I received a letter today 4/9/2010 from Glasgow City Council Stating that The meeting of The Children and Families Development Committee regarding the Charter for Grandchildren was held on the 26 August 2010’
David Crawford the head of social services informed me by letter I would receive his proposals for the committee which I never did. It would appear to me that social services are opposed to change. It proves again that their interest only lies in their own backyard. Quote Thank you for your letter dated 1 June 2010. It is my intention to take a report on this issue to the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee in August. I will confirm the arrangements for this nearer the time and give you a copy of the report which we will present to-elected members. unquote.
Finally their proposals are that the procedures for involving the extended family are already in place Quote, 3.1. The attached charter outlines the rights of children and the responsibilities of statutory agencies which are already in legislation. primarily the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and the Adoption Act (Scotland) 2009, which ensure that in making decisions on the lives of children a full assessment of need should be undertaken, involving all relevant people. The definition of relevant people includes grandparents.
3.2. It is proposed therefore that the Council is able to acknowledge that the rights of children and the role that grandparents play is already understood and part of . practice in working with children and their families. unquote.
If as they claim that legislation is already available then why obstruct a charter that focuses on and clarifies the road professionals should be going down.
The legislation they are talking about is not being observed we need a Charter for Grandchildren to focus entirely on the rights of grandchildren.
This reluctance for social services to accept the Charter for Grandchildren is driven by the loss of face in being proven they cannot cope.
Day in and day out Families are being torn apart by social services telling extended families “You are irrelevant. We don’t need to talk to you” It would be in the councils best interest if families were encouraged to unite and solve their own problems rather than have social services driving them apart and costing tax payers a fortune.
Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK
22 Alness crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
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Jimmy
ReplyDeleteWhat a depressing and flawed response to the Scottish Government's proposals on alcohol.
As you must be aware, Scotland has had a growing problem with alcohol for many years and successive Labour/Tory governments in London and Labour/Liberal govts in Edinburgh have done nothing about it.
In the early 1980s, deaths attributable to cirrhosis of the liver in Europe far exceeded those in Scotland. But now the position has dramatically reversed, with Scotland's death statistics increasing alarmingly.
This is a measure not specifically aimed at addicts as you state. It's a measure that will go some way to deterring people drinking a dangerous amount of alcohol for less than £3.50. It is backed by Scotland's health professionals and is even backed by England's unionist politicians. Even David Cameron highlighted the low cost of Stella in the supermarkets as a problem.
It tackles the cheap booze products, some of which are cheaper than water! It does nothing to damage the quality products that already exceed the measure we propose.
As for Labour, clueless as usual. They want the UK to solve it by putting up duty by a massive amount. Why didn't they do it during their 13 years in power? But the Tories have done the reverse anyway and scrapped the 10p cider duty proposal. So no chance of progress there I think.
The only ones who seem to be against it in Scotland are Scotland's opposition politicians who see for themselves a golden opportunity to simply oppose the SNP Government whilst failing to present any credible alternative to address the decades of neglect from their own parties. And some of the drinks companies/retailers (odd if you are to believe your other point about them raking in a profit).
This is a Scottish problem and requires a Scottish solution. Three years only in power and we are having a go at it.
It will save 50 lives per year; there will be 1200 fewer hospital admissions; we'll save £5.5million on costs to the health service; and there will be 23,000 fewer days lost at work.
Jackie Baillie's stupid comments were totally irresponsible. This is a measure to tackle health issues in Scotland. And I think it's a measure that is worth trying.
At least the SNP is tackling a problem where Labour and the Tories couldn't be bothered for years.
Time will tell of course. But we can't sit around any longer like our predecessors did.
Scotland's health is too important.
Best regards,
I wom't embarass this person.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi xxxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteYou think my response is depressing; it certainly is, especially when I think of the children who will have less to eat causing health problems, fewer new clothes, crippled feet from wearing shoes to small for them, suffer more neglect and abuse because it costs more to buy booze. Social services are heading for a boom time when the price of booze goes up. They will be getting ready to snatch more kids and force adopt them through wealthy adoption agencies. The effect this proposal will have on families has not been given due consideration. Making the supermarkets richer is a good move for getting their support.
What has changed to bring about Scotland's alcohol death statistics increasing alarmingly?
All governments regard grandparents as irrelevant persons in their grandchildren’s lives and this has sent a message to the public that grandparents are not to be considered and this in turn has cut off the respected wise head of the family.. Social services are enforcing this every day by telling the extended family” we don’t need to speak to you”. I really am surprised that more MSPs have not seen that social service policies are the real killers of the family. Grandparents were once the backbone of the family and good role models and respected because of their wisdom. Could that be the problem?
If SNP want to show real improvement then change needs to start at childhood. The care and treatment of children needs to be improved. The social service needs to put an end to demeaning grandparents to be strangers in their own family. By considering grandparents more, via the Charter for Grandchildren, would send a new message out that grandparents can be important in children’s lives.
Willie, you quote other parties to me that they have done nothing at all about the drink problem, maybe as you say time will tell but I think that it might have been healthier for children if SNP had followed the other parties and didn’t bother.
While I am on the subject of other parties could it have been in Cathy Jamieson’s mind that we need to bring about changes from childhood when she instigated the Charter for Grandchildren? SNP booted it out to the local authorities. SNP MSP’s yourself included said you would help but have done nothing.
Labour again introduced it to Glasgow City Chambers and the only drawback is social services trying to kill it. I wonder why? To be fair there are a lot of SNP people supporting the Charter as well as other Parties but they will not stick their neck out for children and deserve little respect for it. I have always tried to steer clear of bringing parties into it and try to appeal to the decency of all party members and hope that the Charter would be seen for what it was intended ‘the best interests of children’.
Hi Jimmy. With other friends we got a group together, informally, here in Barrow called Alcohol Watch. Main concern is that our children receive education into the dangers of alcohol. We have concern about the cheap alcohol sold by local supermarkets but even more about the lack of information on the chemical contents on the bottles. Horrible research data about what you can make alcohol from but more worrying is the thought that 'they' the companies will be using a cheap source of material to produce the alcohol. So dangerous. Know how busy you are but thought it might cheer you up to know that pockets of opposition exist.
Margie Arts
18, Newby Terrace, LA14 5PE
Phone 01229 834738 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Mobile 07572301507
Who is Doing this? Grandparents!!!!!! Pity they are English and not Scottish.
Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK
22 Alness crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
Hi xxxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteYou think my response is depressing; it certainly is, especially when I think of the children who will have less to eat causing health problems, fewer new clothes, crippled feet from wearing shoes to small for them, suffer more neglect and abuse because it costs more to buy booze. Social services are heading for a boom time when the price of booze goes up. They will be getting ready to snatch more kids and force adopt them through wealthy adoption agencies. The effect this proposal will have on families has not been given due consideration. Making the supermarkets richer is a good move for getting their support.
What has changed to bring about Scotland's alcohol death statistics increasing alarmingly?
All governments regard grandparents as irrelevant persons in their grandchildren’s lives and this has sent a message to the public that grandparents are not to be considered and this in turn has cut off the respected wise head of the family.. Social services are enforcing this every day by telling the extended family” we don’t need to speak to you”. I really am surprised that more MSPs have not seen that social service policies are the real killers of the family. Grandparents were once the backbone of the family and good role models and respected because of their wisdom. Could that be the problem?
If SNP want to show real improvement then change needs to start at childhood. The care and treatment of children needs to be improved. The social service needs to put an end to demeaning grandparents to be strangers in their own family. By considering grandparents more, via the Charter for Grandchildren, would send a new message out that grandparents can be important in children’s lives.
Willie, you quote other parties to me that they have done nothing at all about the drink problem, maybe as you say time will tell but I think that it might have been healthier for children if SNP had followed the other parties and didn’t bother.
While I am on the subject of other parties could it have been in Cathy Jamieson’s mind that we need to bring about changes from childhood when she instigated the Charter for Grandchildren? SNP booted it out to the local authorities. SNP MSP’s yourself included said you would help but have done nothing.
Labour again introduced it to Glasgow City Chambers and the only drawback is social services trying to kill it. I wonder why? To be fair there are a lot of SNP people supporting the Charter as well as other Parties but they will not stick their neck out for children and deserve little respect for it. I have always tried to steer clear of bringing parties into it and try to appeal to the decency of all party members and hope that the Charter would be seen for what it was intended ‘the best interests of children’.
Hi Jimmy. With other friends we got a group together, informally, here in Barrow called Alcohol Watch. Main concern is that our children receive education into the dangers of alcohol. We have concern about the cheap alcohol sold by local supermarkets but even more about the lack of information on the chemical contents on the bottles. Horrible research data about what you can make alcohol from but more worrying is the thought that 'they' the companies will be using a cheap source of material to produce the alcohol. So dangerous. Know how busy you are but thought it might cheer you up to know that pockets of opposition exist.
Margie Arts
18, Newby Terrace, LA14 5PE
Phone 01229 834738 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Mobile 07572301507
Who is Doing this? Grandparents!!!!!! Pity they are English and not Scottish.
Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK
22 Alness crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk