One of the elements of last night’s programme hit the six-inch oval smack in the place to drive it straight home. With the OFSTED inspections of Haringay and other child protection teams, with Healthcare Commission inspections of all UK trusts there has been a huge flaw in their inspection methods (I pointed this out to the Healthcare Commission in my response to their initial strategy consultation - to no avail!). That flaw is an all but complete reliance on the managers of organisations being inspected filling in forms and reporting on themselves. Instead of the inspectorates talking to the people who use the services and the people who actually do the work.
And again we had evidence of the equivocality of such managers in the file fiddling exposed last night.
In PPlog of February 3rd this year, writing about the new Social Work Task Force set up to look at what’s wrong with social work I said:
“To make any sense whatever the members of that task force should be made up of the social work equivalent of plumbers, engineers, mechanics, carpenters. plasterers, painters and decorators - the only people who know what it is like to work hands on in the front line of social work - hampered by the bureaucratic barriers thrown up by managerialism. The elite positions and distance from actual practice of the people appointed mean they cannot even communicate easily and comfortably with those in actual practice. Sheer brain popping stupidity!!!”
And as long as this culture of overpaid, self-important managers talking only to overpaid, self-important managers exists, nothing will change.
Comments
The last comment you wrote.
What is so obvious, to those of us who have been dragged through the bureaucratic bush backwards too many times, is that the likes of The Healthcare Commission (now in a muddle as it tries to merge itself into the Care Quality Commission) are the system. They are happy to perpetuate the system whilst neglecting everyone they should (in an ethical society) be serving.
In fact all they do is perpetuate the system and nothing more.
Am glad you are sticking your five pennath in because I often get beyond dealing with these hangers on and dream of a day when we get a government that actively encourages overseeing bodies to serve the public and not be pre-occupied with the brand new old boys club of managment (which might include girls these days but is no different than it ever was).
I didn't get to see the documentary but hear there is another on tonight...think it is Channel 4... about 'Britain's Lost Children'. Would assume it is going to give an objective and honest perspective of what is happening in care homes.