Alma mater

back to the alma mater today...

old university to those not in the know

of course I was there so long ago it was a Polytechnic.

Things change, in those days getting a car into the car park past the porters was a degree level skill. Today I breezed in.

Mind you I was a valued guest not a nuisance student.

How things change.....

The whole place has had a serious make over, lots of money thrown at it.

I barely recognised some of the buildings, the place I was in used to be a tangle of aging portacabins not a fit for purpose brick building.

it's a very odd experience, going back to somewhere, like visiting an old friend and finding they had several job promotions. Still the same but all looking far healthier and better looked after.

Of course I was there in Thatcher's kill public life days, today it's the reflection of the Blair education agenda.

I don't support Labour, never voted for them and doubt I ever will.

But there is something far worse out there, these people cosying up to Cameron may live to regret it.

That's before we look at the emergent face of fascism. Griffin's uglies defiling my country with his presence.

Today was about recognising the input that users of services have put into training in modern social work. Lots of things have changed and this is one part of it.

But there is danger out there.

Cuts loom.

Baby P and Victoria Climbie died in a context.

Everyone wanted the social workers to have done their jobs properly and quite rightly so.

But, they need to be able to do their jobs, they need to have a realistic workload.

They cannot be firefighting all the time, they need to install smoke alarms too.

They need training so they know why they do what they do.

Trouble is that if the local authority in wales that has just announced a huge budget cut decides to pull the summer freebie festival, there will be uproar.

They can, and probably will butcher services, then when a looked after child torches someones street the public scream.

The social worker carries the can for decisions that were ultimately made in comfy posh offices by people who have lawyers to protect them and do not need to face the outcomes they make.

They just count the beans...

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