Pictures

NHS Crisis - Cruising Not Caring is the solution

With the average cost for care home residents being in the region of £800 per week, it has occurred to me that the answer to the NHS crisis, and our increasingly ageing population, must surely be to send them all on a cruise. I may be quite mad but I am also quite serious about this. 
I am not a fan of cruises myself, having spent a truly dire week on board the ill fated Concordia, shortly before it sank. However, I am now of an age where the majority of my retired friends seem to look forward to a cruise as the highlight of their year. With holiday companies offering budget busting cruises for £400 per week or less, during the winter months, with heating bills through the roof, and ageing sickly patients clogging up the beds in our hospitals, it would seem to me to be the ideal solution. 
They would be in a relatively safe environment with round the clock attention, plenty of activities on offer to keep them occupied, en suite facilities, new people to meet, sights to see, and food on demand for the fussiest of palates. In addition to this, all cruise ships carry on board trained medical personnel, so barring major illnesses, most minor aches and pains could be adequately and promptly dealt with without waiting days for a doctor's appointment. They would also benefit from a change of scenery, returning refreshed and feeling better after having had a little holiday, all without having to worry whether or not they can afford to have the heating on. I do believe it's high time that in thinking 'outside the box' we should consider options such as this. Besides, it would certainly help to boost the tourist industry, sea sickness pills could be includes as an added bonus, and a canny person could also rent out their home to someone who could afford to keep it going.... just a thought.

Should Fast Food Be Banned?

One of the subjects chosen for debate by Year 6 Swanmead Community School students at this year's Rotary Youth Speaks competition was 'Should fast food advertising be allowed?' 

Those debating the subject came to the conclusion that fast food advertising should be banned, and that the sale of such foods in school should also be banned
I couldn't help but notice that there were several news items during the week on the same subject, with a call for a ban on advertising sugary foods in order to stem the growing waistline of childhood obesity.
I disagree entirely, as I believe we are missing the point here.
Fast food and sweets, like cigarettes and alcohol, are all legal substances so I fail to see why it is we continue to allow the 'nanny state' to push for the ban on advertising of them.
We turn a blind eye to the subversive sale of illegal drugs, yet we use the 'big stick' approach towards things that, yes can be harmful to our health, but are perfectly legitimate.
If we care that much, and believe they are so harmful, then why not just ban them?
I will be the first to admit that as I am childless, not by choice, I don't have to face the daily tantrums and demands of my offspring; but I do have a lot of involvement with children of all ages.
Where are we trying to teach them that they can't have everytihng they want, and to accept the word 'No'?
Each and every day we are all faced with temptations, overeating, excessive drinking, ovespending and getting into debt.... the list is endless.
The real issue is about 'self control'. Many of us have it, and many of us don't; this is the real social issue. Times are hard, so I would defend our right to the odd treat to cheer us up. And that's what is should remain, the odd forbidden treat. Bridget Jones comes to mind.

WHO CARES IF THEY'RE IN CARE?

For someone who does not 'do' the outdoors, let alone the wind and rain on a stormy weekend, it was hard to decide, as I took on the role of 'action woman', which of the activities was the least tortuous; abseiling, tunneling, rip sticking, shooting, rock climbing, or the blind folded sensory walk. Certainly, my vote for the worst was a toss up between being left hanging as I lost my foothold whilst rock climbing, or tunneling. In a moment of madness I, a childless woman, old enough to be their grandmother, had volunteered to join youth worker Catherine Newberry and Carolyn Drew from the County Council, on an outward bound type activity weekend at 'Parents Get Lost' in Weymouth, along with 11 young people from the Somerset in Care Council (SiCC). That'll teach me I thought, as a claustrophobic I found myself tunneling through a dark abyss, with barely enough room to wriggle in the mud, trying not to hyperventilate. In my elected County Council member role as cabinet support member for children and families, and as a long term school governor, I feel that practical involvement is key to understanding what we are doing to support our youngsters, particularly those that are vulnerable. In Somerset there are currently 500 children in care for a wide variety of reasons. Some are in long term placements, and the setting up of the SiCC has helped to give those that want to get involved (and some don't) the chance to meet up, and more importantly, to have a greater say over what happens to young people in care. This weekend was all about building relationships, learning to get on with others, to overcome fears and challenge boundaries. For some this was their first 'residential' trip away, and that in itself was something of an achievement as Carolyn and her team work towards ensuring the limited resources available are put to good use. I probably gained as much from the activities as the youngsters did; to witness the older ones taking on responsibility and looking out for the younger ones was a joy to witness, as was the extent that those who had iniitally declined to join in gradually opened up over the weekend, trying new things. Despite a severe lack of sleep, and very muddy clothes, the verdict was that the weekend was a real success for all of us. I'm now planning to help organise other similar events, but will be sure in future to avoid the lentil soup, as its effects were not much appreciated by all!

The Real Cost of Road Closures

Whilst it is admirable that local councils are keen to ensure that the county’s roads are properly maintained, I am increasingly engaged in conversations with local businesses that are suffering significantly as a result of this. They feel that their ongoing viability is seriously threatened, especially when the closure extends into several weeks or months.

One has to accept that in certain instances, particularly along our winding country roads, work can only be completed by closing the road. It is however, frustrating that having been informed of the date and length of the closure that this is either changed or extended, often for some considerable time. In my own case I have found that often when there is a ‘road closed’ sign that, early in the day, late at night or at weekends, there is in fact no need for this, and like many a local, I know that despite the sign there will be no road works to navigate.

Not only is there disruption for those travelling to and fro, both in terms of the additional time it takes to carry out their journey, but also the added cost of fuel where detours can be several miles long. It is however businesses I am most concerned about. I would fully expect that during the period of disruption their rates would be rebated at the very least, and consideration given to suitable compensation where appropriate, in addition to assistance with marketing and publicity material to alleviate their loss. I understand that on speaking with the owners of one local business that their trade drops by as much as 90%, for weeks at a time, which can hardly be fair at a time when all local councils should be doing everything they can to help. There must surely be a balance of interests somewhere. Incidentally, on writing this down in deepest, darkest Cornwall, where I work for around three days a month, and on looking up the Cornwall County Council website, I see they are keen to let residents know that since April 2013 they have answered in excess of 463,000 calls; that’s not far short of 2 calls per household across the entire county. Not something they should be at all proud of to my mind; if it were up to me I’d be asking what it is that’s going wrong for them to need to receive so many calls.

The Price of a Loaf of Bread

Firstly, a word about bread. I wouldn’t have much more idea than David Cameron about the price of a loaf of bread, as I rarely buy it, but I’d be damned if I’d use a posh bread maker to make it. Making bread is one of the simplest cooking skills, practically fool proof, taking only minutes to throw together, and costing a lot less. Child’s play, really.

However, during the latest party political conference, I see that the national daily press makes much of David Cameron’s assertion that profit is no longer a dirty word. Whilst in principal I might agree with him, as any company not making a profit cannot be sustainable, I would argue that it depends on the premise under which that profit is made. This applies not just to businesses, but equally to central government and local communities, where profit is not the issue, but balancing the books is. I believe there has to be an element of fairness and equity in how this is done. As I attend the latest round of budget meetings, setting the budget becomes ever harder in the face of the severe cuts we’ve all been suffering under, to try to reverse the effects of the recession. Individuals as well as portfolio holders will of course be fighting for their share of what little there is available; as one would expect. There has to be general acceptance though that things have got to change, and that services that are no longer considered essential may well have to be provided at an additional cost, or not at all.  To kick start the economy, profit making by businesses, both large and small, must only happen when those at the sharp end can be confident that they are getting value for money; that those they do business with are not raking in the profits at their expense. As a sales trainer I spend my time concentrating on value for money and matching customers’ needs cost effectively, not creating wealth at the expense of those that use the services provided. In the coming weeks and months we would all benefit from taking a long hard look at what we’re getting for our money, every time we spend it. Remember that every time a supermarket has a special offer, it is the supplier that is suffering, not the likes of Tesco, driving a hard bargain to ensure profits are maintained. At local government level I do believe that for taxpayers, given the circumstances, there is real effort to make sure that money is spent wisely. I wish I could say the same for many of the companies I do business with, where prices continue to rise, lining the pockets of their greedy shareholders, whilst I, as the customer, seem to get less and less for my money. Time to shop elsewhere I think.

Are Smart Offices a Good Idea

Many organisations, partly in response to financial constraints, have had to re-think the way in which they run their offices. The concept of 'open offices' has been around since the end of World War 2, when the old German regimented way of doing things, with a strict sense of hierarchy, went out of the window. The idea had been to allow increased opportunities for employee engagement, with a view to generating bigger and better ideas, like an informal brainstorming session.

The success of this way of working has however been mixed, where in an open office where the tendency to discuss last night's football results or the latest X-factor winner, provides a compelling distraction from daily work activities. In addition to this, the attendant background noise can negatively impact on the employee's ability to get down to the daily grind. Likewise, in a sales office for example, long periods of silence can be deafening. A certain background hum is necessary to avoid the embarrassment of conversations being overheard; some companies overcome this by the addition of ‘pink noise’.     

A 2009 report also found that the effects of open office working increases the prevalence of work related stress and high blood pressure. It is interesting to note, that despite an open office environment, it is still senior managers who hog the private corner office, with pleasant views overlooking the nearby park. Perks of the job you might say.

With the influx of immigrants arriving in the UK in the 1970s, and whilst working in Wolverhampton, I became used to the concept of ‘hot beds’, where there was a revolving door policy of shared mattresses in houses with up to 30 occupants; much like bunks on a naval ship.

Welcome to the 21^st century, and the concept of ‘hot desks’, which do allow for more cost effective, flexible working spaces, and increased working from home. The key question for management is how agreeable the environment is. There is also the issue of a shortage of daylight, whether or not the air conditioning or heating should be turned up, policies relating to eating food at the desk, even the sound of the telephone ring tone.

Whilst, cost driven, open plan offices and ‘hot desks’ are now the norm here and the USA, on the continent there has recently been a move away from open offices, with each German worker enjoying an average of 28.2sq.m. of personal space. I would argue that it is more a question of having control over your environment, and not a forced compromise between private and public space. Rather successfully in Switzerland employees are offered a choice of sofas, coffee table areas, libraries and even recliners in which to work. Personally, when working at home I much prefer to sit in bed with my laptop, rather than upright in my office, hence when the postman arrives mid morning and I’m still in my pyjamas, he thinks I’ve only just woken up, not working since 6am.  

Recent research has shown that people want to be able to ‘own’ their workspace; not knowing where you are going to be sitting from one day to the next can be unsettling. In addition to which, if everyone decides to come into work that day, there may well be nowhere to sit. Time to go home then?