Mental health issues locally

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I am on a mini-mission to explore the mental health arena in Hornsey & Wood Green. Quite a high percentage of people who come to my surgery are in difficulties – whether with housing issues, neighbour disputes, benefits or whatever – and it seems to me that they have wandered into these difficulties because of mental health issues and been caught in a downward spiral. A commonish one – for example – would be someone who has lost their home because of falling into arrears through being hospitalised for a mental health problem who cannot then be discharged from the hospital because there is nowhere to go.

So today I visited Mind. Seemed to be an excellent facility – but clearly lacking adequate funding for treatment which involved talking to people: long waits for therapists etc. In fact, that was a repeating theme across all mental health services – that the Government was clearly keener on funding drug therapies rather than talking therapies. The other issue that struck me was the lack of knowledge about how to access them amongst the general public.

New Chief Executive for London Borough of Haringey

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Event of the day was going to meet the new temporary Chief Executive hired by Haringey to replace the hastily removed (although the public version is “early retired”) now former Chief Exec, David Warwick. It’s Max Caller – the retired ex-Chief Exec of Hackney. He said he was focusing on two key priorities whilst in Haringey. One is to make sure officers understood that they were there to execute the will of the council. I took this to mean that he had been briefed by the Labour administration as to their reasons for Warwick’s “early retirement” which I have always believed was because he wouldn’t do what Labour told him to do and persevered with his duty to the council rather than to Labour.

Realistically, I don’t expect him to do much more than a holding job. Who would? And that’s part of the stupidity of this whole event – at great cost to the public purse we are now, inevitably, in a holding pattern until the new Chief Exec is appointed. Even more stupidly – it looks as if Labour are going to make that appointment a few months prior to the local elections next May – which means if Lib Dems take over the council as we plan – they will have a Chief Exec chosen by Labour to carry out their new administration. Of course – we are in the realm of ifs and buts – but it’s not great timing and could mean, I assume, a clause in any contract that states it needs to be ratified by the new administration (whomever that is) in due course. Oh – well – can’t deal with every eventuality!

Working 9 to 5

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Working an ordinary nine-hour day feels like absolute luxury. Now parliament is not sitting I am not starting at 6am and finishing after 10pm – but just working roughly 9 to 5; it’s a doddle. Today – apart from paperwork etc – I went into Parliament to have lunch with my staff. They are all new and I wanted to spend a bit of time with them before I depart for my break on the 16th August.

Robin Cook's death

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I prepared for media interviews on Blair’s blurtings – i.e. the proposed new terror laws. However, the shocking news of Robin Cook’s death bumps me off all the scheduled slots – appropriately.

The terror laws proposals will be around for quite a while but the untimely departure of Robin Cook needs proper respect. I am absolutely shocked by the news. Partly because I had suddenly joined his world – a world I had observed him in for years and he sat roughly opposite me in the Commons. Partly because he was not much older than me.

Partly because he looked slim and reasonably fit. Partly because I had been really looking forward to hearing his legendary oratory skills firsthand. But mostly because we needed his voice from the Labour benches – a voice which commanded respect and which rang out as Labour’s conscience – an echo from a bygone era when principles meant something.

Terrorism, CPZs and getting people back to work

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Not a whole lot to report as largely confined to sick bed, with much time spent watching the news. I observed Hazel Blears, whom I shadow in Parliament – she was starting a round of visits to hard to reach Muslims (as opposed to the usual spokespersons) in towns across the country. Good idea – but why have we waited so long? So much air time has been given to the extremist views of groups that most Muslims have scant regard for. This emphasis has contributed to the fevered atmosphere and probably encouraged them even more. I get into trouble with our press office as I couldn’t go to do interviews on the weekend and missed calls to do the Today program – separated from my phone which unhelpfully was set on silent downstairs in the kitchen – where I wasn’t.

Terrorism on the TV news is interwoven with man floating around the heavens with DIY tools trying to repair a spaceship. I so wouldn’t like to be one of those astronauts. I would be convinced I was going to die on re-entry and even more shaky about making makeshift repairs on the hoof. I wish them well on their return. I know it’s expensive – but I love space exploration. It’s a frontier – and we don’t have that many – and it’s so good to lift your eyes above the daily grind – and the horrors of how to deal with terror in our midst.

Al Qaeda’s No 2 appears in a video broadcast by Al Jazeera saying basically that we in London are targets because Tony went to war in Iraq. Well – there are many reasons I believe Tony should go – and indeed Iraq is one of them. However, it cannot come at the behest of an enemy. And – he has just been re-elected to government by the people of this country (a democracy, however flawed the voting system). Opportunism by Al Qaeda is no way to decide our country’s governance.

I am more concerned by the proposals Tony came forward with yesterday – the new terror laws are draconian but more importantly may be unworkable. We British (and that includes everyone!) pride ourselves on our tolerance and fair play and many feel that our tolerance has spawned monsters – or allowed them to spawn.

And so we face one of the greatest challenges of our time – how can we tolerate the intolerant? We clearly feel our good nature has been abused – so the conundrum: how do we retain our essence of free speech and fair play when others don’t abide by the rules of that particular game?

I am not automatically against any new laws on terror – but I do feel we generally have enough laws.

On incitement to terrorism – define terrorism. On deportation – Charles Clarke to be the deciding factor? Arbiter of who stays and who goes? And let us assume we currently (for the most part and giving them the benefit of the doubt) have a benign government – but… And what are the criteria? And why should we ban those who are banned in the US? We are a different country and what the US finds unacceptable we should examine very carefully – not automatically jump to their tune.

And as for our ‘arrangements’ with countries where human rights are an issue – and so raising problems with us deporting people to those countries – who will monitor those ‘agreements’? Countries with poor records on human rights are not going to change because of a piece of paper.

One break from this issue – on Thursday evening I leapt from my sick-bed to go to a CPZ (controlled parking zone) meeting. This one came off the back of a petition from residents asking for one in three or four roads in the very west of Haringey, affected significantly by the introduction of a CPZ on the Barnet side of the border in East Finchley.

The Labour Executive member is there and the senior council officer. Everyone has their say. There are the usual rants about Haringey Council using CPZs as a milch cow. Not often I stand up for the council – but Haringey’s charges at GBP25 per annum for a resident permit are the cheapest in London. But overall the meeting is very positive – and the outcome is an agreement to proceed next year to a two-zone consultation.

There was a huge area consulted on in 2003 – and as with all large CPZ consultations, those few with the existing problem wanted one but the vast tract of people in the rest of the consultation who did not have a problem did not. Anyway – a successful meeting and we will see how that one proceeds.

One bloke raised the issue of roads where lots of people have off-street parking and therefore not needing to park would vote ‘no’ to a proposal and therefore unbalance the result unfairly. I used a – what I believe (!) – is a really good example of how they might approach such an issue.

I have just had the consultation on the proposed extension to the Highgate Village CPZ. Most of our road (including me) has off-street parking – and there are only very limited on-street parking available for those residents without anyway. One resident of the street called meeting to discuss the consultation. I couldn’t go – but he posted the minutes. Firstly – they agreed to get the council officer down to see if the on-street parking spaces could be increased by slightly altering the design etc – and that could happen. Secondly – those residents in the street who were desperate for the extension (because everyone parks in our road) made their case to us, their neighbours, to all vote for the CPZ as their lives would be impossible without a CPZ as they were not luck (as the rest of us were) to have off-street parking. As good neighbours – we all supported those in need. Good community spirit and lack of selfishness!

On Friday I did my surgery at Wood Green library until lunchtime as usual – and then went off to meet Haringey Alzheimer’s Society who wanted to introduce themselves to me. Strangely – Haringey Council and Haringey Primary Care Trust don’t fund them – whereas that is how most local branches are funded and needless to say they need funding after next year.

Then I meet Bob Cottingham of the Highgate and Muswell Hill pensioners group. I think Bob is fantastic and whilst he himself says that age is slowing him down (I was too polite to ask his!), his mind is still as sharp as a razor. Apart from discussing the new Pensioners’ Charter (which he will send to me) we have an intense discussion about the Middle East, Jenny Tonge and terrorism.

As ever with the Middle East – my view has always been right down the middle – a homeland for Palestine and security and safety for Israel. My views generally make me no friends with either lobby as both have strangely enough a kind of Bush approach – that you’re with ’em or against ’em. I will continue to listen to all arguments – but to date remain convinced that the rights and wrongs of history deliver us nowhere – and any solution will have to deliver enough of what each side wants to have a flying chance of success.

I then dash off to ‘Working Links’, an organisation involved in helping the long-term unemployed back into work. I have to say – fabulous organisation. This one is a private/public partnership – I know, wash my mouth out with soap given my past comments about other private/public partnerships. But if it works – use it. I am not ideologically committed to absolutes – except in the case of particular public services – but this seems a good place to bring in private expertise.

As you walk through the door – the environment sings optimism and enthusiasm – upbeat, modern, clean and bright. But as in all things (at least that’s my view) the success of such projects rests entirely with the staff. It’s people – it’s always people. And the young consultants’ who ran each section were all absolute stars. Their two directors were equally enthusiastic and had clearly been responsible for creating this beneficial atmosphere.

They basically take people from a number of sources and spend 26 weeks supporting a tailor made individual package to help them back to work. Hurrah! Ten out of ten to them. I cannot bear seeing people who hav
e
just become so dependent on the state to sort their life that they no longer even think of doing things for themselves or getting out of the forlorn situations that have become their lives.

Outside of the box

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I made a visit to the Arbours Crisis Centre in Crouch End this week. Clientsare referred here from all over the country, nay world.

Arbours is an establishment working in the mental health sphere which doesn’tfit – doesn’t fit into categories thatwould encourage the Government, Haringey Council or any specific body to fund it. And yet it does valuable work andhas a world-wide reputation.

I was ushered into a lounge with comfy sofas, tea laid out and agolden-coloured dog. The therapists and clients came and sat and talked tome about the place. I couldn’t tell who was who to start – which iscertainly a good sign of treatment working well!

It is modelled on being a house – or as near to a normal house as ispossible. Clients and therapists live together in the house. The days arefilled with individual or group work. The clients have keys and can comeand go at will.

Arbours concentrates on relationships – and clearly has highly devoted andcommitted therapists working to bring those who have had long malfunctionswith the world we know back into it – with some success. It can only takesix clients, maximum, at a time.

Being so outside the box of traditional mental health treatment approaches,funding is a struggle. And perhaps of even more concern is the Governmentbeing unable to treat them as a one-off. So many targets and programs andinitiatives and partnerships and jargon and more jargon – but when anexcellent project stares it in the face which doesn’t fit the bureaucraticboxes, the Government is so often like a rabbit stuck in headlights, frozenin action and not knowing what to do.

It’s a bit like Red Gables. This is a fantastic family centre also inCrouch End which Labour councillors want to close. The Government isfunding 18 new child centres in the borough – but because Red Gables is inthe ‘wrong’ area and doesn’t fit the criteria precisely – rather than makeRed Gables on of the eighteen and celebrate this exemplar facility, theyplan to close it down. Local campaigners (and the Ham & High) arefighting hard to prevent this happening.

Red Gables and Arbours seem to be two facets of the same problem – they aremuch loved and successful services, but they don’t fit thecentral Labour model of what should be done where and how – and so thefunding flows elsewhere.

I don’t (yet) know enough in detail about the Arbours Crisis Centre to besure of the right way forward, but with so many problems with the provisionof mental health facilities, it seems daft to not be supporting one likethis. The original idea of “care in the community” had many good points -getting rid of those Dickensian type near jail like facilities for peoplewho need treatment not gaol. But so often, the question now is, “where isthe care?”.

The reopening – thanks to two years of campaigners’ efforts, of Canning Crescent, one of the two mental health day care centres which Haringey closed is a step in the right direction but it opened being able to support far fewer residents than before.

When Parliament comes back in the autumn – and ministers are availableagain for questioning and prodding in the chamber, I want to pursue theseissues.

Quite a few mental health care professionals have come my way since theelection to alert me to the mayhem going on in this area and my five yearson the Metropolitan Police Authority demonstrated palpably how much thepolice are left to deal with the results when our care systems fail. Iwould welcome more input on this – so if anyone reading this has a tale totell in terms of good or poor treatment in this area, please contact me.

LIB DEM COUNCILLORS AND RESIDENTS ESTABLISH TRIANGLE WORKING GROUP

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Liberal Democrat councillors in Alexandra have met with local residents, traders and Haringey Council officers to establish a working group to secure much needed improvements to The Triangle, N22.

The Triangle, sited at the junction of Palace Gate Road and Crescent Road in Alexandra ward, is a small open space that has been badly neglected by Haringey Council over the years. Ward councillors have been working hard with residents and traders for some time to convince Haringey to invest in improving the area.

Following a successful bid for funding from the Muswell Hill Area Assembly’s community project fund last year, draft consultation plans have been drawn up, largely based on feedback received through previous consultation processes undertaken by ward councillors.

The plans, displayed previously at the recent Muswell Hill Area Assembly meeting, include proposals to upgrade the site in two phases over a 2 year period to include planting of new trees, resurfacing of the area, introduction of hanging baskets, flower tubs, etc. The working group will work closely with all interested parties to ensure that the final plans meet with widespread support.

Lib Dem ward councillors David Beacham and Wayne Hoban have welcomed the establishment of the working group. They are hopeful that strong community support for the project will transform the Triangle.

Cllr Beacham comments:

“The meeting was highly productive and I am delighted that we have established a working group that draws upon all interested parties within the local community.”

Cllr Hoban adds:

“This is the first step but the project is so much easier with the full support of so many parts of the community.”

COUNCIL DROPS PLAN TO DEVELOP ELDERLY CARE HOME ON HORNSEY HOSPITAL SITE

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Liberal Democrat Social Services spokesperson Councillor Wayne Hoban has expressed deep concern at Haringey Council’s decision to stop discussions with the Teaching Primary Care Trust (TPCT) to develop an elderly care home on the Hornsey Hospital site.

At the Executive meeting held on 26 July, dissatisfaction was expressed regarding the TPCTs decision to reconsider funding and time scales for both phases of the Hornsey Central Hospital site development, which would mean that it would be unlikely that the care home would be built before 2009.

The planned development was supposed to replace the many places lost for elderly care in the borough following the Council’s decision to close Cooperscroft and Trentfield care homes, which is opposed by families of the homes’ residents along with Lib Dem councillors and Lynne Featherstone MP.

Cllr Hoban has written to the TPCT to ask for an explanation as to why they have revised their original plans. He has also contacted Haringey Council asking them to reconsider its decision to close Cooperscroft and Trentfield care homes, which is currently under judicial review.

Cllr Hoban comments:

“We were assured that the decision to close Cooperscroft and Trentfield care homes would not adversely effect provision of care home beds in the borough on the basis that alternative provision would be provided on the Hornsey Hospital site. That plan has now been blown out of the water by this decision. It is clear that the planned closures must not proceed until alternative provision is in place.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green added:

“It is bad enough that the Council are to close Cooperscroft and Trentfield care homes and now the local Teaching Primary Care Trust are backing out of their plans.Haringey Council now need to make some important decisions about the provision of elderly care in the local area.

“Older people in Haringey deserve better than this.”

Nearly blogging off

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Surgery all morning. Variety of cases – but the Dukes Avenue humps are still giving cause for concern. Until such time as Lib Dems take over the council, the sort of cock-ups created by Labour are impossible to properly correct.

There was an agreed plan for the area which took three years to get the agreement for. But then when some residents objected to part of the works, the council introduced significant changes to the plans – without proper consultation – and – just to add to the fun – designed badly the some of the changes. So one road after another spoke up and said it wanted the plans for its bit changed and many of those who liked the original plans are now unhappy too! And now it seems everyone is writing or coming to see me. So – the current situation is that there has been another consultation. The results are being analysed at the moment.

Meanwhile, I will continue to fight for holistic planning. I will suggest to my councillor colleagues if/when we take control after next May’s elections, that we plan better than Labour and that when there is an agreed solution we stick to it. We also need to get Transport for London to look again at the journey times for buses on Colney Hatch Lane as so many people email me with how delightful it is when the lights don’t work.

In the afternoon, just one meeting – with TNG, a skill and training group who operate nationwide but seem to do really good work in Haringey. I am particularly interested in the mentoring work they do with youngsters who have had ASBOs served on them. ASBOs are a last resolution – and don’t do anything to bring their subjects back into society – which would be my aim. They agree to send more material on this to me.

And that’s nearly it. My holiday plans have changed – I was going away in August but now I am going mid-August to mid-September – so instead of blogging off for August as usual, I’ll be taking a break in a couple of weeks time instead.

Landrock Road development

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First meeting today is with Cllr Judy Bax who is chairing the Community Partnership Board, the group developing the plan for the Hornsey Town Hall’s future. I am still convinced that the only way this site is ever going to be a community facility is for this group to succeed and Crouch End for People, Hornsey Trust and all of us to work together to deliver that.

Having now met with both Hornsey Trust and the Community Partnership Board, there still is resistance to working together – so the Community Board must push on and succeed. If they can build a cinema to start with and retain at least a good chunk of the car park, they will at least be demonstrating to all the people who signed Town Hall petition that their intentions are honourable. My concern is that the first part of the site to be developed will be housing or whatever – and then a three year gap before we see what is really wanted – the arts, leisure and community facility part of the site.

Of course, the argument will be that you can’t do the good community bits without the funding by the development bits.

Anyway – my part in this is to support the journey from council control to trust and harangue and lobby for the community bits – and to lobby at high level for transport links at an early stage.

This is followed by a long, long interview by MORI. Too long and boring to go into – but basically a number of big companies – including Transport for London (TfL) and British Nuclear Fuels to name but two – want to know what I know and think of them. TfL’s ears would be burning!

In the afternoon I go to Landrock Road to join local campaigners campaigning against another backland development site application by developers. It is unbearable what they are trying to do – cram four very expensive houses on a long, narrow, strip of land: totally inappropriate.

One hundred odd houses whose gardens back onto this strip of land will be blighted by this development. Currently there is a row of garages which the developer is letting dilapidate and won’t rent out. Sometimes I just wish I had real dictatorial power to tell the developers to get lost! However, what I do is write to the Planning Department to let them know what I think.