HISTORICAL LAD GRAB 1066 - 1866

 “ HISTORICAL LAND GRAB “ - TIME TO GET RADICAL FOR THE 21St CENTURY AND FUTURE GENERATIONS

Do you ever wonder how so many aristocratic and Royal Families

Inherited thousands of acres of prime farming lands in England which are today worth £Millions ?

I refer to the Norman Knights who came with William Duke of Normandy in 1066, The Lords of Manors in the Middle Ages and The Kings and Queens of England since 1066.

The same question could apply to Scotland. How could the Duchess of Argyle get to own more than 50% of the land in Scotland ?

In away, the answer is simple although in reality complex.

The simple answer is ....They were all part of the Ruling Classes and they did what they wanted. They were greedy for Power and they did not “ Give a damn “ about the Peasants.

Today in 2020 these Lords, Ladies and Ancestors of THE GREAT LAND GRABS of the past generations still dominate the distribution of land in Britain.

The rest of the Population own a house with some land or no land if you live in a flat in a high rise building.

There is a massive shortage of land for cost affordable land to build houses at a reasonable price.

So here are two solutions....

Government Action Priorities -

A - Nationalise some of the large estates which were stolen from the people of Britain.

B - Build  Dozens of new villages with lovely designed cottages at low prices.

How to Implement the Strategic Plan 2021 - 2026.

1 - Establish a National Building Corporation to contract the New Villages.

2 - No VAT on building materials for the new NBC.

3 - Construct new rail, bus and road links to Industrial Estates - similar to Milton Keynes.

4 - National Building Corporationto be a NFP - Not for Profit Company.

5 - Funding by QE -Quantitative Easing or increase the Money supply by printing money. Monetary Policy has been a failure and has restricted growth.

6-Construct ECO VILLAGES on portions of National Trust lands.

Landscape with lawns, flower beds, Community Building, Children’s play facilities.

7 - All constructions must include Energy saving devices and to prevent negative impact of Climate change.

8 - Prioritise Cottages and Houses and not High Rise Apartment Blocks

For decades TheUK has failed to solve theHousing Crisis.

Time to get Radical.

RAYMOND WILLIAMS MA MPhil MBA DIPM

THE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION - A NATIONAL TREASURE

 The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The CWGC is one of Britain’s finest organisations. They look after thousands of graves of our War Hero’s in many locations. The graves today are kept in a beautiful state with flowers, lawns and well kept headstones.

Hannover War Cemetery Germany, containing the graves of over 2,000 Bomber Command airmen is a fine example of a well kept Cemetery today, maintained by German Volunteers. We offer our thanks.

Our family like so many other families across the world have lost a loved one serving in Bomber Command in WW2. Out father was a crew member of a Lancaster Bomber in WW2.

We salute and praise the thousands of people who serve and maintain the high standards of the CWGC to this day.

It is no surprise that in the chaos and aftermath of a War, when the CWGC has had to deal with the mutilated bodies from the Somme or Flanders Fields or RAF Bombers that crashed in many parts of Germany, it was only natural that the CWGC made mistakes.

We cannot blame the CWGC for these mistakes. What we can blame them for is when they will not rectify some of the more complex mistakes where evidence proves them wrong. To be fair, the CWGC do not make many mistakes but it is fact, that today, many families are still searching for the truth. It is inspirational that after so many people care. The British Legion and many other organisations backed by our wonderful Queen and The Royal Family day each November - “ We will remember them. “

Lancaster Bomber W4276 EM-L from 207 Squadron Spilsby was lost over Ronnenberg Germany after a raid on Hannover on the 18 October 1943.

For 73 years until 2016, the families did not know what had happened.

Then by A TWIST OF FATE, a very compassionate German, Dirk Hartmann contacted the family of the Flight Engineer Sergeant Arthur Hadyn Davies with the news that he had researched the loss and he had evidence to confirm what had happened to the crew of EM-L.

From 2017 to 2020 the sons of Sergeant Davies contacted the CWGC with a mass of evidence and many emails, to prove that in the case of W4275, the RAF / CWGC had made some mistakes.

At last in August 2020, the CWGC replied with a final verdict. The status quo would remain. They rejected all the evidence which Ray and Jeff Williams, sons of the Flight Engineer had presented supported by Ronnenberg Historians, Expert German Researchers, Witnesses to the crash, German Police Reports, Rare Luftwaffe Reports and RAF Official Reports that confirmed where the bodies of EM-L were buried and the coffins which were supplied by a German Coffin maker.

It was a shattering and upsetting decision.

In spite of all this conclusive evidence, the CWGC replied with a series of rebuttals which Ray and Jeff Williams were able to point out their mistakes.

Unfortunately, the CWGC had closed their minds to any explanation. No, this case is closed.

Breakthrough !  In February 2021 the Williams Family received a Letter from Weetbergen Cemetery. It said that no RAF airmen had been buries at Weetbergen in 1943. 

This demolished completely the conclusion made by the CWGC, AHB, JCCC.

The Head of Air Hiastorical Branch has agreed to reopen the Case and we expect a decision in May 2021.

In spite of this previous setback, now our fight for justice goes...........

 

Sent from my iPad

Sent from my iPad

EXAMS FIASCO

 THE EXAM GRADES FIASCO

I will simply say this.....

The Grades should be based on Teachers Predicted grades. Trust the Teachers.

However, these students have had the added stress of COVID 19 Pandemic.

I say, upgrade the estimates by one grade.

THE EXAM GRADES FIASCO

I will simply say this.....

The Grades should be based on Teachers Predicted grades. Trust the Teachers.

However, these students have had the added stress of COVID 19 Pandemic.

I say, upgrade the estimates by one grade.

That will be fairer in these unusual times.

No more computer grades.

Sent from my iPad

That will be fairer in these unusual times.

No more computer grades.

INTERNATIONAL BOMBER COMMAND CENTRE LINCOLN - SOS

The IBCC Memorial at Lincoln is in honour of 58,000 young men who lost their lives in WW2 serving in Bomber ommand.

Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic they have lost 90% of their revenue in he past few months.

THEY MUST SURVIVE FOR POSTERITY.

Please contact Sue Taylor AT the IBCC Lincoln and donate as much as you can.

Search IBCC Lincoln for more information.

THANK YOU.

THE WRONGS OF THE PAST

THE WRONGS OF THE PAST - WHERE DOES IT END ?

The unlawful killing of a black American man has rightly created an outrage across the World. I am one of them. For me and millions of British people, Black lives have always mattered. I decry Racialism in any form.

However, I am not sure of the sense of the demands to rewrite history and correct the wrongs of the Past or to make the people of a today to pay for the wrongs of their Ancestors. Why do I have reservations ?

The demand to make current innocent generations pay for the wrongs that occurred towards black people mainly in the 18th and 19th Centuries - particularly the eras of Colonisations and Slavery is full of of blinkered prejudice. Th demands from some people to erase the facts of History particularly in relation to the Black Slavery period is a very dangerous cry.

It concentrates on one period of time. If Society today is going to put right the wrongs of thePast, where do you start and where does it end ?

Consider some of these wrongs of the Past....

The Normans from France under the leadership of William Duke of Normandy invaded England in 1066. As a result, he stole the lands of the Anglo-Saxons.

These lands were divided amongst his Knights. Today, there are families in 2020 living on these lands in grand houses. They are the ancestors of the Norman invasion. Earlier ,the Normans had Serfs who had to pay 10% of their farm produce to the Head of the Manor.

Question - Should Society today right these wrongs ? Should these Manorial lands be returned to the State today ? Should we right these wrongs.

Rewriting History had many problems. Perhaps it is Racialism to only concentrate on the Black slaves of the 19th Century.”

What about the Roman invasion ? They killed indigenous Britons, stole their lands and stole their treasures. Should we ask Italy to pay Britain reparations?

Now, there are many more examples of the problems of rewriting History.

King Henry VIII killed many innocent people. He destroyed the Monestries.

Should the Crown today pay reparations to descendants of these Monestries ?

I could go on an on. The problem I am illustrating is that the Past is the Past.

Innocent British citizens today should not be castigated for the injustices of the Past.

More recently, I have had contact with a number of German people. As we know,i n World War 2 the Nazis murdered 6,000,000 Jews. The Germans of today are wonderful people althought there is still a small minority who remain prejudised and racialist. The past wrongs of Germany are now History.

Should modern day Germany be allowed to erase these episodes from the History books ?

Of course not.

We learn from History, good or bad so that we can remain alert and prevent theses wrongs in the future reoccurring. Is this not sensible ?

The guiding light must be Learn from History. Do not pretend events did not occur or erase facts because you do not like them..Today.

The Rule of Law must prevail. if not, we have anarchy and perhaps Civil War,

People cannot take matters into their own hands.

So, be careful when you hear cries to rewrite History, delete parts you may not like and a section of Society misleads you into thinking that Britain is a RacialistCountry. It is not. A small section might be but it covers a small  section of Society.

We cannot ignore the fact that a small section of Society is plain Evil !

Do not brand the rest of us as Evil.

Beware the call to rewrite History and destroy the evidence of wrongdoings.

If we do not resist the clamour to pull down statues, erase the memories of Colonialists and the facts we are in danger of removing the very foundations of our Past, the good and the bad. This is History.

Henry Ford once said “ History is all bunk.”

Like millions of people today, I believe he was wrong.

History is a guiding light to our future. We learn from mistakes.

WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BE A CELEBRITY ?

WHO WANTS TO BE A CELEBRITY ?

On reflection, I spent most of my Business years wanting Recognition.
I was pleased when my photo appeared regularly in the Trade Magazines or the Company Journals. Somehow, this publicity made me feel Good.

Many people in the World Today, idolise Celebrities because they can Sing, Play Football or Appear on Television. If someone appears on Television this qualifies them to be a Celebrity and ensures that they are Worshipped by the masses.

Are these Celebrities happy souls ?
Many are not. How many Celebrity Singers have committed suicide ?
How many Celebrity Film stars have drunk or eaten themselves to death?
How many Celebrities have died from taking drugs ?
T00 MANY.

No, do I want to be a Celebrity and perhaps appear on “ I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here “....?
Certainly not.
I think the the so called “ Celebrities “ are lacking Inner Confidence. They need this adulation from the Public to keep going. This is the reason why so many Performers need to take drugs before appearing on stage or on Television. It is
to boost their Confidence.

Do I miss making outrageous sums of money ? No. There are more important things in life like.....Health, Family Love, Nature, Travel and....Volunteering.

The Covid 19 Pandemic 2020 has reinforced my view that Admiring Flowers In the garden or in the gardens of The National Trust, reading Books, Writing articles to keeping the brain active to avoid Dementia.....and most important of all Good Health.
Remember that the Romans got it right....”Mens Sana in Corpore Sano. “
A Heathy Mind in a Healthy Body.

So everyone, count your blessings and have faith and believe in Yourself.

You are a CELEBRITY without knowing it. You do not have to Sing, Play Football or Perform on Television.

Be Happy. Be grateful. Be Yourself.

BRITAIN AFTER COVID19 VIRUS

" A Radical Social Change in Attitudes for the benefit of All "

" In the future there mut be an integrated link beween Care, Nursing Homes and the NHS with all the subsequent benefits to the Elderly and the Sick. "

" The New Human-Centric Conservative " - Putting People First 
Raymond Williams 
May 2020


OH HOW I WISH THAT IN BRITAIN TOMORROW...............

We would become a Society for the better and that we will have learnt some of the great lessons during our period of Self Isolation and surviving The Terrible Global Covid 19 Pandemic Virus.

For far too long, the Government have expected millions of front line workers to live on relatively low incomes whilst allowing the super rich to get away from paying taxes by forming overseas companies and paying into these oversaes acounts the £Millions they have earned playing Football, Singing, Gambling on  the Stock exchanges of the World, earning £2 Millions a year for being a BBC Presenter - " The GLUTTONS OF THE WORLD " in my previous  article years ago.

The NHS needs a complete overall. Yes, they do a great job but there is so much waste.
We must be more prepared to stock up PPE well before any future virus outbreak.
All Emergency wards must have better Protective clothing and also in the Operating Theatres of a hospital.

Build more Medical Teaching centres and extensions wherever possible to existing Medical Universities. so as to add to the numbers of Doctors and Nurses in the Community.

Change the A Level courses towards making one year of A level aYear 1 for a Medical Degree,
revise 3 year Degrees for Nurses by making their 3rd Year a Practical in Hospital training on the Job experience.

Citiznes must have a better National Insurance Scheme by paying more into the system. The Liberal Party suggestions that we should pay an extra 1% on income tax is a good idea.

The current NI Pension scheme is not fit for purpase. We need better state Pensions in the future, well funded.

No one should live in Poverty. This is a National Disgrace.

No one should be homeless. We need to build more cheaper housing. It is no good Taylor Wimbey and other builders offering new homes at £400,000 plus. These homes in the town of High Wycome are being snapped up by people from West London who have sold their houses at very high prices and move out into the Thames Valley.
This practice does not help the poor at all.

Stop paying Chief Executives of Local Authorities, Vice Chancellors of Universities, Civil Servant Manderins....£200,000 - £500,000 a year.  Stop paying BBC Executives and Presenters £200,000 - £2 Millions a year.

Start paying the unerpaid mush more. Reduce Corperations Tax on condition that they pay their workers more than average increases in wages.

Take care of the Carers. Pay them at least 30%-50% more.

All Front Line staff should get Danger Money increases of 10% per annum

Create NHS Care Homes in the future. See my article - " Future NHS Care Homes in Britain."

Respect MPs for doing a very difficult and time consuming job.

Do not believe everything you read in the Newspapers or hear on the TV. Often they get the news wrong. Remain alert.

Stop Personality bashing  of Politicians. They are only human and no one is perfect.

Let us have more positive news and not all trivial news about so called Celebrities in TV, Sport, Music. Stop woshiping them as Idols. They can sing, play football,....so What ?
How can it be right that some have fortunes of £100 Millions ? What do they want all this money for?

Respect the Queen and support the Royal Family when they deserve respect.

Speed up plans to reduce Climate changes that are and will be devastating to the Planet.

Keep the spirit of Good Neighbours going post Covid 19.

Be a good Volunteer and help your fellow citizens.

Look aftter the Elderly and do not steal their homes to pay for care. Return to the 1946 NHS Ethos..
" From the cradle to the grave ."

Stop this nonsense that the Country cannot afford to pay for improvements to Healthcare and Infrastructure. We can create money line QE - Quantative Easing - £400 Billions to ave the Banks in 2008 Financial World Crisis.

Civil Servants should be reminded that they are servants of the People and they should not talk down to people.

We need a radical review of Government Purchasing Processes. If a Compnay bids for a Contract, for example, The HR2 Project with a bid of say £30 Millions...how can the Government allow the final cost to climb to £ 100 Millions ? This is incompetence within the Civil Service and outrageous for the Government to allow this. Whatever happened to the Concept of  Project Management ?

Revise the Laws on Asylum Seekers. At the present interpretation, Millions and Millions could qualify because there is so much violence and killings in the World.

Stop allowing the God of Moneterism being the mainstay of Economic Strategy.

Let us create a new better, fairer, happier World. BUT, we have been saying this for Centuries.

TIME TO START ANEW.

Upate our view on Political Parties......We still think Labour is for the Workers and the Conservatives are for the Rich. This Image must change in furure. For Millions of people 
In Britain Today,  they still think of the Parties in an archiac manner.

We need A HUMAN CENTRIC philosophy...... Work from the botom up in Society, building a safe, no poor, no homeless Society as a priority, then strengthen the prosperty of the Middle Working Class before we reward the Rich in a reasonable level of Wellbeing.
The Unions should not be affiliated to the Labour Party. They should represent their Members rights but not support theri Labour activists.  Let their individual members use their own freedom, judgement and choice.

Is not whtat DEMOCRACY is all about ?

FOOTNOTE

At present, The Conservative Party is named....The Conservative and Unionist Party.
This is interpreted badly by the Irish Republicans living in Northern Ireland, who think it means The Party is against forever any structure of Irish Unification. The Party should change its name in future. Perhaps,simply The Conservative Party.

THE BOMBER COMMAND LINCOLNSHIRE MEMORIAL

THIS IS A WONDERFUL MEMORIAL IN HONOUR OF THE 58,000 YOUNGE MEN - AVERAGE AGE 22/23 - WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SERVING IN BOMBER COMMAND IN WW2.
THE MEMORIAL NEEDS CONTINUOUS FUNDING TO MAINTAIN THE MEMORIAL FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE, PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW.
THANK YOU.

 https://www.justgiving.com/LBCM

CARE HOMES OF THE FUTURE IN BRITAIN

ELDERLY NHS CARE HOMES OF THE FUTURE
A more seemless NEW integrated role for the National Health Service in the United Kigdom

The Revolution in Social Care during the next Decade of the 21st century
" From the Cradle to the Grave " ( NHS 1946 )

" Care Home Workers are the salt of the Earth. Hospice Workers are too. It is a National Disgrace that they have to relie on Charitable Donations to survive. The British Government should contribute more to these sectors before they estimate how much money they can put into the Overeas Aid Budget."  Raymond Williams MA MPhil MBA DIPM

PATHWAY TO THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL CARE IN BRITAIN

Thia article embrasses Private and Public Care Homes, Nursing Homes, Hospices, Mental Health Care Facilities.

The Pathway Objectives are to escape from a ' Swamp of Indifference and Inadequate Funding'  and to Create a new innovative role for the NHS in Britain, with adequat Funding from the Goverment for the benefit of the Elderly. How this can be funded is suggested later in this Article.

FACTS

Total of 1.2 Million people work in the Social Care sector in England

610,000 Care Workers visit Patients in their homes

150,000 Care Workers operate in care Homes, Nursing Homes and Hospices 

( 2018 official statistics )

It is well overdue that the Government should take steps to create a network of NHS CARE HOMES.

How can this be done ?

Select the best existing Care Homes throughout the United Kingdom.
Nationalise them. Turn them into Registered NHS Care Homes.
Employ current owners on a one year contract to be reviewed annually.
An NHS qualified Nurse should be assigned to each NHS Care Home where necessary.
All Carers must study part time for a new CERTIFICATE OF CARE. 
This will be a simple curriculum of How to care for the Elderly.
Yes, they will get a Certificate and an NHS badge off honour. They will be known as..
Registered NHS Carers.

Every NHS Care home will be inspected nore thougherly according to new guidelines every 6 months. If all is well, a Certificate of Compliance will be issued. No Care Home can operate without this Certificate of Compliance. These care Homes Reviews will be more indepth than at present.
The funding for this Plan will be an extra injection of funds from the Government - see later for Sources of Funds.
A new extra tax will be applied called NHS SECURITY TAX will be introduced to help cover future funding of the NHS Care Homes. The NHS will be funded as at present.

SUMMARY Of 10 POINT NATIONAL ACTION PLAN

1 - Existing good Care Homes to be Nationalised

2 - Create a network of NHS Care Homes.

3 - Each Care home to have at least one NHS Registered Nurse if justified

4 - Each new Care Home will be vetted every 6 months by a Government appointed oficial Inspector

5 - Care Patients should give feedback to Inpector every 6 months as part of Review.

6 - Funding from a new NHS Security Tax and Government grants and Inheritance Tax.

7 - Each New Care Home to be Registered and vetted every 6 months.

8 - Carers must be qualified by new CERTIFICATE OF CARE. Part time course. Paid by Department of Education. Spread over 3 months online wherever possible or by correspondance.

9 - Salaries of Registered Carers to be increased in Year 1 by 50% with Annual Reviews

10 - A NEW NATIONAL QUANGO- " NHS CARE HOME COUNCIL" to be established with is Minister of Elderly Health appointed by the Government.


NOTE

No Elderly person should pay around £50,000 per annum towards care.
No Elderly person should have to sell their home to pay for care.
In future Inheritance Tax should be reduced to 20% and this should be used to pay for Care in old age. Currently, the Government takes ( more than £5.2bn 2018 an increase of 8% from the previous year  ) from the Estates of the Elderly. The average bill is more than £179,000 ( 2016 ). It is substanitally more by 2020. So, the Elderly are eventually paying for their Care so they many should not be paying ££50,000 per annum as well.
Due to their Compamy Pension schemes, many Pensioners are still paying tax in their 80s.
Many have paid and are still paying tax after 60 years.

SOME DUTIES OF CARERS

Help patients dress and undress
Help them in and out of bed
Wash them
Bath them
Wash hair
Help them down stairs
Help to feed them
Clear up mess
Monitor medication
Complete paperwork
Clean up vormit
Deal with Family grief
Check patients are breathing
Work unsociable hours
Attend staff briefings
Travel at own expense
Little or no protective clothing

PRESENT INCOME LEVELS OF CARE WORKERS

The average hourly pay for a Care Worker in United Kingdom is £8.19.
10%
£7.20
MEDIAN
£8.19
90%
£9.83

What is the the range of Annual Range of Care Home Workers ?
Total Pay
£14,894 - £21,000

Recently, The Mayor of New York suggested that Frontline Workers should be paid
 "  Hazard Pay. " in recognition of the dangerous work they do which is essential for the Community.
He said that they should also get a 50% bonus once the Covid 19 crisis is over.
I agree with him. They deserve it !

OFFICIAL DEFINITION  OF A CARE WORKER

" What Do Care Workers Do?
A career as a care worker offers countless opportunities to work with children, disabled adults, and elderly people. Care workers care for people in a variety of settings, including residential homes, clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. They often work on a team with other health care professionals, such as registered nurses and social workers, to care for patients and support their individual needs. Some patients may require around-the-clock care, so care workers may work first or Second shift."

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

Not all our Care Homes are bad. Many are exemplary in their high standards of care and the hard work of Carers who show patients kindness, encouragement and carry out hygene tasks that most of us would not like to do. They are wonderful, dedicated people and very under paid.
However, at present there are criticisms about some care homes.

THE CQC - CARE QUALITY COMMISION

The CQC regularly check care Homes. The fundamental ingredients of each visit check includes the following....

" The fundamental standards are the standards below which your care must never fall.

Everybody has the right to expect the following standards.....

Patient Needs
You must have care or treatment that is tailored to you and meets your needs and preferences.

Dignity and respect
You must be treated with dignity and respect at all times while you're receiving care and treatment.

This includes making sure:

You have privacy when you need and want it.
Everybody is treated as equals.
You're given any support you need to help you remain independent and involved in your local community.
Consent

Consent
You (or anybody legally acting on your behalf) must give your consent before any care or treatment is given to you

Safety
You must not be given unsafe care or treatment or be put at risk of harm that could be avoided.

Providers must assess the risks to your health and safety during any care or treatment and make sure their staff have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience to keep you safe.

Safeguarding from abuse

Safeguarding from abuse
You must not suffer any form of abuse or improper treatment while receiving care.

This includes:

Neglect
Degrading treatment
Unnecessary or disproportionate restraint
Inappropriate limits on your freedom.
Food and drink

Food and drink
You must have enough to eat and drink to keep you in good health while you receive care and treatment.

Premises and equipment

Premises and equipment
The places where you receive care and treatment and the equipment used in it must be clean, suitable and looked after properly.

The equipment used in your care and treatment must also be secure and used properly.

Complaints "

The CQC do a good job. Here is my List that should be observed in each visit of a CQC Inspection visit -

EUEKYS CHECK LIST

1 - Managemnt Leadership

2 - Attitudes of Management

4 - Communications with Patients

5 - House Keeping cleanliness

6 - Acitivities for Patients

7 - Entertainment for Patients

8 - Exercise for Patients

9 - Food Hygene kitchen

10 - Patient rooms hygene

11 - Delivery and Supply of medicines

12 - Open spce facilities / garden

13 - Outings for Patients

14 - Review of Complaints and Suggestions

15 - Financial Monthly accounts

16 - Insurance Covers

17 - Personal Protective Clothing - PCC

18 - Staff feedback

19 - Furniture fit for purpose

20 - Heating Programme

21 - Lighting Ambience

22 - Emergency exits

23 - Patient emergency bedroom buttons / cord pulls

24 - Regularily of visits to the Care Home by Doctors or medical staff

25 - Annual Accounts Review

26 - Information display Boards

Of course any Check List such as above must contain Definition Guidlines of each of these areas of investigation.

Frequentcy of visit by the Inpectors should be every 3 months for visits 1 2 3 and a Final visit 4 at the end of the Financial Year when a full Review should be taken.


This Check List needs to be compared with the CQC Check List to see if the CQC Inspectors evaluation of the Care Home are as in depth as it should be.
In the past Abuse, Crualty, Poor Standards have gone unnoticed. How can this be if the Checks are thoughly made by the Inspectorate ?

THE NATIONAL CARE ASSOCIATION

The NCA represent the Independant Care sector in the UK. They play a very importanat role with Information and Reccomendations to carers and Care Homes about subjects like Best Care Practice and many other support areas via their National network of Voluneers.
Nadia Ahmed OBE is the Chair and she is backed by a dedicated team of people. Nadia Ahmed has been the Chair since 2011and she has some 35 years experience in the Social Care sector. A brilliant and caring woman facing a very difficult task In Britain Today.

The primary aims of National Care Association are to:
Lobby Government to benefit both members and the people they support, whether in their own homes or in residential or nursing care settings
Promote and develop the highest standards of care
Support individual members and local associations with the challenges they face with information, advice and guidance
Represent all care providers at local and national level in response to government consultations and on appointed local and national government bodies

One of the key areas that they have stressed from their research activity is the absolute imprtance of good Leadership and Management withiin Care Homes. I agree with their reserch findings 100%.
In spite of their excellent work, there is still a lot of improvement needed in many of our Care Homes In Britain Today. I hope that many more Care Homes will implement the good advice provided by the NCA.  In a recent research study the NCA asked inter alia, 3 key questions of Care Home providers.....

Are you worried about your Financial stabiity ?
65% said YES

Are you going to increase your Fees ?
YES most replied

By what % ?
2%-4% per annum

Are you listening to the NCA Government ? 

CRITICISMS OF SOME CARE HOMES

Regulation needs to be improved
Present professional development needs improvement
No regular feedback from patients
No regular check on food hygene
Squalid sized bedrooms
Lack of privacy
Negelect of some patients
Abuse
Staff treated like dirt
Staff poorly paid
Staff turnover high
Unsocial working hours
Basic food and poor variety
Poor staff management
Lack of open spaces
Poor dismal lighting
Inadaquate heating in winter
Communal bathrooms
Minimum entertainment
Lack of protective clothing for staff

The Care Home Professional Association said :  " One in Four of English Care Homes have been rated Inadequatee or needing improvement. "
This is quite an appauling statistic !

The Care Providers Alliance is another organisation thatis in the vanguard of ensuring that the needs of Elderly care is promoted at the highest level. The problem is......There is a lack of Government Department actions to remedy some of the growing problems in the Elderly Care sector. Lack of funding since the Financial Crash of 2008 and the Austerity recovery programme has put Elderly care at the bottom of the priority list of Government. It is time to reverse this and put Elderly Care at the top of the List.

What I find most disturbing is that we have some wonerful Organisations in Britain supported by thousands of wonderful Voluneers dedicated to Elderly care but still, as this Article shows, there is a massive hill to climb to provide decent suitable, well funded care in Britain today for the Elderly.

This above List is a general check list which should be used for the future scrutiny of Care Homes.
It does not apply to many of todays Care Homes.
I suggest a new rating structure in the future similar to the star ratings for hotels and guest houses.

 Foe example, a C Ratings. Effectives of care.

CCCCC - Excellent
CCCC - Very Good
CC -  Good
C - Need to improve

Now, many readers will say - " We are alreday doing this ? "
I say " You need to do better."

Does anyone remember QE ? QuantatativeEasing !
The Government created £400 Billions to support the Banks during the 2008 Financial crisis.
They can do it again to support the new NHS Care Homes structure.

IT CAN BE DONE IF THE WILL AND CREATIVITY IS THERE
After WW2 many people said.....
" It is impossible to create an NHS."
Welsman BEVAN proved that it CAN BE DONE.

Remember the clarion call from the newly formed NHS ?
It was " Free Healthcare for all from the cradle to the grave."  What went wrong ?


WHAT ABOUT IT BORIS IN 2023 ?

You can create this Revolution in Social Care for millions of the Elerly in Britain which is long overdue. As the Covid 19 episode has shown - Money can be created for vital projects if the Will of Government is there.
This third Decade of the 21st Century can be a great reforming period for Britain.
So, please make it happen in spite of the inevitable critics and doomongers !

HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHING TODAY

HIGHER EDUCATION TODAY - IN BRITAIN 2020

Some years ago, I wrote one of my 220 Articles about
Politics, Social and Cultural Affairs - IN BRITAIN TODAY.
The Article concentrated on The State of Primary Education Teaching. I interviewed many Teachers with many years of experienced. Here are just a few of my Observations....

Teachers were overworked so much that they had to continue to work at home into late hours ....Marking.

Teachers were becoming so depressed that many had decided to leave the Profession.

The Government Civil servants had imposed a mass of Report Writing.

Vertically everything the Teacher planned to do in class had to be written down. After class work, there were more Reports to be written.

Teachers were overwhelmed by Paperwork.

In many schools Management was poor.

There was a shortage of money to buy books and other essentials.

The Teachers were not shown respect.

Teachers had to be very careful not to touch pupils innocently
Or treat pupils badly.

Yes, Teachers were near cracking point.

Not much has changed 2020.

SO WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY IN HIGHER EDUCATION ?

I am sorry to say, almost the same problems for Teaching Staffs in some of our Universities up and down the Country.

It has been well reported in the National Media that Universities had been strapped for cash.
Recently, I have been talking to some Senior Staff in some of our Universities. Before I give an analysis of my findings the Reader should know that I spent 30 years as Chief Executive in 3 Leading Companies and working as a Business Consultant for the Government, I have helped more than 1,000 Companies. In my leisure time I have been an Examiner for The Open University, Bucks New University and the Advertising Association. I have tasted the water of what Teaching and working in Higher Education is like.

I am very alarmed from the feedback I have received recently.
Here is a summary of some of the comments from Senior Lecturers.......

I am overloaded with marking exam papers, having to write detailed comments on every script. I have to work after midnight.

The University keeps piling on extra work as they get rid of staff to save money.

We are still getting high demand from Students but as demand goes up, the numbers of experienced staff goes down

The Management of the University is poor, over demanding and shows no respect for the teaching staff.

Experienced staff with years of experience are treated as dirt. Many are made redundant.

Students attack me verbally and physically...even at my own address. They sing loudly outside of my house late at night, bang on my door and window. They shout obscene words .The University acts very leniently towards these students. They should be given a written warning and if they repeat their frightening actions, they should be expelled from the University.

Senior staff and lecturers live in Fear of redundancy.
The University does not care. Saving money is the priority and not high teaching standards for students.

Students are not getting the education they deserve.

Teaching staff are getting depression and more and more are thinking of leaving the Profession.

Staff morale is low.

Motivation is even lower

Neglect and ill treatment from Management

The whole experience has left me traumatised and numb with emotional pain.

DOES THESE REMARKS SEEM FAMILIAR TO THE FEEDBACK FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS ?

YOU BET IT DOES!!

Wellbeing In the Workplace is now a key Management function in the Corporate World. It has been proven to increase productivity and helps to retain a success environment in the Company. We need to practice Wellbeing in Education for the Lecturers and the Students.

So, whose fault is all this ?

Firstly, the Government. They ploughed £400 Billions into the Banks via Quantatative Easing QE. They need to plough more QE into Higher and Primary Education.

Secondly, Management in Universities and Primary Schools need to understand how to treat their Staff as human beings and not as fodder to get rid of to save money.
It is disgusting that many excellent Teachers / Lecturers are cast out after they have given many years of superb service and who have enhanced the reputation of the University though Conferences, Research, Books, Universities and Community Events.

Thirdly, University Management needs to prioritise if they are forced to reduce staff, For example, Health, Nursing, Sports and Physical fitness, Preventative Healthcare are priorities compared to Dance, Performing Arts, Media Studies.

Fourthly, Reduce the salaries of Vice Chancellors. Some earn £400,000 per annun plus a Gold standard Pension scheme. They are not worth this and it is a big drain of the Finances of the University.

UNIVERSITY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

Many years ago, I studied at Harvard Business School in Boston USA. Our Lecturers made us study about 50 Financial Accounts of Leading Companies.
We were taught to examine the financial figures in depth and in particular the statements of the Chairman and Chief Executive.
We tried to drill down below the figures and to discuss what really was going on behind the figures.
We found that in many cases instead of a successful result on the surface there were big problems within the Organisation.

As a result of this experience, I believe that many Annual Accounts of Universities paint a glorious picture whilst below the surface, all was not well for the future.

The problems can be unearthed, for example, in the Human aspects of the Organisation. I mean Staff Turnover, Reasons for staff leaving, how the Management have treated their staff, where they have invested money in what disciplines,have they a Staff feedback system, do they practice Wellbeing and so on. They might be surprised what they will find.
In the Accounts of one University, they proudly declared that they had an 86% satisfaction rating from their students. Now that means that 14% were not satisfied. The University had 10,000 students which means that 1,400 students were not satisfied - not good enough for students paying £9,000 in annual fees plus living expenses.

There is no doubt that IN BRITAIN TODAY there are some very good Universities. However, there are some really bad ones.
The Media try to grade Universities such as The Times Newspaper and others. I am not sure their assessments illustrate, for example how they treat their staff, how many excellent teaching staff are made redundant each year.
The number of complaints which are received, Lecturer / Student numbers for example.

THE CHALLENGE

I am shocked that there are National Bodies that are issuing Certificates that say how good this or that University is Gold or Silver standard whilst at the same time they are shedding excellent, loyal and respected staff.

This must stop.

Who is going to review these problems ?
Who will listen to the Staff ?

All is not right in Higher Education from the perspective of the Teaching Staff and the Students.
IN BRITAIN TODAY.

PERSPECTIVE

The intention of this Article is to make University Management THINK about these issues.
If all is well that will be great. On the other hand, maybe they have to make changes.
I am not pointing the finger at any specific University. I am just trying to highlight what I have been told by some Lecturers and Teachers. I am their voice !!

RECOMMENDATION

I suggest that the Human Resources Manager in Universities should use this Aricle as a Check List.
Does our University experience some of there problems ?
If Yes we do .....perhaps they improve some of these issues and make the Universitty a better environment for their teaching staff and Students.
If the University can justify extra financial support from the Government and Sponsors, then they should launch a strong campaign to get those funds.

Raymond Williams MA MPhil MBA DIPM
EUREKYS
Music & Journalism

26 January 2020
























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