Last night I went to Theydon Bois (pronounced boys). I had often see the name on the tube map one stop before the end of the Central Line but not visited before. The journey took about one and three quarter hours – and the chair of the local Epping Lib Dems came to pick me up at the station – for which I was grateful as it was pitch black and country when I got off the tube! I was there to speak at the local party’s AGM – and to tell the story of how we won Hornsey & Wood Green.

It is stirring stories for Lib Dems and seems funny to me now that it is a model for how to change an areas political allegiances – at the time, the team and I just were doing what seemed logical and right – but retrospectively it was a bit of a journey.

Which reminds me – I hear that the Lib Dem Campaigns Director (and local resident, whose wife Sheila is a Haringey Councillor as of May) Paul Rainger is leaving for pastures green. So I would like to pay public tribute to Paul who is so talented at campaigns and who we will miss and to thank him for all the help he has given me over these years. I couldn’t imagine Paul ever doing anything else but campaigns somehow – but at least now – he will undoubtedly have much more time to deliver leaflets – and perhaps stand for Council or other elected posts himself!

UPDATE: One of the Epping members, Neil Woollcott, has a blog on which he’s posted about the event here.

Surgery all morning followed by a visit to HARTS which is Haringey’s family support unit. It was a really worthwhile visit as the issues they deal with as also issues that many people who come to my surgery also raise.

The issue often presents itself around housing difficulties – sometimes eviction – but the real problems is that the resident has got into arrears because of lack of understanding of how to manage finance, or a failure to understand official looking documents sent to them – either because of an aversion to bureaucracy or because of problems reading English – and so on. Often these situations are multi-layered with language issues, medical or mental health challenges, children not being in school and various other trials and tribulations which result in the person simply not coping. And that downward spiral then costs a fortune of support ultimately.

HARTS puts in support mechanisms at a stage where they can help the individual sort out the problems one by one until they are managing and coping independently – and then helps with pathways to work and education – so that they can become properly independent in the future.

I meet two of the people they are helping. The first was a single mother whose son had been stabbed twice and the victim of muggings 18 times and who had had to leave her home and go into temporary accommodation so her son would be safer and begin to recover from the traumas. Her English is now very good and she could not sing the praises of Mohammed Belal Aziz highy enough – the HARTS manager who was always there for her.

The second had spent five years also as a single mother and she virtually didn’t go out because she didn’t know how to get help or what was available. With two children, no husband and no family – she was stuck until financial problems alerted her landlords, Circle 33, to recommend she contact HARTS. They helped her get on top of her finances and she is now studying at college – and hopefully will be able to go into the working world in due course. Her caseworker, Zerrin Cankiran, was there too – and it was clear that the relationship side of the support had played a consistent and important role in the road to recovering independence.

The women were delightful and it was a genuine pleasure to meet them and all of those at HART who are working so hard with those who are vulnerable in our society to help them sort out what have seemed impossible problems.

Today’s news is that ASBOs aren’t working. Half are being breached and the young people who get them see them as a badge of honour. ASBOs can have a short sharp effect of stopping someone from going somewhere for a while – but they don’t change behaviour. We need earlier intervention with a whole range of partners – from parents, teachers, social workers police etc. The Acceptable Behaviour Contracts pioneered by Lib Dems in Islington with the police do that and have had great results.

But the real point is – it is not quick or cheap and it takes time and constant involvement to change behaviour – yes alongside punishment and deterrents – but if we don’t change behaviour then our streets will never be safe because the offender will come back and just carry on.

And if the ASBO is breached and a custodial sentence is then passed – sending people to jail keeps them away from committing crimes in the short-turn, but then they come out and offend again and again all too often (and when jail acts as a crime school too …) It’s a hiding to nothing but also very much a story the media like covering . So I did BBC 24, Sky etc.

Off to open the new JobCentre Plus in Wood Green. My goodness what a fabulous office. The first floor is spacious and designed in a comfortable and comforting way, fab colours – but most of all – a wall of windows that go on for ever and curve along the whole length of the open plan space – and which look out of a little green area of land. Just gorgeous – and given my obsession with the built environment and the effect it has on behaviour – this is an absolutely shining example,

On the ground floor – where those seeking employment will come – the design is clean and modern and well organised. I opened the new premises with a little speech and then went and talked to each of the staff – for it is the care and attention, commitment and attitude of the staff that will change peoples’ lives here. It is no cake walk to get those who are long-term unemployed off of benefits and into work, and here they also cater for people with disabilities, mental health challenges and lone parents. So many barriers to break down – and so much confidence needed to move from dependency to work.

Each and every one of the staff I spoke to from Dave (one of the security guards) to Eileen (the overarching manager) was so committed and enthusiastic I was really thrilled. They already do a great job, but I have no doubt they will go further in these new integrated premises and services.