The Margate Drop In Centre

Went down to Margate again today, to visit the Margate Drop In Centre. This church hall facility is open from 10am until 3pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I'd promised to come to the centre once or twice before, but sadly the diary hadn't worked out until now. Even then, traffic on Detling Hill was solid and I was half an hour late!

Many of the learning disabled service users of the centre were out and about, which of itself is good news, but there were plenty of users to chat to and find out what a very special place this is. My host was Vanessa, herself learning disabled, who works for KCC as a volunteer. At the Drop In, she's also the treasurer and the cook!

But what struck me was the confidence shown by those who use the centre. As well as the support from professionals, there's a huge amount of self help. I spoke to one chap who hadn't travelled on a bus since an accident a decade ago took his confidence away. With help from another user, last week he took his first bus ride. Other users go out to local schools to talk to pupils about hate crime.

The centre has an excellent website designed and built by service users themselves - click this link to see it - so I won't waste time repeating everything. But as well as a packed programme of activities (the users recently went on holiday to Butlins!) the centre provides professional expertise, advice and support on communication, benefits, housing, supported employment, placements, and even gives advice on personal safety, equality and diversity from the local Community Police Officer. It really is a wonderful service, and a credit ot the staff and those who use the service. I'll be back there before too long.

Let nobody say I can't take criticism

Let nobody say I can't take criticism. I posted a blog story on Thursday night (Abbott Looks To Get Cheeky) about Diane Abbott MP trying to score intellectual points off the Cheeky Girls on BBC's "This Week", and received the following response:

"I follow your blog with interest and from it am aware you promote equalities at KCC. Whilst I appreciate the point you are making about Ms Abbott scoring intellectual points I'm really disappointed you found it necessary to comment on their physical appearance, and refer to them as 'girls'. It was not necessary and undermines your valid point about Ms Abbot's behaviour. It's this kind of language that perpetuates stereotypical attitudes about women."

On Friday, I spoke to several female colleagues, and most of them agreed with the comments above. The general feeling was that if referring to a female under say, sixteen, she's a girl, but above that she's a woman.

So I'm sorry, and I apologise. But although I may have used inappropriate terminology, I still feel that the way the Cheeky Girls looked, combined with their youth, was perhaps the main reason for Ms Abbott's attack. After all, she hadn't reacted in the same way to Julian Fellowes earlier in the programme, nor to Nigel Kennedy a week or two before.

But thanks to whoever posted the anonymous comment, and triggered my sharp learning curve.

Abbott looks to get cheeky

During last night's episode of "This Week" - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/7352891.stm with Andrew Neil, Michael Portillo and Diane Abbott, the Cheeky Girls were brought on as guests.

Andrew Neil asked Ms Abbott a question on the economy, at which point she deflected the question by asking "I'd rather know what the Cheeky Girls think about the economy?"

What a cheap shot from a clearly embittered lady. Later on she asked the Cheeky Girls "what do you think are the differences between Gordon Brown and President Ceaucescu?"

What is wrong with her? Was this a feeble attempt to appear intellectually superior to a couple of slim, attractive young women?

Thank goodness the girls didn't respond by asking Ms Abbott to stand up and sing a pop song. After the realignment of Freeview frequencies this week blew up thousand of top boxes, Ms Abbott performing might just have blown up the TVs as well...

'Thought Showering' the Tunbridge Wells way

Hot on the heels of its new and hugely impressive logo, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has now coined a new buzzphrase - "Thought Showering".

Apparently afraid of offending people with mental illness or epilepsy, the Borough Council has thought up their new phrase to avoid using the word "brainstorming" - despite the fact that the National Society for Epilepsy actually use the term "brainstorm" themselves.

The borough council "thought shower" was derived from one of the council's "regular equality and diversity training sessions with all staff", and whilst they "welcome the clarification" from the National Society for Epilepsy, they urge that "if the term does offend even a small minority of people, they should get in touch."

So, a Thought Shower? Or a a collection of slow drips...

Equal and Diverse

Last week Kent County Council had its assessment for equality and diversity - in its workforce, and in the services it delivers.

The Equality Standard for Local Government (or ESLG for short) grades councils from levels one to five. KCC was a Level Two, and we really wanted to raise ourselves up to a Level Three. In a small authority, it's a lot easier to move the culture. In an authority the size of Kent, it's a lot harder.

Our officers have worked really hard to raise the profile of equality and diversity. We have well attended staff groups for black and minority ethnic workers; disabled staff; LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) staff; and even the Greenhouse group, for young staff members. Every group is vocal. Every group is passionate.

For me it's a simple call. Why wouldn't you want the pick of the best talent pool for your workforce? Why wouldn't you want Councillors who truly represented the varied people of Kent? Why wouldn't you want your services to be accessible to all your customers - not just the able, white heterosexual ones?

I'm proud to be a Member Champion for Equality and Diversity, and along with my Labour and Lib Dem colleagues, I hope that last week we were able to convince the assessors that Kent County Council deserves to be a Level 3 authority.

I'll let you know how we get on!

An employer of excellence

Travelled early this morning up to Waitrose at Biggin Hill to present an award to David Patrickson, the Manager of the store.

He had given a job some months ago to a young man with a learning disability. Now sitting in the cafeteria with an early morning coffee, I found it hard to detect any disability in the bright, engaging, enthusiastic young chap sitting opposite me.

The most encouraging aspect was that it seemed the entire staff were supportive of this initiative - they all helped with training and support. In return they had an energetic, personable young man with a passion for his store, his products and his customers.

If only all retailers were like this...

"Community Cohesion" or just Responsible Society?

This afternoon, I was invited with my family to the celebration of EID in Tunbridge Wells with the Bangladeshi Welfare Association.

The Association looks after members of the Bangladeshi community across Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. This afternoon's celebration marked Eid-Ur-Fitr, the traditional end of Ramadan, when those more financially able members of the community assist those less well off. I was told about the classes in Maths and English organised by the Association to help those young people whose parents were less able to assist because of a language barrier.

It's not the first time I've met with the Bangladeshi community in Tunbridge Wells - until fairly recently there was a weekly Bangladeshi School run on a Sunday to ensure that young people didn't forget how to read and write their national language.

Our Government is very adept at "buzzword politics" - one of their latest phrases is 'Community Cohesion'. For me, today was just a great example of how society can pull together to support itself - to provide its young people with values, with role models, with pride in its own history, and above all - with a sense of responsibility. Truly integrated society should allow sharing of each other's culture, and there's a huge amount that we all could learn from this community.