Derek Evans Thoughts

If you have not kept up with the news then one you have missed is the taking out of children from a fostering environment in Rotherham and the reason given was that these people had voted for UKIP and that that was detrimental to the children they were fostering at the time. Naturally the facts have not been fully given, spin is all that seems to be endemic in this day and age so it is difficult for real comments and analysis to be undertaken without some form of if statements. We are aware that these children had been taken out of their parents and placed with this couple in emergency. This is common as sometimes the time from finding out about children at risk and action being undertaken is short. It must be considered that although the aftermath may not be particularly pleasant, the health and safety and general wellbeing of children take priority so it is a better to be safe than sorry measure that social workers are required to take. There have been too many Baby P etc. and as l...

The problem with politicians is that they can make some really dumb decisions and this is a good one. This authority had such a unit a few miles south of the town of Maidenhead, at the village of Holyport that had been in use for some time. I am not aware if the building was deteriorating beyond repair (probably not) but to go and build what was the special school at Holyport at this site and then expect income from other authorities that use this facility to go from £35 per night per person to £350 per night per person is either extreme optimism, a lunatic, or a ploy to get out of the provision and to convert it quickly to an equally income/margin generating facility. I thought local authorities were there to provide services that benefit their population and as sharing has to go on in this highly devolved environment as it currently is then is this not self defeating. Could this be a case of a white elephant?