A lot to celebrate

Dropped in on Oliver Mills, Managing Director of Kent Adult Social Services and the rest of his management team and staff for a Christmas drink on our last working day before the break.

There's a lot to celebrate as 2007 draws to a close. Kent's Adult Social Services ends the year with moderate eligibility criteria, with a more controlled budget position than almost all our neighbours, and with a star rating from the Commission for Social Care Inspection of three stars - the highest accolade and one which Kent has held since the start of the government's star rating system.

Nobody can predict what 2008 will bring, but at least Kent can be safe in the knowledge that it has the best team in the business to handle whatever lies around the corner.

Through the Barricades

Forget chestnuts roasting on an open fire, or even Jack Frost nipping at your nose. There's nothing like the KCC Labour Group Christmas Drinks to get the Christmas juices flowing.

Just like the Christmas football match between the trenches in the First World War, for a few short hours all political rivalry is set aside, and local elected County Councillors from all parties get together over a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine to celebrate the festive season.

Even the Leader of the Labour Group, Mike Eddy, adopted a warm benevolence that - in less festive circumstances - would have been positively terrifying. So - at least until January - politics is set aside and all is right with the world.

Was that a turkey or a pig that just flew by?

A Christmas success story...

I love my job, but some days just put the icing on the cake. Yesterday was one of those days, when I visited Pembury Primary School to join Head Teacher Cath Thewlis and three of her pupils on an interview panel.

It seems the work we'd done with poster competitions, job descriptions, coverage in the Courier and on BBC South East news, and finally a live broadcast by Radio Kent, had actually produced four applications for the post of lollipop person.

Final selection was between two applicants, and Cath decided the children should choose their lollipop person themselves.

The children's questions were superb - "are you kind?", "what would you do if we misbehaved?" and so on. Eventually, they selected the person they felt most appropriate, and subject to the usual checks and references, the children of Pembury should be able to cross the road safely in a couple of weeks.

Just shows what can be achieved when we all work together. Well done Pembury!

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...

Ferry 'cross the Solent...

Nice crisp morning in Southampton as I caught the ferry over to the Isle of Wight - working with two colleagues, for South East Employers.

The three of us were spending a day on the island to assess the Isle of Wight Council, who over the preceding eighteen months has worked hard to achieve Charter status for the development of their elected Members.

The three of us spent the day talking to officers and councillors about the Council's plans to train their Members to face the growing expectations of voters, and better represent their constituents.

It was a long day, but the sheer pride on the faces of the Council team when we told them they had achieved Charter status made it all worthwhile.

Congratulations to the Isle of Wight Council - KCC has just begun the same journey, and I hope we can be as enthusiastic when our inspection comes.

It's a tough life

At this time of festive cheer, spare a thought for poor Tony Blair.

His premiership over, he has to eke out an income on the after-dinner circuit, since his role as Middle East envoy for the superpowers of the world is unsalaried.

Poor Mr Blair's autobiography deal with Random House will pay £5m, but not for two years yet. And with a £16,000 a month mortgage on the Connaught Square property, he's having to travel the world speaking at dinner after dinner At around £200,000 an engagement he's averaging a million a month, though his recent "boring" speech in China netted him £240,000.

Isn't socialism grand?

So over £36,000,000 of public money has been used to give four thousand pound handouts to failed asylum seekers to 'persuade them' to return to their country of origin and start up businesses.

Exactly what qualifies these people to start businesses? Is there any kind of vetting? Business plan? Cash flow? Any remote idea of how they will be spending our money - other than blowing it and coming back for more?

One suspects not. Because the Government has said it all - "It's cheaper to give them this money than for them to stay in the UK".

Why would they stay in the UK if their application has failed? Isn't that why we have our laws? Isn't that why we have our Government?