Silence From #Unison And #Unite the Union Re #BetsiCadwaladr

With regard to the Robin #Holden report into Institutional Abuse at #BCUHB dated 2013, snippets of the report have appeared in the media informing of staff in tears and at the end of their tether working in the North Wales NHS mental health units. Issues of bullying are also said to be raised within the report.

The Information Commissioner had ordered BCUHB to release the report but the Board have refused and are appealing the ICO's decision. The Tribunal has a date of early 2021...

Local Trade Union branches in North Wales were recently approached for their thoughts and reaction to the report by the North Wales Community Health Council into Vascular services at BCUHB and in particular the worry of increased limb loss amongst patients. The use of antibiotics was also raised as a concern.

That report, dated 8th October, 2019, can be found here - 
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/900/Exec%20Minutes%2008102019%20%28APPROVED%29.pdf
It is a PDF document that will not open a new page but will be downloaded to your pc.

#Unison branches in the area were reluctant to give any response, some did not even acknowledge the question of if they were going to make a public statement on the damning report.

The decision by the local union officers to make no statement regarding the treatment of staff and the patients within the health board has come as a surprise to many members, especially after the shocking revelations now being made in the local press.

Now I may have expected too much from Unison as I am not a member so I approached my own union, Unite.

An acknowledgment was received from the BCU branch secretary and senior workplace rep, with regard to my inquiry, excerpts of which are reproduced below -

  ...concerns come through the recent review of the Board's Vascular Services and in particular claims of those in fear for their careers if they speak out.
Have the Trade Unions had contact with the Board and what has been the response from senior managers within the organisation - if any ?
There is also the issue of the Board discharging 1700 mental health patients from their services and the LA's having to pick up the pieces - during the lockdown.

The senior workplace rep, duly responded and on the 2nd June, said that they would be discussing with the regional officers and get back to me.

By early August, there had been no further response. I then came across a discussion on Twitter involving the Holden report and tagged both local Unison and Unite accounts into the thread hoping one would join in the conversation.

Whilst Unison did not respond - Unite simply blocked me...

The Unite rep did eventually get back to me via Facebook -

"As you are not a member of the BCU branch and you are not an employee of BCUHB I can’t provide you with that information im afraid. If you require information you will need to address your concerns to the Regional Secretary Peter Hughes at the Cardiff Office." 

Any union members that have concerns regarding work practices or whistleblowing in BCUHB may be better informing the regional organisers outside of the BCUHB region. The same goes for any Unison or Unite members within the local government organisations of North Wales.

Something is very wrong within the local government organisations of North Wales. 

                                    

Cyngor Gwynedd Council Fail.: Silence From Unison And Unite Trade Unions. #BCUHB:

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Fail After Fail After Fail.

I notice Cyngor Gwynedd appear not to have updated their website and still make no mention that one of the cases that they reference has been ongoing for years.

Earlier post here – https://gwyneddsfailingcouncil.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/gwynedd-council-services-scrutiny-needs.html

First contact with the Gwynedd Children and Supporting Families Team was in 2007/8 and was appalling.

The family had to endure missed appointments, staff that were untrained and abusive comments from those involved in the child’s care.

MSBP and poor parenting were all thrown at the family.

One so called professional, Dawn Wimpory, failed to diagnose the child and so many years have been wasted because of it.

Perhaps you should have tried engaging him with music therapy, Dawn ?

That would have taken longer than the 20 minute consultation you gave the child. 

A comment from one of the service managers in a review meeting “If he was my child…..” led to the manager going off sick when the Independent Investigators tried to interview him for an explanation.

An illness that lasted for months and so the report was published without him being interviewed.

The report does mention Llyr Ap Rhisiart’s absence and the fact that when he does finally return from illness he would not be in the same job.

But the question remains, Mr Ap Rhisiart.

What would you have done with the child who has Autism, PDA and other complex issues if he was yours ?

Someone even suggested clearing the child’s bedroom and locking them in.
The child was 7 years old.

The Investigators found 16 points of complaint and bad practise – including lost correspondence and files – all upheld.

That was in 2010 and nothing has changed. In fact, the situation is far worse.

So I say again to Cyngor Gwynedd raising a complaint does not make people unreasonable – it simply means that unprofessional standards and bad behaviour should always be challenged.

Sex Offenders Living In Wales Increases.

The number of sex offenders living in north and mid Wales has risen over the last year.
(I wonder if you are on the list, Melfyn ?)
There are now 1,147 sex offenders living in the area - an increase of 317.
The total for North Wales this year was 722 - up 54 on last year. There were no year on year comparison figures for Dyfed Powys.
In North Wales, the highest number of registered sex offenders live in Wrexham at 141, followed by Gwynedd at 139, Conwy 138, Denbighshire 128, Flintshire 111 and Anglesey 85.
The figures were supplied by North Wales and Dyfed-Powys Police in a Freedom of Information request by the Daily Post.
A North Wales Police spokesman said: “There may be some registered sex offenders that lived in North Wales, but have since moved away to other force areas.”
Last year North Wales Police said they had concerns about “releasing details of actual towns/villages due to the geographical area and small numbers”.
A spokesman said: “If any such information was disclosed, it would make supervision more difficult and could lead to a rise in re-offending.”
It could also lead to offenders going “underground”, making it difficult for the authorities to trace and monitor them.
In North Wales, the Circles of Support and Accountablility (COSA) project works with sex offenders to “minimise alienation, support reintegration and so prevent sexual reoffending.”
Another all-Wales organisation, Stop it Now! helps protect children and young people from sexual abuse by working with parents and others “through awareness raising and education.”
Hundreds of paedophiles have been identified since the introduction of “Sarah’s Law” in 2011. Thousands of requests for information were made in England, Scotland and Wales; many resulted in a paedophile being revealed.
The disclosure scheme was named after eight-year-old victim Sarah Payne.
It means a parent or guardian can ask police if a person who has contact with children is a child sex offender.
If the individual has convictions for sexual offences against children or poses a risk of causing harm, the police can choose to disclose this information to the parent, carer or guardian.
Jon Brown, NSPCC lead on tackling sexual abuse, said: “While Sarah’s Law is obviously working well and protecting some children, we know there are many more still at risk.
“It’s important to remember that the vast majority of child abuse is committed by someone known to the child.”
Summers coming...

Trolls And Abusers.

I am afraid to say that my last trolling incident has put me off blogging, recently. My blog began as my way back from the madness that happened with my daughter, grace. A diary of thoughts that aided my healing around my loss. I also used it to embarrass and shame my ex partner and family. It quickly developed a political theme - not surprising with my experience of the Thatcher years. My blogs have been attacked many times over the years. I have lost dozens, taken down by site owners who didnt agree with the publishing of stories and pictures that told a different story to mainstream media, Even blog co uk have forced pictures from my postings. It just spurred me on more. Knowing the troll and his family put me in a strange dilemma. Name and shame would mean embarrassing others. One asked me not to - and i obliged. The troll and his friends also supported my ex, many years ago. Supporting siabreen in using children as weapons and recanting lies. One, in particular, to whom i was a very good friend, {even ignoring the bruises on his girlfriends face to my shame}, cut deeper than all the others. He has just been arrested for downloading kiddie porn. Karma ? I truly hope so and thank you. Yet this is North Wales. Where paedophilia and other abuses too often rear its ugly head. Now we have the home secretary setting up an 'inquiry into an inquiry'. Isnt there a 'D' notice on this case too ? The state already know the abusers. But they dont want us to know for 100 years ! And some of these people hold power... And the point of this post ? To remind myself - dont be put off by wankers. I enjoy blogging my thoughts and will continue to do so. For a while, i did what i did for others, and also took myself too seriously tut.