We always welcome a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers. This one from John Smith, on the subject of councillors shadowing a care worker for the day. In his own words. Ed
Dear Editor,
Councillor Pugh really thinks he can have it both ways.
We now learn that he has declined to spend time shadowing a Care worker in our community claiming, amongst other things, safeguarding issues and stating he and his colleagues will learn nothing from it that could affect the voting on budget cuts!
He asserts that he speaks on behalf of all Conservative Councillors and none will undertake shadowing either. Thankfully, we do have four Independent Councillors that do want to find out and experience just how the cuts are affecting our older vulnerable citizens.
“Refers to ‘safeguarding’ issues that do not actually exist”
However, Councillor Pugh uses wonderful sophistry when he refers to ‘safeguarding’ issues that do not actually exist … only in the minds of those who know nothing about the these matters.
He raises concerns that even if a service user of care provision agrees to the shadowing visit … they may not fully “appreciate”, and therefore understand, what that means!
Wonderful.
“You cannot have it both ways”
These are the very same people that this Council has introduced an initial telephone assessment system to, where they are interviewed over the telephone by administrative staff – not social care trained professionals – to determine, or not, their eligibility for social funded personal care.
These very same people are deemed to have full faculties, comprehension and appreciation to answer complex questions upon which they are assessed for eligibility.
Come on Councillor Pugh, let’s have the answer. Either these service users really do not understand what is being asked of them … in which case we should immediately put back one to one, face to face assessments by social care professionals (care managers) or they do understand what is being asked and therefore capable of giving their full and understood consent for you to undertake a shadowing visit.
It’s one or the other. You cannot have it both ways.
John Smith, St Helens
Image: Orangeacid under CC BY 2.0
