VB has received a copy (from several sources) of an email sent to all Isle of Wight councillors two days ago (Wednesday), by the council’s boss of Legal – Deputy Director of Resources and Monitoring Officer, Davina Fiore.
The email (see below) speaks to an invitation sent in the middle of December by an Island carer for IW councillors to shadow a care worker for a day, in a hope that they might gain a better understanding of the challenges facing carers and service users on the Island.
In her email, Ms Fiore warns members against taking up the offer unless full consent has been given by the service users.
Among other things, she goes on to suggest that in order to protect themselves from potentially breaching the Code of Conduct, councillors should not take part in any care work where the user may not have the mental capacity to give informed consent.
“Seems like a threat to me” says councillor
Councillor Patrick Joyce is one of only four councillors who has taken up the offer. He told VB that he thought Davina’s email, “certainly seems like a threat to me.”
Opposite of advice on Cllr Pugh’s Valentine outburst
He continued, “Bearing in mind we have offered to oversee a carer in our own time and are well aware that we have to be discreet and guided by the people who oversee us, why does Ms Fiore advise us that we could breach the code of conduct, and suggest we can’t understand the obvious?”
Referring to the citing of the Livingstone Defence by Ms Fiore as a get out for Cllr Pugh during PughTube, Cllr Joyce said, “She told Mr Pugh the opposite over the St Valentine’s fiasco, as he was not on council business the Code of conduct did not apply to his foul mouth outburst in public. We are not on council business so what’s the difference?”
Organiser: Safeguarding users is paramount
John Luckett, who made the invitation to councillors, has also seen the email from Davina and told VB this morning that it’s always been planned that everything would be, “done by the book.”
“Safeguarding users comes before anything else and of course their privacy will be totally respected.” he said.
Intimate care won’t be happening
He went on to clarify, “The people I’ve invited will not be carrying out any intimate care. It should be remembered that they will be simply shadowing the care worker. I believe this will enable them to become fully informed of what’s involved across the board, from care in the community to nursing or residential care.”
He went on to say, “Obviously consent will be obtained from all users, or their families and every step of the process will be completed properly.”
Cllr Pugh not keen
Back at the Cabinet meeting on 17 December Cllr Pugh had made it clear that he didn’t like the idea, by saying we “don’t feel it is our role to seek to emulate the role of professionals across the Island.”
