AIBU to ask if there is anything at all that works as it should in the Uk?

[Lavendersquare]

Just been having a discussion with a colleague and between us we can't think of any public service/government department or agency that is delivering a decent service. Examples include:

Education
NHS
Immigration
Police
Social care
Roads
Railways
Dental Care

it never used to be like this, there was a time when things worked, were maintained and replaced. Now it seems everything is left to the last minute and patched up or left to deteriorate.

What's happened?

Please tell me you don't actually believe this twaddle???😂😂😂

Which party was it that prorogued Parliament, lied to Parliament, and regularly makes policy announcements outside Parliament again?

Especially you !

@SerendipityJane

Libraries are running okay.
But I work in a library, budgets are cut every year now.
We have to do several crafts a week but have no money or resources, we have to bring in our own toilet roll holders and paper plates to do very simple activities.
We have went from 8 members of staff working a building with several active floors, to 2 staff having to run them.
It's not safe.
Also some councils are outsourcing and subcontracting, so minimum wage with statutory sick pay and maternity pay. No pension other than what we save ourselves.
Paper shortages, book shortages, heating turned off.
So many budget cuts and staffing issues.

I work for the NHS in a non-clinical role. Individual NHS staff are absolutely not giving 100%. I never saw this level of time, resource and money wasting in the private sector. It is staggering. Farcical, I would say, almost comically so, if worse patient outcomes weren't the end result.

Every time I’ve been to my local hospital, a big, advanced teaching hospital, I’ve seen staff taking a single break in massively long shifts and otherwise doing absolutely everything they can to take care of me and my fellow patients, and I’ve been in hospital a LOT. Your experience may be different but I couldn’t fault the clinical staff if I tried.

Nope, these are places awarded from mainstream, through judicial review. There are not enough SEND places in the maintained system, but LA’s have a legal duty to provide a school place. The review will award the place (legal right) no matter the cost.
Private providers can charge virtually what they want, the LA hasn't a choice. Legally has to find a place, but can't open new schools.

This is a similar example around children’s social care. The issues and failure in a broken system are the same.

https://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/articles/largest-independent-childrens-social-care-providers-make-ps300m-profit

Example above, great profits from the care of vulnerable children.

Libraries being ok is like the NHS or teaching isn't it?

The staff on the ground are holding things together by the skin of their teeth

Like when the local council switch off the streetlights at 1am so people leave their porch lights on.

Responsibilities and costs have been transferred to individuals.

Nope, these are places awarded from mainstream, through judicial review.

Don’t you mean the SEND tribunal? Judicial review is about high court action, on the child’s behalf, because the LA is failing to carry out its statutory duties to the child? Say, the LA is not providing speech and language therapy or the school placement, as specified in the EHCP, probably at the order of the SEND tribunal?

County Councils and Unitary Authorities are really struggling with the massive hike in social care costs. Some are on the brink of bankruptcy (well, of issuing a section 114 notice, which is the LA equivalent of going into administration).

I don’t know why people aren’t protesting about this. We’re paying more in Council Tax so that private care providers can rake in profits of tens of millions of pounds per year, sometimes for sub-standard care. In the meantime, other Council services are being slashed to the statutory minimum, which means that some of them will barely be carried out at all.

I’m so relieved that I no longer work for Local Government, but I’m gutted for my friends who still do.

Birth death and marriage registration works as it should