UCI. Complaint restated after ‘word games’ trying to pretend the message 15/4 was not actually a “complaint”.
Posted: April 21st, 2010 | Author: DGPPG | Filed under: NewsComments: Leave your feedback, post a comment here »
An email sent to UCI on 21/4 at 21:08 with an earlier reply from UCI.
PERSONAL Attention Irene Mungall Chair UCI and FAO OSCR Investigation Officers re SC 031853
To avoid any doubt re the UCI www site home page statement dated 2 March 2010: THIS email and all earlier emails, especially that dated 15 April as attached, ARE COMPLAINTS.
- OSCR are also asked to investigate along with the UCI funders Dumfries & Galloway Council & NHS D&G and the R S Macdonald Charitable Trust – Mr R K Austin WS Trust Secretary.
- CIC are requested to note the matter of the 3 photos in the UCI “****** Audit Oct/Nov 09”, which we require recalled and destroyed – attn Brian Murphy Asst Dir Scotland.
- Henry Mathias Care Commission and SWIA are asked why an unregulated ‘pseudo charity’ like UCI is carrying out non independent ‘Audits’? Is this not the role of the Care Commission?
From: Mr & Mrs A Full name & address supplied. Please ensure that IN ADDITION to any correspondence sent by post you also send a copy by email as an attached file to us at: email address supplied
We refer to our complaints made last week in various tel calls and by email, particularly Thursday 15/4. To avoid any doubt a further copy is attached. We noted that UCI arrogantly refused to treat this email as a “complaint”, refer to the UCI reply below.
However, Mr Judex Paul, a D&G Council Complaints Officer, today stated this was “obviously a complaint”. Yet on behalf of UCI, Project Coordinator Ms **** seemed to want to play word games and failed to take action. This is a further complaint about Ms ***** failure to so act and her unsatisfactory reply.
UCI has failed to recall all copies of the Annual Report 2009 and evidence to us that this has been done and that all copies are destroyed. Judex Paul stated today UCI should do this immediately as a minimum action. As at 12:05 today UCI is still freely distributing the “Annual Report 2009” at 81-85 Irish Street Dumfries DG1 2PQ with a face ‘blacked out’ in scribbled felt tip. We asked for and were freely given 2 copies. UCI is still distributing this Report, with a literally ‘defaced’ photograph, despite the explicit request last week.
UCI has failed to recall all copies of the “Report of Community Integrated Care ****** Audit” and evidence that all unauthorised photographs taken and published with permission have been destroyed. There are at least three such photographs in this ‘Audit’. We ask again if written and informed permission and consent was obtained from all others pictured in this document before photos were taken and published. If so can this be produced to an appropriate regulatory body with evidence of the actual dates.
Exactly who or what official body ‘regulates’ the activities of UCI, where we now note ***** and ****** are self styled ‘auditors’? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Please will UCI, as an ‘auditor’ of others, note that your Scottish Charity No. is 6 digits long – 031853. It is not SCO and five digits per your Annual Report. Surely, those who self style and purport to ‘Audit’, whilst claiming to be experts in ‘communication’, should themselves be capable of getting the basics correct? This is in addition to understanding basic human rights of privacy, by not breaching the elementary fundamentals.
We cannot find your published complaints procedure. It does not appear to be on the UCI www site nor is there a named officer or Trustee to complain to. If it is we apologise and please direct us to it by return, with the site unchanged, as we have taken a ‘snapshot’. We assume there is written policy. Please will you email a file copy by return stating when the procedure was written, by whom and the date first published. This complaint is therefore addressed to the Chair Irene Mungall.
We note below that Ms **** for UCI now writes today, at least 4-5 days after we first complained, that: “The next stage of the procedure is for myself to undertake an investigation into your complaint and a detailed response will be sent to you within 14 working days as per UCI procedures.”
But Ms **** is one of those directly complained of, as responsible for these breaches. Ms **** is not therefore ‘independent, just as UCI itself is not ‘independent’, in the true meaning of that word. UCI is clearly trying to ‘drum up business’ and justify income from it’s sponsors, which inevitably invokes the thought of ‘pipers and tunes’. UCI is not a real volunteer independent charity. In reality it is acting as a ‘pseudo charity’ being a de facto extension of D&G Council & NHS D&G, but accountable to no one.
To avoid any doubt please note that we are instructing UCI under no circumstances to approach or discuss any matters with our relative. We request that both UCI and D&G Council note this and confirm this instruction is understood. UCI has already caused him (and us) enough distress and upset.
The UCI www site carries the following on the ‘Home’ page: http://www.userandcarer.co.uk/home.html
Statement from UCI dated 2 March 2010 published on the UCI www site home page
We understand that emails are circulating containing mis-information regarding UCI activities. We can confirm that UCI has a comments and complaints procedure, the purpose of which is to address any concerns people may have. We can also confirm that to date, UCI has received no notification of any complaint. As a result we are not in a position to respond to the views and perspectives that have been sent anonymously to others. We have nothing to add to this statement at the current time. 2nd March 2010
A group of concerned carers did write to UCI by email on 21 Dec 2009 with a number of questions clearly addressed: “Attn Trustees & Management Committee UCI. 81-85 Irish Street Dumfries DG1 2PQ OSCR: SC031835”. A copy of this email is attached and can be read with other comments at the following link: http://www.dumfries-galloway.org.uk/activity-resource-centres-arcs-2009/dumfries-and-galloway-news/another-option-for-a-budget-cut-cease-public-funding-of-uci-as-it-is-suggested-no-value-is-being-obtained-by-the-learning-disabled/
All recipients should note that UCI did not reply in any way to these reasonable questions, bearing in mind UCI purports to represent learning disabled users and carers, precisely the group asking the questions. It is also seeking more funding, but therein lies the basic problem.
Perhaps UCI Trustees will now reply and explicitly confirm their involvement and position re ‘Personalisation’ and the closure of ARCs, which UCI as part of the ‘Personalisation Board’ was clearly involved with last October.
UCI Trustees and sponsors should also note there are many in the learning disabled community, real carers, who are highly critical of both the competence and value of any UCI activity. Some of those comments are on the DGPPG www site. We appreciate this may not apply to other UCI activities, but this complaint evidences great incompetence and a lack of basic integrity in dealing with learning disabled vulnerable adults. We do not consider UCI a worthy or worthwhile recipient of public funds for learning disability. If not competent in that area what about elsewhere. Who is auditing the day to day activity and value for money of UCI generally, or is it convenient to have an uncritical and biddable ‘consultation’ partner who is dependant, rather than independent?
Mr & Mrs A and as Welfare Attorneys for a vulnerable learning disabled adult properly appointed under the AWIA with PoA registered at the Office of the Public Guardian.
Please copy any reply to: email address supplied in addition to any hard copy. Note following emails:
-Original Message—-
From: userandcarer1@aol.com
Date: 21/04/2010 8:29
To: Mr & Mrs A
Subj: Re: Unauthorised photographs of vulnerable adult
Dear Mrs A,
We now take your email (below) as part of our complaints procedure.
However to ensure that we adhere to our procedure please supply me with your home address, in order that further correspondence can be sent to you. The next stage of the procedure is for myself to undertake an investigation into your complaint and a detailed response will be sent to you within 14 working days as per UCI procedures. Yours sincerely, Carolyn Little Project Coordinator User and Carer Involvement, 885 Irish Street, Dumfries. DG1 2PQ
—–Original Message—–
From: Mr & Mrs A
To: userandcarer1@aol.com
Sent: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:40
Subject: Unauthorised photographs of vulnerable adult
Dear Carolyn Little,
It was clearly a complaint and we expect UCI to deal with it as such. We are not interested in clever word games from supposed ‘charity’. Have you withdrawn and destroyed all publications?
Having published unauthorised photographs, to save money by ‘blacking out’ the face of a vulnerable adult with scribbled felt tip is not acceptable. It is adding insult to injury and has already caused much distress. How can you possibly claim to be ‘communication’ experts?
Mr. and Mrs A
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