the usual power seekers, empire builders and glory hunters.
This means that real, ordinary service users and carers are being excluded and not even contacted for their accounts of the services - instead Naffolk LINks is mostly consulting the service providers themselves and relying heavily on their self-assessments. I have too, I’m afraid, seen far too much of cosy relationships between the LINks Host and some PCT, Mental Health trust, hospital trust and local authority staff. In addition, the Naffolk LINks Host, I’m told, is jointly funded by the local authority, the local university and Age Concern. In my book that doesn’t exactly bode well for true independence.
a collection on ppeyes.
Here is Robert’s contribution:
I suppose it could be said that you at least had a strategy group in Norfolk. We didn't even have that on the Isle of Wight. Each LA has interpreted the transitional duty in its own, usually inadequate, way. And we, like you, now have a star chamber -elected in our case by a group of people who can't even be identified. Wonderful thing, democracy. Data protection, you know. Can't share the electoral roll with anyone.
It's just about the worst start the LINk could have had. I haven't written it off yet, because it's a very recent development on the IW, but the early signs are discouraging; what is happening is that the semi-professional third sector is taking over; and what they're professional at is not public involvement, but securing income streams to keep their ramshackle organizations afloat.
And I agree with Robert that it is retired and even active professionals (at least one of Naffolk’s Star Chamber officers is an active business professional) and they include retired health professionals who could possibly (and this is NOT claiming they are) be involved in self-employed private health practice. There are also the usual power seekers, empire builders and glory hunters.
This means that real, ordinary service users and carers are being excluded and not even contacted for their accounts of the services - instead Naffolk LINks is mostly consulting the service providers themselves and relying heavily on their self-assessments. I have too, I’m afraid, seen far too much of cosy relationships between the LINks Host and some PCT, Mental Health trust, hospital trust and local authority staff. In addition, the Naffolk LINks Host, I’m told, is jointly funded by the local authority, the local university and Age Concern. In my book that doesn’t exactly bode well for true independence.
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