Going Home
31 March 2008 at 12:47 | In Personal | Leave a CommentI have some work shadowing tomorrow with the Procurator Fiscal and then I head home on Wednesday to see my parents (have not been home since Christmas!). I wont be blogging while I am away.
Expect normal service to resume next week upon my return.
I will, of course, blog about my shadowing experience on my return.
Until then, keep safe and well
Nightmares and Ponderings
28 March 2008 at 21:57 | In Personal | Leave a CommentAs some of you may know following my brief study of Human Rights in an International context during my Human Rights module at university I have been conducting some research into some of the most serious criminal offences we have in the world.
I’ve been researching crimes such as Genocide for a while now and in particular Genocide. I find myself awake in the early of the hours pondering “why?” Why does it happen? Why do we let it happen? Why do we do nothing?
Almost every part of the world has been touched by Genocide at some time. After the Jewish holocaust we vowed never to let it happen again, but we have and continue to.
I’ve blogged before on the dire situation in Darfur and came to the conclusion that what is going on there is more or less Genocide. Since 2003 the International Community, the same International community that vowed never to let it happen again, has turned a blind eye and done little or nothing at all to intervene in the situation.
I cannot comprehend why we continue to let it happen. We know it happens and we know that it is abhorrent and utterly repugnant, yet we sit back and do nothing. Nothing!
When will these terrors end? When will we do something to help before it is too late? I cannot stop asking myself these questions and I can never seem to answer them. Is there even an answer?
Sometimes I wonder if we block it out for our own sanity. Sometimes I wonder if we ignore it to protect ourselves. Do we ignore it to pretend that it is not happening? I don’t know, I just really don’t know.
When I’m not thinking about why it happens and why we allow it to happen, I’m having nightmares about what I’ve read. The graphic descriptions form into pictures in my mind. I cannot begin to imagine how these people must feel who suffer these atrocities, nor can I begin to imagine how those who uncover the mass graves and the terror when we do finally intervene feel. How do they cope?
Britain’s ‘Inhumane and oppressive’ Asylum Policy
27 March 2008 at 23:59 | In Politics | Leave a CommentA new report, compiled by the Independent Asylum Commission, has been published and it delivers a damning condemnation of the Asylum Policy here in the United Kingdom. It is reported to be the most comprehensive examination of the UK’s asylum system ever conducted. It found the United Kingdom’s Asylum policy is “marred by inhumanity” and “not yet fit for purpose”.
The report details how the system is failing applicants from the very first stage of the process. The report also tells how the system “falls seriously below the standards to be expected of a humane and civilised society”.
I have blogged several times on Asyum and immigration system o the United Kingdom, and I’m sure regular readers who have read these entries will know that I have bene critical of it and that I am not a fan of the system at all. To be honest, as disturbing as this report is, I am not at all surprised by its conclusions. The policy in the United Kingdom on Asylum often seems to be geared towards trying to appease the readers of certain daily tabolid newspapers (The Daily Mail) and is not about what is humane and just or about meeting our obligations uder International Law!
The Independent Newspaper reported that: “Three areas of the system came under particular fire. The use of detention centres – especially to lock up children, pregnant women and torture victims – was condemned, as was the often brutal handling of removals, and the use of destitution as a tool to drive claimants out of the country.”
I will look at two of these three things mentioned above in turn later in this blog entry (I should point out at this time, that this entry is – wihout doubt – going to be lengthy).
The report has found that “Some of those seeking sanctuary, particularly women, children and torture survivors, have additional vulnerabilities that are not being appropriately addressed,”
Use of Detention Centres
Detention centres are widely used in the United Kingdom’s Immigration policy. According to Barbed Wire Britain “Over 2,600 people, nearly all of them asylum seekers, are locked up in detention camps and prisons in Britain…”
These centres are used to hold foreign nationals who are either awaiting a decision on their application or awaiting deportation following a failed asylum application. They are held in these centres extra-judicially (they wont have seen the inside of a court before going there), without any limit on time or any possibility of bail.
There are currently three types of Immigration detention centres in the United Kingdom: accommodation or reception centres, the removal centre and the removal prison. The latter two were much like prison facilities, with the aim being to impose restrictions on the movement of the detainees, so that the government can monitor their whereabouts whilst their claims are being processed. Indeed, some asylum seekers are actually held in prisons.
The former, set up in 2002, aim to improve the management of asylum seekers and provide facilities such as health, education and leisure (but be under no impression, they are still not nice places to be – especially for those who are claiming asylum for genuine reasons). The centres were set up following public concern over illegal immigration and the increasing number of asylum seekers. Once again, the United Kingdom Government has introduced a policy to ease public concern and have gone about it the wrong way.
Immigration, as I’ve explained in the past, is very complicated. There are many types of immigrants who come to Britain. The main problems with illegal immigration do not come from the asylum process, and certainly not fro those just entering the country. Providing they claim asylum when they arrive the United Kingdom they are not committing any crime, but some have their liberty removed from them when they enter. The main problems of illegal immigration are where foreign nationals are trafficked into the country for the purposes of prostitution or are trafficked into the UK to take on cash-in-hand and low paid work (maybe even in the Home Office).
The use of these centres, I find, is abhorrent and quite simply unjustifiable. In the report the commissioners said: “The detention of asylum-seekers is overused, oppressive and an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer.” The report branded the detention of children as “wholly unjustified”. I would go further and suggest that the detention of children in these circumstances is morally reprehensible.
Removals
The removal of failed asylum seekers is just as abhorrent. They typically consist of Police and Officers of the Border and Immigration Agency using force at dawn to remove failed asylum seekers (often to the centres described above). In many of these cases there are no indications what so ever that these failed asylum seekers would refuse to go, and even if they were to does it really require such a disgusting tactic? These tactics are used irrespective of who is in the house – even young children have to suffer this.
These tactics have been condemned nationally often. I am sure we can all recall stories that we have read in newspapers, seen on TV or heard on the radio of these brutal tactics being used. Any decent human with any sense of humanity would be sickened by such tactics.
Could you imagine it? You’re in your bed, fast a sleep and suddenly at five/six in the morning your front door is put in and your home is swamped with Police and Immigration officials? Then while you are still half a sleep and with little time to get ready, you are taken from your home to a detention centre and only then is it explained o you in a language that you can fully understand what is happening. It really is sickening.
Other issues that were highlighted by this report include the lack of understanding by Immigration officials when interviewing asylum seekers. Those claiming asylum will often have fled from some unimaginable circumstances. Many will be victims of rape or torture. If a female was to walk into a police station to report a rape she would, in the vast majority of circumstances, be treated with care and sensitivity and she would be afforded to talk about what happened with an understanding that it would be very difficult. This is often not the case with asylum claims.
To conclude this rather long entry (before it gets any longer), the entire system needs an urgent and radical overhaul to make it more humane, better equipped and aimed towards providing a place of sanctuary to those who need it. The United Kingdom clearly fails in its International Obligations under the various Asylum treaties forming the International Law on the subject.
Depression, Self Harm and Suicidal Thoughs
26 March 2008 at 21:48 | In Counselling Experiences | 1 CommentThis blog entry is on a subject that I speak to young people about, sadly, all too often. It is based on one particular call that has stayed with me, but is reflective of numerous calls I’ve taken in my time as a volunteer with this organisation. I’ve left a lot out and I’ve also left it gender non-specific so as to prevent identification of the individual concerned. I don’t really know who the individuals are either as it is an anonymous service, so it’s not that difficult to maintain anonymity.
It was late in the evening and I took a call that was to end up lasting well over an hour. It was from a young person who wanted to end their life (this particular young person was in their early teens). They had suffered some horrendous sexual abuse from a family member over the past couple of years and they had had enough. They had spoken to nobody about it before. Here was me, this anonymous and faceless person on the end of a telephone hundreds of miles away from where they said they were phoning from listening to this young persons troubles and I was the first person this person had ever spoken to about t. I quite believe that this was true – sometimes you can just tell when someone is being 100% genuine.
This young person had been self harming for some time as a way to cope with what was going on in their life. They were quite clearly depressed, alone and in desperate need of some help. The young person harmed themselves by cutting their arms and legs. The pain of talking about it was enough to cause them to cut themselves while talking to me on the phone (not something that we would encourage).
They were talking about taking an overdose. The young person had got their hands on one of their parent’s anti-depressant medication and was threatening to take an overdose.
Unfortunately our confidentiality policy is very strict and we were not able to contact the emergency services – the young person didn’t want us to and there was no way that we were going to get the big wigs to agree to a breach of confidentiality in these circumstances. We spent a long time trying to persuade them to call an ambulance or allow us to call one for them, but they were adamant they didn’t want it.
Eventually the time came to bring the call to an end, as much as we would sometimes like to, we cannot stay on the call for ever. We had spoken about a lot and both the young person and I were becoming quite tired. It was fairly late at night, and on my side the level of concentration and attention that is required is immense. It took a while to wind the call up. I wanted to be as sure as I could be without the emergency services being involved that they were safe and were not going to do anything to harm themselves again that evening.
I don’t know if this person attempted suicide, I don’t know if they have been brave enough to seek help for their horrible and depressing situation at home and nor do I know if they ever phoned the service back. I hope that they are okay and that they have been able to seek the help that they so obviously need.
It really is tragic when you get these sort of calls. They tend to hang about for a while. This particular call happened weeks ago now, but I can still remember it all. I can remember every detail that they disclosed to me and I can remember the obvious pain in their voice throughout and I can remember them begging for the call to keep going when we were winding it up, the pleading as the call ended. I hope that the time I spent talking to this young person has helped, even if it was only to provide some relief that someone somewhere knew the horrible situation that they were in.
Please Don’t
26 March 2008 at 03:31 | In Counselling Experiences | 1 CommentI’m not sure that I should even post this, but what the hell I will and hope that nobody reads it who can identify me and that I don’t get into trouble for it!
Why do people (young and old) find it appropriate to masturbate while on the phone to a free telephone counselling service run for children and young people? What is even more disturbing is that often these people are doing this while telling you stories about their alleged experiences of “sexual abuse”
Please don’t, it’s very wrong and not nice for the counsellors who are speaking to you and then realise from your tones and background noise what you are doing.
Shetland not Scots says protester
25 March 2008 at 01:41 | In Politics, Scots Law | Leave a CommentStuart Hill is going to argue in front of Lerwick Sheriff Court that the court and Scots Law has no jurisdiction over him when he appears before them as the defender in a civil action taken out against him by an accountancy firm.
His claim is that Denmark pawned the islands to the Scots crown and it was only meant to be a long-term loan until the debt could be redeemed. This dates back to 1469.
Somehow I do not think the Sheriff Court is going to be swayed by this argument.
To read more click here
=================================================
The case has been postponed until next month, no reason as to why has been given.
NHS Prescriptions in Scotland
25 March 2008 at 00:02 | In Health, Politics | Leave a CommentThe SNP in Scotland are putting into action the first phase of their plan to abolish prescription charges in Scotland by 2011 next month. From April 2008 patients who are required to pay for their prescriptions will pay £5.00 per item rather than £6.85.
The prescription Tax was first introduced in June 1952 by the Conservatives in an attempt to meet the rising cost of prescribed drugs to the NHS. In 1965, it was abolished by the Labour Government who came into power in 1964. However, in 1968 Labour re-introduced the prescription Tax, but created exemptions for the young and the old as well as other groups and since 1968 the prescription tax has raised gradually to the current rate of £6.85 per item.
The abolition of the Tax is, of course, good news for patients in Scotland. However, it does have its downside. It is very likely this will be portrayed by the media (especially the media in England) as yet again the Scots getting better treatment at the expense of the English and will further stir up Nationalist views of separation. In Scotland we have many benefits that those in England do not get through NHS Scotland.
Health policy is a competence of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament. The Government and Parliament in Scotland are given a budget and it is up to them to prioritise how it is spent. So, if the Scottish Government wants to put more money into health to abolish prescription charges and provide free care for the elderly and spend less on education then that is entirely up to them.
Of course, Scotland is not the first part of the UK to abolish the prescription charge. The Welsh assembly have already abolished prescription charges in Wales.
For more information on the Scottish Governments plans to abolish the prescription tax visit InfoScotland.
Anyway, not much more to say on this topic so, I’ll leave it here for now.
The McWard
20 March 2008 at 10:43 | In Health, Politics | Leave a CommentThe Independent reported today that under the most recent plans to destroy the National Health Service and to privatise it by stealth the Government is prepared to allow corporate sponsorship of hospital wards and clinics.
The plans will allow companies to compare brand awareness by placing their logo on hospital equipment, but will not be allowed to gain a competitive advantage from such advertising (e.g. Durex would not be permitted to sponsor an STI clinic).
The Health Minister, Ben Bradshaw, announced these plans as part of a wider policy of creating competition between hospitals in a bid to drive up patient care standards in England’s hospitals. These plans include allowing Hospitals to advertise through direct mailing and will allow NHS patients to have treatment in private hospitals at the cost of the NHS.
There has been rather lengthy code set up which quite frankly makes little sense in business and marketing terms. It prohibits the usual methods of marketing while keeping the systems in place.
It also sees ironic that we could have McDonalds sponsoring a ward or clinic specialising in Cardiac care or Diabetes. I am also outraged that the Government is allowing commercial companies to advertise in hospitals in such a way. It could be seen as the NHS supporting and/or condoning these companies’ attitudes to health and wellbeing (especially the likes of McDonalds).
This Government is systematically destroying the National Health Service and if they don’t stop now or are not stopped now there will be nothing left of the National Health Service. They are getting desperate to improve the standard of care in the NHS, but are going about it the wrong way. The money hospitals will be spending on advertising could be spent on employing more Doctors, Nurses, Midwifes, and Health Care Assistants – all of which will have an effect on the standard of care that patients receive. It is an obscene waste of public resources.
I fail to see how these policies will improve the standard of patient care. The companies will gain, but will the NHS? Unlikely! All I see happening is that managers will become fixated on how many patients they can steal from other hospitals and will place more emphasis on targets as an indication.
The NHS is being destroyed before our very eyes and we are almost powerless to stop it until the next General Election. Saying that which of the big three can be trusted to run the NHS and will any of them reverse these policies I they get into power. It is a sad day for the Welfare State, a sad day for the NHS and an even sadder day for the citizens of Britain.
To read the story in The Independent click here
Carbon Monoxide could help!
19 March 2008 at 03:08 | In Health | Leave a CommentI was having a quick browse through the BBC News website being unable to sleep and came across this story.
The article explains how scientists have suggested that Carbon Monoxide could improve the lives of those with lung conditions such as COPD.
In high doses, carbon monoxide can be dangerous and what often adds to the level of danger is that it is and odorous and invisible gas meaning its presence often goes unnoticed. So, it would seem strange that such a dangerous gas is being advocated as a treatment for chronic lung conditions. It is produced naturally in the body, but not to toxic levels.
The research that has been conducted to date suggests that Carbon Monoxide may help to improve the symptoms by easing the reaction in (and inflammation of) the lungs.
The Dutch research team administered small amounts of carbon monoxide for two hours over four consecutive days. At the conclusion of this test they found that a certain type of immune cell linked to the inflammation of the lungs had fallen by on average a third when measured.
Dr Paolo Paredi from the National Heart and Lung Institute in London said: “Personally, I don’t see any future in this idea, and I am far more excited about other drugs for COPD that are being researched.” He continued: “The difficulty with carbon monoxide is that there is a fine balance between levels that influence COPD, and toxic levels, and it would be very hard to gauge a safe dose for patients. This makes it potentially quite dangerous.”
Certainly an interesting development, but I’m not sure if I would be too keen to have a poisonous gas prescribed to treat me or anyone in my family.
Another weekend from hell
17 March 2008 at 21:24 | In Personal, Rant | Leave a CommentAll names in this entry have been changed to protect the guilty.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been getting very pissed off at work. Generally one of the Fresh Managers, who is often on shift for Fresh on his own on a Sunday Afternoon/Evening (last night was no different) is useless and doesn’t have a clue about how to manage.
The Staff walk over him which has a huge negative impact on the way his shifts run. He always comes up with solutions to problems that are confusing and complex or when you suggest something to solve the problem he says it can’t be done then suggest what you have in a slightly different wording.
Also, it is almost impossible to get the tools to do my job, despite us being promised a year ago (company-wide) that by November 2007 we would have the tools to do our jobs. When you can get the tools they don’t work.
Other colleagues are lazy and take every opportunity to do as little work as possible (and that is not difficult on a Sunday), which means I have to do more work and management in general are failing to solve this problem effectively (well the department management do, but what they do has no impact on their productivity when the management are not there). So, yesterday I snapped about 90 minutes before the end of my shift and wrote my notice on a piece of paper from the printer at work and handed it to this useless manager.
At first he thought I was joking and then he realised I was deadly serious and was worried looking. He then gave me a “one to one” (which lasted all of three minutes) on the shop floor and where all he spoke about was the global credit crunch! He took my notice from me and said that I needed to have a “one to one” with Frazer (my manager). I asked him to pass my letter of resignation onto Frazer (which is the standard procedure if a person hands their resignation in when their own manager is not there) and he said he would. He pinned it to the Produce notice board for all to see!
Another manager spotted this (a manager I get on with quite well) and as he passed asked me if I was alright. I told him I’d handed my resignation to Gavin (the useless manager) and he said he knew. I replied with “so he told you then” and Grant (the nice manager) said “no, he’s pinned it to the notice board, I noticed it as I passed to go to the Cash Office”. He then phoned Gavin to the produce warehouse and we discussed it.
Gavin was asked to explain why I had resigned (and he couldn’t – partly because he didn’t ask in enough detail) and tell Grant how he had dealt with it. Gavin responded that it was okay and that it was sorted. Grant then lost it (before he phoned Gavin we had a chat so he knew I was still utterly pissed off and was still waning to resign).
Grant then handed Gavin my resignation letter and asked why it had been pinned to a notice board. Gavin responded with some crap about his own communication system that he had with his department and Grant went through him again. Grant told him that this was a highly confidential piece of paper that should only have gone straight into the hands of Frazer. Gavin agreed that it was to go to Frazer, which is why it was pinned to the notice board. Grant responded, again angrily, with how I had given it to Gavin as he was the duty manager and Gavin should have put it in an envelope and straight into Frazer’s pigeonhole and that it being pinned to a notice board was like Grant taking Gavin’s payslip, opening it up and pinning it to the notice board and how much Gavin wouldn’t have liked that.
He then went on about how Gavin was going to let an excellent member of staff hand in his resignation and walk out the building feeling shitty. Once Grant had finished giving Gavin a bollocking Grant and I had another chat. Grant gave me my notice back and told me to think about it, I’d done it in haste and he was not going to let me resign until I’d thought about my Bs and Cs (Benefits of Staying and Concerns about staying). He told me my name had been passed to the boss (store manager) and he Personnel manager as part of the scheme where management identify potential candidates for development and that a number of other managers had suggested me (some have also said to me in person that I should go or it). By this time it was the end of my shift. He said he would speak to Frazer about it and make sure that Frazer spoke to me on Friday (when I’m next at work) and he’d come and have a chat with me as well.
I have decided not to resign.
—————-
On better things I was elected as president of the debating society at university this evening with over three quarters of the vote (with there only being one other candidate standing).
Facebook
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
