http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2009/03/25/story12828010t0.shtm
Grandparents from across Scotland gathered outside the Apex Hotel in Dundee today to demand better rights, and urged social workers to listen to their concerns (writes Kirsten Johnson).
The protest took place as delegates from the Association of Directors of Social Work met in the hotel for a one-day conference to discuss developing a workforce fit for purpose.
The current president of ADSW is Dundee City Council’s social work director, Alan Baird, who recently fended off a resignation call over his department’s handling of the Brandon Muir case.
Jimmy Deuchars, from pressure group Grand-parent Apart UK, led the demonstration.
He told the Tele he hoped the lobby would make those at the meeting listen to the group’s plea.
“Grandparents are at the bottom of the list when it comes to rights, but we are the ones who can notice the first warning signs. We deserve to see our grand-children, and they deserve to see us.
At the moment the Charter For Grandparents is only advisory. We want it to be mandatory — it will save children’s lives.”
Brian McNair, chairman of the Equal Parenting Alliance, also attended the demonstration. He said, “I hope the social workers, especially Alan Baird, take note. You have to be seen to be heard nowadays. We hope this brings our message into the public eye.
“We are questioning the integrity of some social workers across the country. They often do not record meetings they have with grandparents. This is not right. “If grandparents are in contact with their grandchildren they can see the signs of abuse, but the social services class them as irrelevant.”
CHALLENGES
During the conference the delegates, representing each local authority area in Scotland, considered the challenges within workforce development. BT’s group human resources director
Alex Wilson gave a keynote speech outlining how the company addressed workforce issues and shared knowledge and experience of developing good practice.
There were also presentations given on the place of the Continuous Learning Framework in organisational develop-ment and the use of Social Services Knowledge Scotland, an online knowledge service for social services staff and their managers.
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It cost £65+£13.50 for breakfast at this Hotel which loads attending and stayed overningt.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the locals there is huge social services building and another one just yards from The Apex (luxury) Hotel.
Why was so much of your money spent on a big fancy hotel when an alternative was available.
Simply the best for our social services who's policy is to treat children as commodities to save money and throw it away on luxries for themselves.
thats what they call the perks off the job when all this money spent could be used on employing and training new social workers, i cant see why the goverment cant see this. its the same with puting children out to fosterparents when relitives would do the same job and if push came to shove for half the price not only save money but the children are with family not strangers, i mean come on how long does it take to check that that relitives have got a criminal record
ReplyDeleteplus be checked out by social workers that they are genuine people. so come on get it right and spend money wisely instead off tryting to teach people what they already know and not just a public exersice to make it look as if they are doing somthing about the situation when they already know where the flaws are in the stystem
coments please charlie