Marie Hazledine-Barber

http://hazledinebarber.com/the-emperor-with-no-clothes/331/  article to read with/before  ‘Fixing the Tiles on the roof’

If it is broke do we necessarily have to fix it, to quote a special needs person,’thanks I’d rather be disabled however a helping hand would be helpful’.

Integrated to scociety the helping hand ( for those impaired or elderly) is when professionals empowered to ‘give the helping hand’  actually do the job. Not on paper, or shuffling ‘paper’ across internet, philosophizing. or phone calls from Health Officials for an assessment that the client is unaware it is an assessment as most normal people even in the Drs’ surgery when asked “How are you” most reply “Fine”

This did not mean that the assessment is a reality as ‘Fine’  by way of telephone did not see the client, saw if there was food in the cupboard, shopping requirements, or building requirements, to assist in the quality of living (Council Flats) or other physical needs for those housebound.

A cruel act by management for the front-line services, as in hours of domestic or medical assistance, are reduced in a draconian way leaving the most vulnerable in Society almost helpless.

Lop-sided,greedy management, like shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic, starving the front-line when ample funds are available the fiscal structure of such organizations like an old truck require an overhaul to do the job deliver the tools to  those at the front line to do just that. The job. AND the political will to do so.

An example of doing the job, from Christchurch City Council a housing officer made it his business to physically see his special needs client in a City Council Flat, turned up when he said he would, listened to the simple issue a request for help, later rang back sorted the request with a solution.

Actions like this example, an act of delivering ,respect,professionalism,kindness, a physical action, it is people like this that make the difference. Turning up when arranged, doing the job. A huge difference in a special needs person life however if this action was spread across the community what difference it would make.?

Health Organizations and Councils require raising awareness of the clients; the  most vulnerable of society deserve the dignity and respect  which is not a fraudulent type fact finding to save money phone call , but a physical visit when requesting help.

Cost cutting, dismissing the elderly, special needs, physically impaired people what value do those empowered ‘to give the helping hand’ put on people living with impairments?

No longer in the shadows, the tiles on the roof of society need fixing.

New Zealand gifted with land rich for agriculture, wonderful water supplies a country with an abundance of technology for sustainable living for the future : one questions why so many of the youth leave school unqualified and some barely can read and write.

Is it the teaching, one questions how do the youth reach secondary education unable to read or spell the language. Is it the courses offered in school tired and out of step for the future.

Is there too much of the glossy programs that teach all and nothing. To learn to read a real book and write without a computer and do basic mathematics without a calculator would be a good start.

New Zealanders desire is to engage the young preparing them for work in a profession of their choice where basic values of self worth, the contributions well paid and benefits not only the ‘company’ but to the country. A work place with a future and sustainability.

New Zealand a country known for the No 8 Wire mentally, back-yard builders creators, inventors that over decades contributed to the country and benefited mankind world wide.

Many do not desire to go to university some do not have that academic skill however have extraordinary skills tactile, and other skills.

Education lacks the foresight to harness these skills and energies, courses for example in basic science,mechanical engineering, water care/management. Forestry, the care of the agriculture on the land, animals not in pens for the welfare of the animal producing quality foods.

The list is endless.

New Zealand requires the future school leavers to be armed with skills and the mind to supply a range of companies here in New Zealand requiring a solid work-force innovative with a tool kit of work ethics.

For all the so called jobs out there, that’s no use when no-one can fit the bill, the unemployment rising hand in hand with a muddy education system, the Social Development Ministers answer is “Suck it in” In other words so what, is the attitude from the Minister. The unemployment,sickness benefit,invalids benefits by the time people pay the rent, power, and buy merge supply of food no wonder many in New Zealand are starving and turning to crime, or domestic violence through frustrations. It is not all drugs and booze.

Many are good men and woman at the coal face, at the wheels of Industry that are being crushed. Crushed through fiscal waste,systems dysfunctional and wasteful, by the cost of rhetoric, top management greed and selfishness and the raping of banking systems.

It is Please Sir can I have some more Education…. and a job would be fantastic.

An honest days work for an honest days pay the latter being; that the pay is worthy and give the people a sense of value.

The rush of humanity attached to strings of communication reminds one of a comedy in which a speech from Julius Caesar ‘Romans,Countrymen lend me your ears’ in amongst the crowd a voice soared above the mumbling, “What is in your sack.?” Julius Caesar replies, “Ears.”

Humanity is so connected it appears in ordinary day life to be disconnected. From Government to Local Council, for all the rhetoric, mission statements, those empowered to choose paths to enrich, accept positive change for the good of the local people and indeed the country instead squander funds reflecting behaviour similar to the fairy tale ‘The Emperor with No Clothes’

The Emperor squanders huge amounts of money for clothes that are invisible tailored by clever tailors to prove a point. Those empowered to serve the people are in buildings, like the invisible clothes, busy with their own self importance squandering funds inhibiting progress, or quality of life, of any real importance impoverishing the people that they are there to serve.

A small proportion of the people in some cities unable to afford the market rent or buy their own home due to circumstances of income or in some cases misfortune in their lives, or those integrated to the community who have special needs and/or mentally challenged rent city council flats/units.

Christchurch City Social Housing Mission Statement to quote ..

Rents charged are significantly lower than market rates, the housing policy requires council owned housing be self-supporting and not funded from the collection of Christchurch City rates.

Since 1938 provision of the rentals including later years purchasing land and building new complexes, for the approx 2,000 tenants, including ongoing maintenance one would think the housing budget for the latter be bursting at the seams.Many of the older properties would have been paid for many times over by collection of rent. The newer built properties. by way of rent at the lower market rate, paying their way.

The housing budget should be well enough to move with progress, to provide proper insulation, heat pumps, efficient means to keep units warm and dry in the damp, smogged choked cold winter months endured by the Christchurch City.

Alongside the living in such council flats/units are the housing officers who deal with many issues concerning tenants. Tenants by law and human rights are allowed to express freely requests for maintenance, and be treated with respect, dignity and courtesy.

To give an example of the reality from one with special needs where simple requests turn into ‘We do not believe you’ ‘You ring too many times’ for the tenant one of frustration and anxiousness at being told he should be grateful. Technically offered solutions that defy any normal persons acceptance by any standards. Being offered shoddy second -hand equipment most would not have : certainly no councilperson would have in their homes.

A washing machine taking six months to sort after the approx. ten year old machine kept flooding, being told to bail the water out by hand with a jug. Being offered a second-hand one in a state of disrepair.

Resolution, to buy new one himself although part of the rent contract is supply of a washing machine which still he pays for.

The refrigerator kept icing up after approx 6-8 years of use, request for a new refrigerator was an arduous course of conflict and angst. Especially initially told to put his hand into the electrical works and fiddle with the thermostat that might help.

The standard waiting time for a plumber or electrician is ten days, can turn into weeks.

Placing a call is frequently meet with rudeness, what do you want and why, if personal still the question why, ring back the person required is out, at a meeting or away, so one rings back/back/back leaves a message. Creating conflict and confusion.

In the incidence of the tenant considering his concerns a higher level such as management speaks to the Christchurch City Council call centre senior manager to raise positive criticism of the difficulty on a simple request to advise his housing officer he had returned from holiday, to arrange a time and date to meet said officer the response was by way of question ‘Are you not grateful you have a council flat’: ‘To call so many times’ well over ten years and even his support group have meet with unacceptable behaviour. The call centre senior manager for Christchurch City Council if it is an issue of gratitude, the question could be asked of him ‘Is he grateful he has a job’

Many of the special need people climb hurdles many do not consider, also most are and have the lowest income in New Zealand. A little kindness support and full measure of the Christchurch City Council Mission statement for Social Housing should be exercised in its’ true meaning at the coal-face, where it is most needed for the people paid by the people.

Instead of Council squandering money with bail-outs of a private market business of 17 million dollars, art works, ridiculous failed ice-skating rink’ and many other extravagant plans that go awry, ‘paid by the rate payers’ the overview for the city is the people and local needs, much of the squandered money could have been put towards progress, for the rate payer, some for social housing the latter already being paid for by the tenants there should be an abundance in the coffers anyway. But the tenants are told there are constraints as the Council cannot afford simple requests.

A council and housing department that’s not managed by disconnected dysfunctional self important Emperors with no clothes. Supported by a mayor being an Emperor with no clothes. That appears to be the mission statement of Christchurch City Council.

One recalls the efforts by council to raise the rents (disproportionate to the service as proposed in a tenants contract) however ordered by the Courts to refund the tenants.

‘What’s in the sack?’ ‘EARS’  There is always an excuse not to listen. Or listen and ignore in the race for self importance. Rhetoric on silver tongues lashing the community is not acceptable to do just what one wants to do and disregard the requests of the local people including council tenants especially those that are not as fortunate as most normal people.