Manchester Council budget cuts etc.

[Mike W]

I can speak only from my own experiences.  My wife, who sadly died last year, spent her last couple of years severely physically and mentally disabled as a result of an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis.  I can't speak too highly of the support we received from Stockport Social Services.  We had exceptional support from two highly committed social workers who took every possible step to ensure that my wife received the level of home support and care she needed.  My concern is that the type of support my wife received - which is essentially discretionary rather than any defined 'entitlement' - is likely to be one of the hidden casualties of cuts to local authority funding.  I was also shocked by the already low levels of pay and poor employment conditions available to care workers - most of whom, in my experience, nevertheless displayed extraordinary dedication in their work.  As someone who's spent my working life in the private sector, I could easily buy into a set of 'Daily Mail' prejudices about the supposed systemic failings of the public sector.  But my own experience, in this and other cases, has given me a different view. 

[sooty2]

I do not wish  show direspect to you or your mother, but 36 social workers is rather excessive in my book. your case sounds rather complex to me. £2900 00 per month on taxi fares?You could of bought the best private care for less than that. It must have been your choice not Social services. what have they to gain keeping your mother in hospital? If you are to tell this story. please state the facts.

[Duke Fame]

it's a hey nonny nonny role  IMHO.

Oh dear.   Duke, I hope for your sake that neither you nor your nearest and dearest are ever old and frail.   

They are, my Mother had 36 social workers on her case. So many that none of them could decide on anything leaving her in hospital for 8 months deteriorating. Their solution suited them not my parents or the family. So much so my mother died in a social services imposed home with my father suffering from Altheimers having to foot a £2,900 monthly taxi bill to visit her. Social workers and social services are a self - serving waste of time in my book.

[Dave]

it's a hey nonny nonny role  IMHO.

Oh dear.   Duke, I hope for your sake that neither you nor your nearest and dearest are ever old and frail.   

[Duke Fame]

Thank you, Duke, for your copy-and-paste from an ill-informed rant on the menmedia site.   

Now let's take a closer look at just one of those jobs.  Here's some information about ZEST:  http://www.manchesterfallsservices.org.uk/falls-services/zest.html

ZEST provides a valuable service for elderly people (one day you and I will be elderly, Duke).  It seeks to help them live independently, and by doing this, avoids (or postpones) their reliance on local authority social services and the NHS.   In other words, it is the kind of commonsense scheme which saves money in the medium or long term. 

But then, why allow common sense to spoil a good rant   

It may be the best of a bad bunch, BTW this job get's a salary of £30K!!!! + holidays, pension etc.

Also it takes away personal responsibility, it's a hey nonny nonny role  IMHO. Well done for Googling, it's fairly informed as faras I can see.

[Dave]

Thank you, Duke, for your copy-and-paste from an ill-informed rant on the menmedia site.   

Now let's take a closer look at just one of those jobs.  Here's some information about ZEST:  http://www.manchesterfallsservices.org.uk/falls-services/zest.html

ZEST provides a valuable service for elderly people (one day you and I will be elderly, Duke).  It seeks to help them live independently, and by doing this, avoids (or postpones) their reliance on local authority social services and the NHS.   In other words, it is the kind of commonsense scheme which saves money in the medium or long term. 

But then, why allow common sense to spoil a good rant   

[Duke Fame]

at least SMBC haven't gone down the selfish political show boating of the awful Richard Leese over in Manchester. That man is a disgrace.

Manchester is being cut by £102 million of government funding over the two years 2011 - 2013, while Stockport is losing 'just' 16.5 million.  Council Leaders have a job to do, which includes standing up for their area and its residents and businesses.  If you were the Leader of Manchester City Council, Duke, I think you'd probably engage in a spot of showboating too!   

There is plenty more scope for cutting costs

Such as?

The town clerk of Manchester & Town Clerk no 2 have an inflated opinion of their own importance.
Showboating as you call it is just not on, it’s the tax-payer’s services, it’s the taxpayer’s money, it’s not his! He’s not standing up for residents & businesses, he couldn’t care less about them (especially businesses – perhaps with the exception of a certain favoured property business) He’s playing politics with people’s lives. A local council has to supply a few core services, libraries, bin collection, sweep the streets and keep the roads moving by putting tar on them. There are other core services of course but these do not include spending £6m of a brochure about buses, trams and congestion charges. Not about event organization, not about promoting favoured events. Maybe it's just my preference and that's why my local authority wasn't the one I voted for. Maybe that's democracy but I would value a library network over and above a Nuclear Free Local Secretariat & Policy and Research Officer @ £37k, New Media Manager @ £38k, Link Worker - Indian and East African Asian on £25,940; a Cultural Regeneration Officer (1) @ a cool £30k; another Cultural Regeneration Officer on a mere £28,919,  Assistant Specialist Market Manager on £ 27,016...well it is only an assistant post, Corporate Lead Officer, Lesbians' issues ( I kid you not ) on £38k, Corporate Lead Officer, Gay Men's Issues, another £38k, a 'Zest' Hub Co-Ordinator ( whatever that is ) on £30k, Climate Change Officer £37,206, Team Strategic Development on salary of £41,616, a Creative Director on a juicy £120,000, An Expressive and Performing Arts Technician @ £21,519, a Travel Change Team Policy Officer on £34,549,  Recycling officers……………….the list goes on. Does a cushy role within a council, really demand a salary in excess of £40,000? I was told by a unison rep that salary should be higher as there are not the opportunities within the public sector that there are in the private sector! Should we really be paying people more because they are unambitious???

As I say, I didn't vote for that being the priority and perhaps it was made clear when the Richard Leese was being elected that some services were clearly more important than others. I don't recall reading it but more fool me.

[Dave]

at least SMBC haven't gone down the selfish political show boating of the awful Richard Leese over in Manchester. That man is a disgrace.

Manchester is being cut by £102 million of government funding over the two years 2011 - 2013, while Stockport is losing 'just' 16.5 million.  Council Leaders have a job to do, which includes standing up for their area and its residents and businesses.  If you were the Leader of Manchester City Council, Duke, I think you'd probably engage in a spot of showboating too!   

There is plenty more scope for cutting costs

Such as?

[Duke Fame]

Whilst council tax remains criminally high, at least SMBC haven't gone down the selfish political show boating of the awful Richard Leese over in Manchester. That man is a disgrace.

There is plenty more scope for cutting costs but well done for not increasing council tax this year.