Virletland's Blog

A Voice in the Community

Vi — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:24:56 +0000

Went to an event concerned with the LiNKs (local involvement Networks) which are statutory bodies set up in most towns which are concerned with health questions and the answers to them.
It was apart of the local city programme of consultation with individual citizens
to find out what they wanted in relation to the Links becoming a structure called
Healthwatch.
I mentioned that on a radio programme and on an online blog in a newspaper no one had mentioned either Links or Healthwatch and there seem not alot of information to the public on the topic. And this despite there being alot of people trying to tell
the public what the Links could and does do in relation to scrutiny.
Someone said that many individuals when giving feedback in health matters are afraid of saying what they think, they just want to get well and stay alive.
“No one wants to rock the boat”-he went on to say in case there is some comeback.
“A critical friend” is often the phrase to encourage feedback, but the public understand that this means. The person said “so that means everything is one sided, and no advances are made to improve the system”
Others said there are ways to discourage, such as filling websites with information, realizing that most individuals don’t have the time to read it all so can miss the real story. And another said that all these consultations were necessary by law, and could be forgotten about very quickly.
The presentations at this event indicated models of structures which are spreading all over the world. So soon everyone will be having these meetings and be able to discuss the future of health.
I suppose just being able to speak about things is a good thing.

Filed under: volunteer in the community Tagged: Healthwatch, Links

Healthwatch now 2013

Vi — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:07:36 +0000

Below is part of an announcement about Healthwatch from the department.

“HealthWatch – a new start date and extra funding, have been set out by Health Minister Andrew Lansley.

Following feedback from local authorities and Local Involvement Networks, they now have until April 2013 to work with local health experts and volunteers to establish the local HealthWatch. The new local health bodies are set to replace Local Involvement Networks and will be the local consumer champion for patients, service users and the public.

From next year, an additional £3.2m will also be made available to local authorities to establish local HealthWatch.

In addition, more than £370,000 will also be made available until the end of the 2011/12 financial year for 75 HealthWatch pathfinders, who are pioneering and testing out plans ahead of the full establishment of local HealthWatch across the country.

This money can be used in any part of their development, including spreading best practice, engaging more in the community, and financially supporting volunteers.

Andrew Lansley said:

‘Local HealthWatch is a vital part of our plans to give people a stronger voice and drive improvements in health and social care services across the NHS.

‘Today’s announcement is a further sign of our commitment to support the dedicated staff and volunteers who are driving this forward. It gives them the support necessary to carry out their important work in shaping the future of local healthcare.’

Becky Shaw, Chief Executive of East Sussex County Council and a member of the HealthWatch Programme Board, said:

‘Ensuring the voices of patients and the public are heard in the health and social system is a vital ingredient for future success. It is a complex task and extra resources to support councils in this task at a local level are very welcome.’

Filed under: volunteer in the community

Cosmic Lights

Vi — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:51:35 +0000

Walking out this morning, I was thinking of the sight of the “Northern Lights”. I had not realized I had seen them until I saw a photograph on Facebook. I had expected bright lights dancing in the sky. A picture from a friend showed a green light in the sky. I had looked
out about 1am and from my upstairs window saw this band of greenish light in the sky against the
dark night sky. So I realized I had seen something after all.
I had seen the other cosmic events, minor eclipes of the moon and sun, the planet Jupiter and the
planet Venus and even some space debris. I have even stood near that great cosmic scientist
Stephen Hawkin.
Out there is the cosmos, here we are tiny, life in a complicated world, which we have made for ourselves. Looking up to the stars it is difficult to understand how we have arrived at this point in time. The ancients did the same and believed in the path of life and how the stars had an influence. The Northern Lights occur because of the increased activity of the sun, which is surposed to signal an increase in the activity of humans, both psychologically and physically,
especially in regard to understanding. Interesting is’nt it.

things,

Filed under: volunteer in the community

A birthday wish.

Vi — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:46:19 +0000

Speaking of birthdays, today is the third birthday of this blog.
I started this blog to comment on the voluntary and community situation and how it is being affected by events happening around us in the world, nationally, regionally and locally.
Not many people seemed to be listening.
For those who are listening I thank you for your attention and patience and hope my writing is not boring.
I try to bring information and comment with sometimes alittle emotion to the scene.
Alot is happening, with funding getting less for services and new ideas every day. I shall endeavour to continue and be constructive in my deliberations.
I thank wordpress for allowing me to do this.
Onwards with courage and a vision, I hope.

Filed under: volunteer in the community

Its the person not the age.

Vi — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:54:04 +0000

It was a close relative’s 81st birthday during the past week. I gave him a pen and a cake and chocolates.
Despite the fact he remembers bombs dropping near his home, leaving school at the age of 14, he is very much a person of the 21st century.
It is very frustrating sometimes to see how some people speak to him- as if he were a naughty child-equality it is not. He seems to ignore it and gets on with living.
I never really knew what stereotyping meant, but I do now. But then its all about putting people into a classification so that big corporations can easily deal with them-individuals are more difficult and it costs more. So we shall see alot more stereotyping from now on since resources are fewer and the cost is considered.
And this applies everywhere.
How many more 81 year olds will there be in the future who grow their own food, make their own greenhouse, do alot of their own washing.,take long walks, discuss ideas and politics logically. Or will the phrase
“of a certain age” be used to indicate their lack of citizenship in regard to respect.
I remember when my mother reached the age of 61 years old I went with her to get her pension. She was told by a counter clerk that she looked too young to be getting a pension. And it was not said respectfully.
(She was very beautiful though). You really can’t please everyone all the time.
The solution is perhaps to treat everyone as a person first, and not think how old they are-respect for the individual-not a set template used for age limit situations. My relative and I have very similar temperaments-argumentative.

Filed under: volunteer in the community

Warm Hearts?

Vi — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:40:38 +0000

A FROSTY SUNSET

Alot of people are now keen to demonstate how they are volunteering in the community.
There are countryside volunteers keen to cut wood and make hedges. There are people who
serve tea and cake in local centres. Then there are those who do this for their exams hoping
to put it on their CV’s. Funny how things can change so quickly. I said once to someone about
some things I do and they looked at me in a strange way. Any someone even said there is no such
thing as altruism.
So people such as Robert Owen, Salt, etc where not really nice people. It was the tax breaks.
Did not do anything special today though, just watch the usual TV, the local show on politics about not getting the new fast train which is going to happen in ten years time, so they say.
And then there was the item about the freeze of local rates which will mean an increase next year, which if it is above 3% will mean there will be a local referendum on the topic.

Then I spend the time reading the newsletters I get on health. Had to attend to the garden though.
The frost is bad tonight. So I had to put a mulch on the plants to try to keep them going.
It was -2 degrees earlier just when it got dark now it is colder. A little cat came into the garden and wanted to see what I was doing. She had a collar and an ID badge, I had seen her before. Made me upset to think people let their pets out in such cold. There is more ice in people than in the weather.

Filed under: volunteer in the community

Using Senses and Being Sensitive?

Vi — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:54:47 +0000

The snow is not here yet. Mild and cold, sunlight until about 3pm. All the shops have sold snow
melting packs and such- we will just need to keep all the things to defend against the severe
conditions until next time-(speaking too soon perhaps).
Went to a lecture on teaching children to speak and listen the other day. Amazed to realise how
little many people realize that language is learnt via listening to it. We are a society of
viewers-watching is the habit-TV, games films everything. Listening is not so easy.
Stand in another room and you will soon know this. Most TV has very little dialogue, its all
pictures. Alot of poor readers hide their problem, because shops brands everything has a logo
and individuals soon learn what to look for if their reading ability is not too good.
People can learn at an early age how to hide a problem and so it becomes a lifelong problem
which might not get noticed. But to many who have a reading problem the skill of listening is
often very well known and used. It becomes a most valueable skill. While others might not
realize the advantages. Watching the TV series “Sherlock Holmes” illustrates how listening
is used by the great detective in his work. One can tell whom another person might have been
speaking with just by listening to the words used. Language experts have long known the
secrets of using language to observe and learn. Bruner, Vygotsky and others give good
reasons why language ability is learnt by listening to others and why this is so important
to the development of children.
A picture might be worth a thousand words, but the use of our senses depends on coordinating
all the messages we obtain from them. Perhaps thats how we all really did develop from hunter
gatherers even to the geks of the technological super age.

Filed under: volunteer in the community

True Examples of Grit.

Vi — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:32 +0000

Started the new year and community meetings the other day, going to the nearby seaside town where the Local Involvement Network representatives from around the region had
the monthly meeting.
The traffic was very heavy.,big lorries going fast, vans in a great hurry.
One sees that people might be keen to keep their jobs-keeping to time on deliveries.
So I evenually got there and gave apologies (I was late), everyone had had their cup of tea.
I was out of breathe and red in the face. Someone had a netbook and looked very professional, me I had a little red book. And started to jot down notes.
I have to give a report to my Links.
Sometimes it all sounds abit like a football league where some are fighting to stay in the league and others want to be the top. Like everything esle, competition is the word. Competition is what advertisers encourage to make us buy. Look at the sales, but once getting a bargain was the thing,now its how much one spends,like the footballers the more they cost they better they are surposed to be at playing the game.
Volunteers despite the Big Society title, are not in the same league according to the unsaid agenda. But a joined up idea which gives community a voice is very valueable, other countries and individuals have proved this to be true. True grit is rare,but does exist-look around the world.

Filed under: volunteer in the community Tagged: community, grit, voluntary, volunteers

Giving People the Chance in the New Year.

Vi — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:10:38 +0000

So this is the New Year. Hope its a happy one for all.Spent some of the holiday time thinking.
Watched old films. Gardened, painted.
One of the films was called “Analyse That”, the topic was how childhood trauma can cause adult
folly basically. My thinking on the topic was twofold. Analysing the film and the other films I had seen during the holidays and how people are walking around with alot of baggage they don’t
realize they have until something acts as a trigger.
Films made afew decades ago have alot of special effects yet sometimes one is given the impression
that special effects have just been invented. And the use of film for propoganda is nearly 100 years old. Then one can read the plots in different ways. Read it like a Shakespeare play and
there are subplots and ideas which far out reach the topic of the film.
So films are entertainment but much more. There is the aspect that like Virtual Reality games on the internet, individuals can live their lives through them-full filling their lives via the stories being shown-an escape abit like the use of other substances.
Then there are the ideas that what we are relates to out childhood and upbringing, which the film mentioned was partly concerned with. So if we are kind and understanding -we were loved and treasured by a fair and just set of parents who made us into independent adults who can reach out to others.
Literal or metaphorical plots of films are big business, make alot of money are part of the market economy and everyone would like to be a star-in their own lives at least. With health and education-they might have the chance too.

Filed under: volunteer in the community

Mild air + cold air=Snow(and what esle)

Vi — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:17:02 +0000

Have only been out once since the festive day.
Then it was to the shops.
No sales-I was disappointed.
But coming out of the supermarket, the wind was violent and the rained terrible. It was like a hurricane. Mild for three days before and then-it seemed it had kept the worse for me.
I had been cooking, reading, and nursing a relative who had a dose of the flu.
But the wind blew and the trees were bent double.
The carol by Christina Rossetti came to mind-
“In the deep mid-winter”.
Times don’t seem to change too much-the winds do moan.
Soon the warm mild air will meet the cold air and we shall have snow.
But people going out in their shirt sleeves to bring in the new year won’t even notice.

Filed under: volunteer in the community