support for elderly and disabled people in Shetland

[hjasga]

can i ask why disability Shetland had a small boat. most disabled could not easily  make it on board.

It's specially adapted for wheelchair access.

[Ghostrider]

EEEEEEEK! What an explosive exposé

 

'Officials in shadowy boat sell deal. Very small ad in local paper'

 

If you say so.

 

Try reading my post again, in its entireity, and not just cherry pick the one or two bits that allows you to take from it what you would like it to say.

 

I made no comment about the decision to sell or the methods by which its being offered for sale, what I did do was query what factors have led to the decision to sell being taken, and why things have proceeded to this late stage with apparently no engagement with the public, who arguably are both "owners" and beneficaries of it.

 

Its easily found out that the SCT are major backers of Disability Shetland, and its public knowledge SCT cheques will be shrinking circa 20% for the next five years - Cause and effect, or not? Neither the SCT nor Disability Shetland have chosen to publicise the answer, so seeing as its pretty difficult to extract the information from the Directors/Trustees or whatever Disability Shetland has taking such decisions, seeing as Disbility they don't state who those folk are, it pretty much leaves the only avenue remaining to pursue the issue is by throwing it out to the public.

[paulb]

ty 

hjasga

that makes sense.  i was just thinking of a standard small boat. were was it used.

[MuckleJoannie]

Disability Shetland have had a double whammy with funding being cut and being asked to take over additional projects in the form of summer play schemes, youth clubs etc. They have been actively fundraising locally.

 

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/10934-disability-charity-s-survival-in-the-balance

 

You have the opportunity to support them by going to the buffet dinner at the Gurkha Kitchen on Wednesday 30 September

 

http://www.disabilityshetland.com/news/buffet-meal-at-gurkha-kitchen-wendesday-30th-september

[Colin]

I have to ask..

 

Why would Disability Shetland be required to take over summer play schemes and youth clubs?

 

and

 

If their budget was so stretched, why did they (if they did) ?

[paulb]

colin it was a disabled one. it allows family to have a few hours free of care.

[hjasga]

ty 

hjasga

that makes sense.  i was just thinking of a standard small boat. were was it used.

It was berthed in Scalloway and mostly used around the harbour there.

 

 

I have to ask..

 

Why would Disability Shetland be required to take over summer play schemes and youth clubs?

 

and

 

If their budget was so stretched, why did they (if they did) ?

They're not required to do anything, I think it's more a case of if they don't do it it won't happen.

[Windwalker]

So, is this another "casualty" of the SCT's cunning financial plan?

 

http://www.disabilityshetland.com/news/boat-for-sale

 

Unless for a relatively small 'For Sale' Ad in last Friday's paper this seems to have been kept very quiet. Of course it may well be its happening on account of lack of use/interest, or maybe they're getting a bigger one as its such a success, I really have no idea. But the timing and saying nothing seems a tad suss....Seeing as the SCT approved their budget for the next five years only the other week.

If my memory serves me, I seem to recall one if the group leaders, many years ago, telling me that the Recreational Trust owned the boat and paid for its upkeep and the Scalloway boating club helped look after it and helped with trips out. Don't know who currently owns it.

[Colin]

colin it was a disabled one. it allows family to have a few hours free of care.

MuckleJoanie didn't say that...  The implication was that they (DS) were being asked to take over the running of various schemes in a 'general' sense.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Colin

[hjasga]

 

So, is this another "casualty" of the SCT's cunning financial plan?

 

http://www.disabilityshetland.com/news/boat-for-sale

 

Unless for a relatively small 'For Sale' Ad in last Friday's paper this seems to have been kept very quiet. Of course it may well be its happening on account of lack of use/interest, or maybe they're getting a bigger one as its such a success, I really have no idea. But the timing and saying nothing seems a tad suss....Seeing as the SCT approved their budget for the next five years only the other week.

If my memory serves me, I seem to recall one if the group leaders, many years ago, telling me that the Recreational Trust owned the boat and paid for its upkeep and the Scalloway boating club helped look after it and helped with trips out. Don't know who currently owns it.

 

Disability Shetland own and manage it. Not aware of the setup you describe there, if it was ever the case it hasn't been for many years now as Scalloway Boating Club certainly haven't been involved recently.

[Windwalker]

 

 

So, is this another "casualty" of the SCT's cunning financial plan? http://www.disabilityshetland.com/news/boat-for-sale Unless for a relatively small 'For Sale' Ad in last Friday's paper this seems to have been kept very quiet. Of course it may well be its happening on account of lack of use/interest, or maybe they're getting a bigger one as its such a success, I really have no idea. But the timing and saying nothing seems a tad suss....Seeing as the SCT approved their budget for the next five years only the other week.

If my memory serves me, I seem to recall one if the group leaders, many years ago, telling me that the Recreational Trust owned the boat and paid for its upkeep and the Scalloway boating club helped look after it and helped with trips out. Don't know who currently owns it.

Disability Shetland own and manage it. Not aware of the setup you describe there, if it was ever the case it hasn't been for many years now as Scalloway Boating Club certainly haven't been involved recently.

Thanks for the update. As I said it was many years ago. Having spoken to a friend he could tell me that the Recreational trust did look after maintenance, insurance and the like some 10 years ago, but no doubt it has changed hands since then. Regardless of who is now responsible for the boat, it's a shame that something which was provided for less able users is now being sold. I'm sure getting out on the water for pleasure, fishing etc would have been a great experience for those with disabilities.

The running costs must have been a drop in the ocean to the Charitable Trust. But I suppose their money is better spent employing a publicity officer or whatever the title is.

[MuckleJoannie]

I have to ask..

 

Why would Disability Shetland be required to take over summer play schemes and youth clubs?

 

and

 

If their budget was so stretched, why did they (if they did) ?

Trying to keep calm about this as the SIC pissed off a lot of parents about this.

 

The SIC suddenly dropped the playschemes they provided for disabled bairns without any attempt to put any alternative in place. These schemes were not a means to give parents a few hours free, they were the only opportunity for bairns, who might otherwise have had to spend the summer stuck at home, to meet their school pals and do things that other bairns might take for granted.

 

A group of parents heroically organised a scheme the first summer but Disability Shetland were drawn in as they already operated a Saturday Club for the same bairns. The upshot was that Disability Shetland now had to employ a social worker to meet Car Commission regulations. As this was extra provision the SCT would not fund it.

 

So it is thanks to an SIC official who cut a budget for a bunch of vulnerable people and failed to organise alternatives, and councillors who did not have a clue what the playscheme was about.

[Colin]

Nuff said...

 

Whatever happened to the days when youth clubs and play schemes were run by volunteers not social workers and "the state" was not expected to "finance" everything?

 

The other side of the coin is that I have some of sympathy for the dilemma facing the SCT..  They have to "live within their means" and, after years of throwing OUR cash at everything, are now in a position where they have (finally) realised that it can not continue that way ..

 

Wherever they make cutbacks, somebody is going to squeel.  I wonder if the organisations that depend(?) on SCT funding shouldn't be trying to make similar cut backs?.

[hjasga]

 

 

 

So, is this another "casualty" of the SCT's cunning financial plan? http://www.disabilityshetland.com/news/boat-for-sale Unless for a relatively small 'For Sale' Ad in last Friday's paper this seems to have been kept very quiet. Of course it may well be its happening on account of lack of use/interest, or maybe they're getting a bigger one as its such a success, I really have no idea. But the timing and saying nothing seems a tad suss....Seeing as the SCT approved their budget for the next five years only the other week.

If my memory serves me, I seem to recall one if the group leaders, many years ago, telling me that the Recreational Trust owned the boat and paid for its upkeep and the Scalloway boating club helped look after it and helped with trips out. Don't know who currently owns it.

 

Disability Shetland own and manage it. Not aware of the setup you describe there, if it was ever the case it hasn't been for many years now as Scalloway Boating Club certainly haven't been involved recently.

 

Thanks for the update. As I said it was many years ago. Having spoken to a friend he could tell me that the Recreational trust did look after maintenance, insurance and the like some 10 years ago, but no doubt it has changed hands since then. Regardless of who is now responsible for the boat, it's a shame that something which was provided for less able users is now being sold. I'm sure getting out on the water for pleasure, fishing etc would have been a great experience for those with disabilities.

The running costs must have been a drop in the ocean to the Charitable Trust. But I suppose their money is better spent employing a publicity officer or whatever the title is.

 

It was used very infrequently. I agree it's a very nice thing to have, but when funding is cut it's understandably the "nice-to-haves" that go first. It's not like SCT have come along and said, "sell the boat", they've just cut back the funding and Disability Shetland have been forced to review where they spend their money. When it comes down to it, I'm sure most service users would rather see them sell their "nice-to-have" boat that gets a run out a few times over summer, than curtail their Saturday youth club or cut back on school holiday provision.

 

Colin, the DS Youth Clubs have one Team Leader who is a paid member of staff, and that person is also responsible for organising all the volunteers who support the club. If you see them on a Saturday you'll see at least half a dozen and often more (mostly young people) volunteering. But due to the nature of providing a Youth Club for young people with additional support needs, it'd be very difficult without having an experienced, skilled leader on site and the only real way to guarantee you can have that every week is to pay them appropriately.

Edited September 24, 2015 by hjasga

[MuckleJoannie]

 

Whatever happened to the days when youth clubs and play schemes were run by volunteers not social workers and "the state" was not expected to "finance" everything?

 

All youth clubs and play schemes in Shetland are now largely run by volunteers again. Disability Shetland has to employ a social worker because they work with vulnerable people and the law says that appropriate supervision must be in place. The days of anybody running a youth club are thankfully in the past. Google Thomas Hamilton.