Good to hear she's alive and squirming.

Pity she won't actually DO something about the HSE no more than Michael Shine - hoping it'll all go away.

Good for you, Minister Harney!  It's time you told the HSE to get a move on.

Well good on ya Mary, the sooner these systems are in place the better. Although becareful what you ask for - you just might get it and now because we are getting rid of all the temporary front line staff the permanant ones will be under more pressure and more mistakes will occur. But dont worry because at least now we will know about the mistakes.

Window dressing is all it is from a politician that knows her politicial career is over.

That standards laid down are not aspirational and must be complied with is something I think that all health sectors need to learn.

Isin't it great to have all these policies and mission statements etc. on the walls of our institutions and hospitals.  If we had a service that believed in Total Quality Managment we should not need these, it would, and should, not even be a topic of discussion that all stake holders (service-users and staff) work in an enviornemnt of mutual respect and curtsey.  I feel that what will happen is that, another front line worker will be fired and another manager will be put in place to enforce these policies.

So the next weekend that I am locked into a community house (one that has been built for able bodied people), with up to 5-10 service-users with both physical and mental and behavioursl issues from Friday at 3pm till Monday morning at 10am (with out a break of any sort for meals or a moment alone) or any sort of help.  I will be able to use or show these policies to the service-users and tell them that everything is ok now, because it's written on the wall. And when these service-users ask to be taken out of the house for a trip I can tell them, that, in their interest, that our powers that be,have decided that we need another layer of management and not a front line worker that could actually help implement their rights to community participation and respect for choice and dignity.

In short, the H.S.E. and the Dept. and Europe can create policies up the wazoo but if you put one human being into a situation where they are responsible for, medication, household chores, implementing behavioural support plans, finance, shopping, holidays, finding suitable work placements, medical issues, friendship, support of all sorts, gardening, washing windows, intra-inter personal communication, personal hygiene, inter-agency communication, upkeep of garden furniture, service-user accunts, and the service-users are not able to or will ever be able to particapate in these activities.  It does not take an Einstein to figure out that one person can't provide these service that all Service-Users have right to.

The Ryan Report gave an insight into what happens in these institutions and every one went shock horror, "how could this happen".  It happened because our society has washed it's hands of these people and want them hidden behind closed walls.

We, as Social Care Workers in the community and Nursing Staff in the institutions provide a level of care that goes beyond a mere job.  We look after citizens that society and families don't want to know about.  We are the ones that organise the dental visits, we clean up the vomit and feaces and the tears.

I work 130hrs in a two week (65 of those hours being paid at €4.50 per hour) pay period to recieve a wage that young lads going onto building sites bring home for sweeping up.

I have completed a Primary Degree in Social Sciences, I have one year left of a B.A. in Social Studies, I have three years left in a Higher Degree in Psychotherapy and Counselling.  I work for a voluntaty body and am five years on relief, I have no golden working conditions, no golden pension, I do not know from one day to the next when I will get a days work.  At the moment my employer is bringing workers in from oustide Ireland an half my rate after 5yrs.

I did not reveive one cent in help, either in time in liu or funding for any of these courses.  I did not buy a big house in the "Celtic Tiger", I have not had a holiday in 5yrs, and now the Gov has put it's hand in my pocket and stolen one days pay a week from me to pay for the mistakes (most of them criminal) of these bankers and investors, who, even if they see the inside of a courthouse, will still be able to have a holiday this year and know that their houses and membership of their golf courses are secure.

I have experienced 5 care positions being axed in my area in the last year and not one posion from adm being axed.

Everyone is gasping re the situations in these religious run organisations but not one move has been made for the state to take over the runnin of these organisations.  They have not gone away you know, and generations of these organisations being able to act like gods within their high walls has not gone away either.  There was even an incident at a recent dinner party where the head Brother in the organistation boasted that the organisatioin "got" the whistle blower, I walked out of the dinner. Most did not (as they are afraid of being fired or constructivly dismissed)

All the paperwork in the workd will not change the fact that we need more accountability at senior leval and not three managers for every three front line staff.

Phew, thats all for now

Pat

It's a desperate shame that the people that take care of people that can't take care of themselves get less reward than the people that fuck up the system. Be it bad management, sleezy practice, bad babking or plain criminals and paedophiles.

Like our kakistocracy (governance by the worst citizens) it seems that those that perform least get the lions share of the top jobs. Possibly because they've too much time on their hands - not doing what they should.

Dec to July long wait Ms Harney, you are the minister , you should have or should do something, JUST DO IT.