Labour helping small business locally

It's no great shock, although it is a real worry that growth is stuttering to close to zero - 0.2% growth in 9 months since the Conservative's cuts started to bite. 

However locally the Labour council is committed to working better with and supporting employers especially small businesses.  If you are a small trader who is trustworthy, friendly reliable and based in Reading you will be interested in this special offer - 15 small employers will have their application fee refunded for joining the "Buy with Confidence" scheme.  It's of particular benefit to vulnerable residents but anyone might find it a help.

Businesses with fewer than ten employees, that provide practical services in Reading are being offered the chance to receive free membership of the Trading Standards Buy with Confidence Scheme for one year.

Buy with Confidence is a Trading Standards approved trader scheme, with two primary aims: to promote and support good, reliable local businesses; and to improve consumer protection by providing the public with a choice of businesses they can trust.

This follows the success of 'Helping Hands' – an event organised by the Council for local organisations to find out how they can develop their businesses to support vulnerable people in Reading with practical services and other jobs around the home such as shopping, laundry, gardening and cleaning.

The Council is keen to develop this scheme and ensure that there are appropriate organisations that can provide these services to vulnerable people in Reading.

An increasing number of people need help around the home due to illness, disability or old age which affects their strength and mobility.

People who need assistance are looking for trustworthy, friendly and reliable firms to help them live their lives more independently.

This initiative will refund 15 lucky Reading based organisations their application fee if they have fewer than 10 employees, deliver practical task services, and can complete the application process within three months.

Mike Orton, Lead Councillor for Adult Social Care, said: 'The Council is keen to support the development of the Buy With Confidence scheme to ensure that there is a wide selection of accredited and trustworthy services available from small businesses."

Organisations must apply by 31st August 2011. For more information and eligibility please contact Pam Gregory on 0118 937 2503 or pam.gregory@reading.gov.uk 

More information can be found at www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk

Norway's reaction

I think we can only admire and respect the reaction of Norway's people to what is a terrorist attack by a cold blooded and evil killer.

My thoughts and prayers are with our comrades and their families in Norway

Difficult times, big questions, we need to talk

I was going to advertise this here but saw that Cllr Sarah Hacker of Battle ward has written a very clear and good post explaining what this is all about.

So nip over to her blog for more info

Of if you just want to get stuck in go here

Please do share this link with anyone else who you think might be interested in getting involved in how the council deals with the cuts, improves more generally and works better with residents and visitors.

The News International and the 'threat to our way of life'

UPDATE: Someone read this post (and commented) thinking that I agreed with Melanie Phillip's analysis.  Just to be clear I do not and by referring to her as having a 'moment of genius' I hoped it would be clear that I did not.  I've left the post up and published the comment that was left before I added this update

I haven't bothered with a blog post on News International.

This could be because I agree with Melanie Phillip's moment of genius that the real question is:  "If Miliband is such a hero, why won't he tackle the REAL threat to our way of life - the BBC?" *


Or it could be because I really don't have anything to say about it that hasn't been said by someone who actually knows something about it.

But lets face it it's a topic we apparently can't get enough of.  Now I'm going to suggest you take a look at this page.

I'm not suggesting that News International isn't important.  However I have seen barely any coverage of the unfolding disaster in East Africa on the news.  I'm not a total news junkie but I do watch the news, and I would have thought that maybe 5 minutes less on the news about the latest person-I've-never-heard-of-before-but-who-apparently-had-lunch-with-the-PM might be worth a news editor's consideration to cover a situation where a way of life and life itself is actually under threat. 

I have a confession to make - I only got round to donating yesterday.  If I'd had it in my face every time I switched on the news I would probably have made the effort to press a few buttons earlier.  That may make me a lesser person than the people who donated the £20m before I got off my bottom, but I bet there are more than a few others like me out there.  If you are one of them and you can afford to why not donate a few quid?




*If you don't want to read the whole thing it can be summed up that apparently the BBC are using their market share to attack Christian values with programs like Songs of Praise and painfully dull documentaries about church buildings.  Unlike p3 of the Sun I guess?

Not a good reasn to buy solar panels...

But sadly probably tells you a lot about human nature.   Makes me question my own motivations as well.

But at least it sets to rest the concern that one person who's been thinking about it who I've talked to, who was worried about whether it would damage his house's resale value.

Adult Social care reforms - a real opportunity

While the phone hacking/Murdoch empire saga continues and is still making the headlines there are a number of things of greater long term importance happening under the radar (yes I know the future of the media is very important).  Firstly the speculation has already started about low growth or even a shrinking of the UK economy in the last quarter - having that following a net 0% growth in the previous 6 months is very worrying.

More positively I think it's clear there is a real opportunity for reform of adult social care to get under way.  Anyone who is or has family in need of support whether due to age or disability knows that currently we have a postcode lottery and funding that is coming under increased pressure not just due to the government's cuts but also because of the increasing need (council staff call this demand pressure...).

Labour's council administration has signed the cross-party declaration from the Local Government Association (LGA) calling for action.  It's a real opportunity to grasp this issue by the horns.  The full text of the letter is below:

Time to act: reforming adult social care

The fact that more and more people are living longer in old age or with a disability is something we should all celebrate. The reality that those additional years can often feel more of a burden than a joy is something we can help rectify. And we must do so now.

For too long we have toyed with adult social care reform. Different parts of the system have been tinkered with but there has been no fundamental reworking of the foundations. That approach has, just about, sustained the system and the countless thousands of people who rely on it. But today we face the stark reality that major change is needed if we are to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding older population that, quite rightly, has higher expectations of the services and support it receives.

Unlike with previous attempts to reform care and support, the opportunity before us today sees an optimum alignment of conditions for lasting, positive change. First, we have political commitment at a national level with the Government’s ‘Vision for adult social care: capable communities and active citizens’, and the recent statement from the Leader of the Labour Party making a clear offer of cross-party talks to consider the best way forward. Second, through the work of the Law Commission, we have an outlook of consolidated legislation and a simpler legal framework. And third, and perhaps most important, with the recommendations of the Dilnot Commission, we have realistic options for future funding of care and support.

With these three pillars in place we have the best chance to meaningfully reshape care and support for the future. This is the best opportunity for reform in a generation, and it is for the next generation that we must act now. We know that it will be impossible to design a system where everyone agrees on the detail and specifics, but these differences must be put aside and seen as secondary to the bigger prize of securing a care and support system that is fit for the twenty first century.

Maintaining a focus on this ultimate goal will require political consensus. And political momentum at a national and local level is what will drive this consensus forward. This declaration is a clear signal from local government – of all parties – that we are ready to play our part. We have a strong and proud history in adult social care and play a key role in meeting the needs of our communities. We remain committed to providing the highest quality services and support to ensure adults of all ages have the opportunity to live independent, fulfilling lives, throughout their lives.

The publication of the Dilnot Commission’s report must be seen as the start of the next phase of reform – moving from independent inquiry to political debate. Local government is ready to work with central government on this crucial agenda and we urge you not to let another opportunity pass by. We urge you to forge a national consensus in line with the local one we are building. It is time to act.

As signatories to this declaration we are calling for:

§  cross-party recognition that it is time to act, and cross-party support for our Early Day Motion on care and support reform

§ cross-party consensus to deliver the meaningful reform that is needed

#NHS63 - video from 1948

Paying to make people homeless - more dangerous Conservative incompetence

In Reading and I imagine in many other councils, especially here in the South East, it is no secret that we, as a council, have been worried by the benefits changes.  We know it will hit not just families and individuals but also to the council's resources.  In other words it is going to cost us more money to deal with people who are in worse situations.

So the substance of the news over the weekend wasn't a great shock - after all this is a government becoming known for incompetence - although it is a shock how stark the assessment is from Eric Pickles' own private secretary:


"Our modelling indicates we could see an additional 20,000 homeless as a result of the total benefit cap.  This is on top of the 20,000 additional (homeless) already anticipated as a result of other changes to the housing benefit.”
“We are concerned the savings from this measure, currently estimated at £270million from 2014-2015, do not take account of the additional costs to local authorities through homelessness and temporary accommodation. We think it likely that the policy as it stands will generate a net cost.”



What is shocking is that apparently the Conservatives don't appear to think this is a particular problem.
For a government that is supposedly all about cuts to be proposing a change that will cost the country more financially without any discernible benefit and with huge human cost is frankly dangerously shambolic.

Even some Conservative councillors are against the changes - probably because they will be facing people who are in real trouble as a result.  Shelter's recent survey of local government found that "More than three quarters (76 per cent) of councillors surveyed said housing benefit should be based on rental costs in their local area and not on a measure of national inflation." 

As a Labour administration in Reading we will be doing all we can to reduce the impact of the government's drastic policies on people and in my first meeting with officers I asked that we get going with what we can do to reduce the impact of this particular policy.  But we won't be able to stop the impact completely.  The Conservative-led government needs to wake up and realise this is not a game or a chance to posture and score short term political points: it's real people with real lives who they are playing with.

(Hat tip: My headline comes from a facebook status that said "In other words we, the taxpayer, will be paying to make families homeless." - good summary by non-party politically aligned John Stumbles)

Real action to give tenants more power

The press release below is the next step in our plan to work with people in improving housing - not just for people:

Council tenants are to have more of a say in the way housing services are provided in Reading through a new independent tenant panel.

The tenant scrutiny panel will be made up of Reading Borough Council tenants and will review the Council's housing services, such as repairs, rents or estate cleaning. Tenants will choose what they want to investigate and the panel will look at how well the housing service performs and determine whether tenants are receiving the best value for money by comparing costs with other social housing providers.

The Council is particularly keen to involve tenants who have not been involved before but have ideas and would like to help to improve the service. This will give tenants a real say on how services are run, and challenge the way they are delivered.

The panel will develop a programme of scrutiny work which will be reviewed each year. Priorities for scrutiny will be driven by tenant feedback, surveys and complaints.

Reports, recommendations and progress resulting from the panel's work will be made available on the Council's website and will be also reported in tenants' annual reports.

Rachel Eden, lead councillor for housing and neighbourhoods, said: 'We are committed to ensuring the Council works with tenants, not just for them. The tenant scrutiny panel will be able to hold services to account and will have the responsibility to scrutinise all areas of housing services. By working with the Council, tenants will have a great opportunity to improve services and get value for money for their fellow tenants.'

Maggie Barnes, chairperson of RFTRA, said: 'It is a brilliant idea to have an independent body that can scrutinise all areas of the Council's housing services. The panel provides a way for tenants in Reading to look at how services are run and how they are financed. The tenant scrutiny panel will always be seeking to improve services and ensure value for money for tenants. Tenants should get in touch with the Council and find out more about being involved.'

The new panel will hold a minimum of four meetings a year and will have a range of powers. The panel will commission reviews, call on Council staff to attend meetings, make recommendations for service improvements and check that these are being implemented.

The Council will recruit panel members over the summer and will hold an open day in October with more information on what is involved and how the panel will work. Full training and support will be given to anyone who is willing to give some time to make the housing service better able to respond to the needs and concerns of Reading Borough Council tenants.

In the meantime, anyone who wants to find out more can contact neighbourhood services on 0118 9372161.

The Council's Cabinet committee will hear more information about the introduction of the tenant scrutiny panel on July 11th. Members of the public are welcome to go along and find out more. The meeting will take place in the Kennet Room of the Civic Offices and begin at 6.30pm.