Comments for Susette

Comment on Sheltered housing wardens. by Victor Yasker

Victor Yasker — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:22:21 +0000

Hi Nuala thanks for your comments, which I appreciate. Of course Wardens are not expected to work 27/7 nobody can do that and on call is still working. I would be the first to defend you on that. But, some people have contracts when they first came into Sheltered Housing that they would have 24/7 cover. The housing providers cannot just ditch a contract because it has become expensive ! I am afraid that is not how contracts work

I have no sympathy whatsoever with people who get themselves into Sheltered Housing and then try opt out of paying for the Warden. Assuming that they had normal common sense then they would have known beforehand that Sheltered Housing comes with a Warden. If they have landed there by mistake or because they were temporarily homeless, they must still have agreed to the fees when the first moved in. For these latter people there is no reason why they should not have their names down on a waiting list for accommodation more suitable to their needs.

What can be said of them, however, is that there are a lot of people in Sheltered Housing who need the Warden and it is not in the power of the
self funders who object to paying for a warden to remove that care and support these people need.

kind regards

Vernon
Chairman
SHUK

Comment on Sheltered housing wardens. by susettepalmer

susettepalmer — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:27:46 +0000

Thank you for that reply. It should not be impossible to have a system which takes into account the needs of both staff and residents.
Susette

Comment on Sheltered housing wardens. by Nuala

Nuala — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:05:12 +0000

I was a residential warden and am now a scheme manager at the same scheme but not residential. I have seen my role go from a caring one to just calling the residents on an intercom. No one believes this is right. However please think of what it is like to be at work, on call, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and to take home less money than most people. The stress of living “on site” cannot be measured. You can’t relax and have a few drinks, what happens if you get called out. You can’t even have a row with our partner, someone will hear and this will be all around the scheme. This is an emotive issue and the present system is greatly lacking. But the old “warden” on call all the time and no life of their own and paid a pitance was wrong. The cold fact is we would all like staff on the scheme, on call, all the time, but who will pay for it? Residential Scheme Managers will respond to emergencies, thats why we do the job we are not the type to ignore problems. However we then do this for nothing, with very little thanks because it is expected of us. The best thing \i did for my self, my children, my marriage and my life work balance was to move off site. The self paying tenants are not willing to pay more for increased servies, housing benefit will not meet it because it is a support service, supporting people will not pay for it as they are running out of money. I can’t support my tenants as I am busy justifying supporting tenants so we don’t loose funding from supporting people. Result tenants don’t get the support they want, we want to give and everyone suffers.
We are rapidly running out of sheltered housing, our population of elderly is growing. Sheltered housing was designed for independant self caring people. Now we have people with learning disabilities, alcohol and drug problems, mental health issues and confused frail elderly. We deal with verbal and sometimes physical abuse from tenants and relatives. Please don’t think this does not happen, if people are violent/aggressive etc when they are 30 they don’t become lovely annd fluffy when they get a pension book! And we do this for very little money with no practical support form the housing associations, except of course on paper to justify the funding.
This is not a case of moving a “warden” back on site, we have human rights also.

Comment on Freer mathematics by susettepalmer

susettepalmer — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:48:43 +0000

I do think everyone should have a vote at an open AGM.
With regard to the Open Spaces \team the current Tory Administration has cut them down to such an extent they are very overstretched and the ‘restructuring’ is still ongoing so things are likely to get worse not better.
Susette

Comment on Knitting Book , on its way! by susettepalmer

susettepalmer — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:43:56 +0000

It often comes out as knotting for me too! Order noted with pleasure.
Susette.

Comment on Knitting Book , on its way! by Duncan Macdonald

Duncan Macdonald — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:56:07 +0000

sorry knitting not knotting

Comment on Knitting Book , on its way! by Duncan Macdonald

Duncan Macdonald — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:55:37 +0000

Put me down for a copy for my youngest daughter for Christmas. She is in to knotting.

Comment on Freer mathematics by andrea bouras

andrea bouras — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:20:06 +0000

Should one be submitted to the payment of a fee to exercise one’s right to vote?

Prior to an election, would you accept/tolerate to have Michael Freer being sent all votes or nominations at his private address?
Would you find it acceptable to have him sorting out the nominations papers then, on election day, standing up,give a list of names and declaring that these people have been elected unchallenged?

Do you really believe that ,considering the way these so-called elections are carried out, the people sitting on these committee have been ‘democratically elected’?

Which is your position regarding the 2/3 thousands pounds payment to the allotment to reward the plot-holders for paying their rent?

The Greenspaces team is paid to do the job.Why can’t they do it?

The cashier at the Town Hall is paid to collect the money owed to the Council.
Why does the Greenspaces team gives away thousands of pounds when the money is greatly needed elsewhere,like paying for wardens in old people homes or for sports facilities?

Comment on Freer mathematics by susettepalmer

susettepalmer — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:04:40 +0000

I have to consider both sides of the allotment argument. I feel that the committee members have valid points as well. Also the whole position of allotments in Barnet is something the current administration and the allotment association have been considering for some time and I am not party to those discussions though I see the Barnet Federation Association Minutes.
You are, of course, right about voting habits. I suggest that the lack of alternatives has been compounded by the ‘easy option’ of national party voting in national politics. It is not however always paramount as you can see in Childs Hill where a naturally Tory majority ward electes Liberal Democrat Councillors.

Comment on Freer mathematics by andrea bouras

andrea bouras — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:04:00 +0000

I like your stance on democracy and the need for an opposition.In my view,this does not and should not only apply in party politics, but to every aspects of our social life.

This is why, I am a bit puzzled by your lack of open support in my fight for democracy/ accounts transparency and best practice on the Childs Hill Allotment.

Allotments are a very small concern.

But, principles matter, not the nature or size of a given problem.

As for your final analysis,I hope you do realize that your argument is flawed. Repeat voting has very little to do with conscious reasoning about the added value offered by the candidates but more to do with the force of habit and the lack of alternatives.