The ‘Black Hole’ of Dumfries & Galloway formal complaints process that is morally corrupt from the very top down

No action or even response to formal complaints from A Haswell, the responsible Officer. It’s just a black hole, nothing is ever done despite claims yeterday of a “transparent due process”. Email to Willie Johnston BBC to report latest failures

From: Chris Green [mailto:chris@greensnet.freeserve.co.uk]
Sent: 05 July 2006 08:00
To: Willie (dumfries@bbc.co.uk)
Cc: Isabel Millar (asmillar@lineone.net); Heather & Willie Bell (hbellrscds@aol.com); Alasdair.Morgan.msp@scottish.parliament.uk; Alex Fergusson MSP (alex.fergusson.msp@scottish.parliament.uk); lwatson@s-un.co.uk; russell@brownmp.new.labour.org.uk

Subject: Dunmuir Park The supposed ‘consultation meeting’ yesterday With at lest six people in tears we were treated with contempt once again
Dear Willie

You wanted feedback after this ‘meeting’ or ‘drop in’, which was the first time since the decision on Feb 2nd the senior managers concerned with driving through the decision were meeting the families to discuss the future of Dunmuir Park. No other round table family meeting is planned. So what Cllr Dempster told you last week and all of us on GMS was complete misinformation. Yesterday under FoI we got some more papers and attached is a copy of an email dated 05 June. You will see that that the two Committee Chairs Cllrs Scobie and Dempster “have no intention at the moment of revoking any previous decision with regard to closure”. Despite their denials and rewriting history this is not what they said to the public meeting, when “Options”, the new diversionary tactic, were not mentioned. It is now a political game but with our minds and loved ones as the casualties. We don’t have the “briefing paper” sent with the email and we don’t know why, so we have asked for it.

There were three tables in each corner of a large room. Rosemary Flexney, Judith Proctor & Phillip McAnn sat at each completely apart. There was only to be individual unrecorded ‘private’ discussion, nothing to be discussed in a group, so all could hear what was said. However individual matters relating to any particular person or service user were not allowed, so why the apparent ‘privacy’. It was so there could be no record. It was a black farce and a waste of time, which just added to the emotion, distrust, anger and upset. You can verify this with anyone who was there till 3pm or so, when we had to leave because the upset level and emotion was by then so high.

We believe and understand from what they said and told us that our MSPs Alex Fergusson & Alasdair Morgan formed the same opinion before they left after having a word with Ms Flexney. They could see and said it was a waste of time, but are they very concerned and will be meeting with all the families on 1st August. We will also be inviting Russell Brown and hope he can come too. This ‘meeting’ was worse than just pointless because, as Cllr Kathleen Davidson can tell you, for she was present till the families were forced to leave, she saw with great concern the family members break down in tears of frustration and anger and at least two having to leave before then because of the way we are being treated with such contempt they couldn’t take any more!

So, with at least six people in tears and two driven completely away, whatever the rights and wrongs of the Feb 2nd decision, after 5+months (coming on top of 5 years of uncertainty) it is a complete failure of any proper process when the considered actions of the most senior managers of a “caring” service can have this result, when purporting to ‘consult’ and conciliate after the event. It now seems as though it’s deliberately what they want to happen. For once again Ms Flexney completely ignored the effect she was having and carried on talking as though nothing was happening whilst people broke down. They just do not care what they are doing and the effect it is having, especially on 24 hr home carers who already have to cope with so much.

It’s not unfair to say this is inhuman and so unfeeling given the subject matter that it is a complete lack of regard for any decency and courtesy to a fellow human being. When talking later families feel they are being treated with contempt for daring to challenge and question the social work dept who clearly know best and intend to do what they want and keep doing the same thing. They have ignored all our formal complaints. Yesterday Ms Proctor told two respite users a completely different story about future respite that Ms Flexney, who contradicted her only 10 mins later, but at a different table. They can’t even tell us the truth. They act with hypocrisy, pretending to be concerned about our feelings, yet behave in such a way that can only cause major upset. They openly lie and deny things, like about the Newsletter (which they said they will not withdraw despite our complaints) until challenged with the facts and then they dissemble. Howe can they object when we say they are lying by their own admission. It seems they are incapable of telling the truth or admitting the truth or a mistake about simple things, yet then they pretend to wonder why we can’t trust them and pretend to be concerned about feelings. It is manifest hypocrisy, which just adds to the upset.

You, us and the nation were totally misled and our hopes cruelly raised by the comments of Cllr Dempster as broadcast Weds on GMS 28 June. This was no families conciliation meeting, it has just driven us further into depression. Someone will breakdown over this after the length of time it’s been going on. And we now assume that’s what they want. To wear us down and make us go away. We then go to Dunmuir Park to see Donald, and get a different story from the care workers who are being told a different version of what is happening at staff meetings. Who can we believe?

Please call: Isabel Millar; Jackie Mckie, Margaret Dodds; Willie Bell; John Love as well.

Where do we go. They still ignore and have not replied to formal complaints. What do we do? Chris & Janet Green DPPG;