UCI, Council Officers, Elected Members and MSPs. Their responses – latest update – .

Latest update. The Coucil silence contines.  On 29 April UCI complaint was upheld by Irene Mungall, but no apology or explanation.  Also no UCI reply to earlier correspondence, which has been chased including the outstanding email of 21 Dec 2009, see earlier on this site.  On 28 April the only responses were from the SW Director John Alexander being two email receipts confirming that he has deleted at least two important email messages “without being read”. Some may conclude that does not appear to be a very professional way to deal with important correspondence from those he is meant to serve, whatever his personal opinion may be of the content or the sender. It might just be possible that valid and correct points are being made and there are important questions to answer? Is the lack of response and answers from Officers with the approval of the Chief Executive, who is, we are told by Elected Members, back working part time two days per week. Is this correct?

After UCI complaint upheld we have asked Irene Mungall for confirmation when Morven Campbell and/or Carolyn Little are recalling the publications and published photos for which they have blamed a CIC manager claiming she gave permission, which she firmly denies!  Since neither has any locus to give any permission for a vulnerable adult with a welfare attorney, this is a very feeble and desperate weasel like excuse from UCI, a charity with such lofty objectives who purport to give the disabled “a voice”.  Meanwhile they have taken an excessive time to put matters right and so increased the distress.  Please report to DGPPG if you have a copy of any UCI publication with unauthorised photos that is not promptly recalled. 

Irene Mungall, Chief Executive of Dumfries CAB, and also UCI Chair of Trustees has been asked for a full response to all outstanding correspondence “forthwith”, including the apparently misleading and incorrect Financial Report for Annual Review.  See earlier posts for details.   No further information about the CIC investigation by a senior independant and external associate director.  CIC should be as concerned and angry as anyone that UCI is seeking to traduce their reputation by trying to shift the blame to them.  But then pehaps it was ill advised and ill considered to get into bed with those who are not experts and properly trained by agreeing to a care home “audit” by what some may now clearly perceive as the less than competent amateurs at UCI. 

Perhaps it’s better to leave “Audits” to the real experts, like the Care Commission, and effective communication to  unpaid, experienced and genuine volunteers, who do not have an axe to grind and an income to protect.  When will UCI behave with decency and integrity in this affair, starting with an apology?  They have already admitted their guilt by agreeing weeks ago they did not have proper written permission.  That’s why they blacked out a face in felt tip as a literal ‘cover up’, confirming they had destroyed the photos.  So why did they continue this charade?  UCI should immediately recall and destroy the publications, before causing yet more real damage.

No other answers from the Officers, Elected Members or MSPs. Marcia Ramsay, Director Care Commission, confirmed her return on Mon 26-April and intention to talk to Henry Mathias this week, promising a substantive reply very soon after, but is now out again from today until 3 May.  OSCR has acknowledged the complaint about UCI and is investigating, but further complaints have been intimated, including the Financial Report.

DGPPG is not yet aware that any of the black felt tip ‘defaced’ UCI Annual Reports have been recalled.  Those affected remain concerned and angry that Ms Irene Mungall Chair of UCI Trustees, but also Chief Executive Dumfries Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), did not minimise the distress caused to a vulnerable adult and his family by the UCI actions and breach of privacy first complained of more than two weeks ago.  Also Ms Mungall for UCI has not  yet apologised in any way. The UCI www site is still misleading and does not report that complaints are now outstanding and under investigation by OSCR.  Up to 23 April the previous ”news” statement explicitly and falsely stated there were no complaints.    Why is a charity publicly dissembling in this way? 

Ms Mungall’s only other significant response has been to request a copy of a power of attorney, which perhaps indicates her real priority and caring attitude, since she and CAB will know that the poa is registered at the Office of the Public Guardian and available for public verification.  It does not appear that UCI had any intention of minimising the distress and damage this ‘charity’ has caused by taking and publishing unauthorised photographs of vulnerable learning disabled adults, without seeking proper written permission.  Or is the “legal advice” Paul Nolan at D&G Council says UCI are taking, effectively at public expense, a further attempt to weasel out of the situation and evade responsibility?  We await further information which will be posted when available.