You have much to lose – please don’t ruin it

Tuesday 21st September 2010, 3:00PM BST.

From Philip Measures.
HAVING just spent a fourth holiday this year in Jersey I would, first of all, like to congratulate the Jersey Evening Post for what I regard as its challenging and honest reporting of welfare issues.

Being an English registered social worker, I was astounded, however, that the recent Serious Care Review cost £600,000 – an alarming example of false economy for both the child and family concerned and the States expenditure.

It is well known that the longer interventions take in serious family problems, the worst the eventual outcomes, and this must be a case in point. Sadly, the main beneficiaries here appear to be the legal and other experts involved – surely to have provided the recommended intervention in the UK would have cast far less than £600,000.

Other worrying issues must be the withdrawal of free school milk, the deletion of the educational psychologist post and the ending of free trips for youngsters to Durrell. The mark of any truly just and caring society is how it treats its most vulnerable and the values it seeks to impress on them as they are maturing.

A small carton of milk may not seem a lot, but for children who perhaps do not get a balanced diet at home it provides an extra source of nutrition. The fact that there are other psychologists on the Island may not mean that they have the specific skills and expertise to cover all areas of child development. I hope that children with learning difficulties are not going to be disadvantaged.

Also, teaching young people the values of conservation and respect for animals can have lifelong benefits – Durrell is a fine example of conservation and seeking to reintroduce endangered animals back to their native environments wherever possible.

Jersey is a lovely Island with much to commend it, but I was hit by those true local residents who shared that view but blamed those who ‘run the Island.’
Finance, while important, is also potentially corrupting, as we saw all too vividly here in England. There is significant unemployment and that will bring increased pressures on families if not addressed.

The numbers of rich residents who have bought their way into Jersey saddens me when contrasted with the welfare cuts to be introduced. I urge those in power to rethink their values and ethics and demonstrate that Jersey can do a better job than the UK authorities seem to be able to. You have far too much to lose if you don’t safeguard your own indigenous residents.

1
Helen Back

September 21, 2010 at 3:42 pm

Philip, that letter is spot on! Well done.

Report abuse
2
bella

September 21, 2010 at 3:46 pm

Agree.
Charity begins at home,but not in their book it seems.
Finance is the be all and end all as far as they are concerned,everything else takes a second place.

Not sure about the milk issues but many other areas need to be addressed before this Island goes down the pan altogether.
Run by the rich for the rich is the byword.

Report abuse
3
JULIE

September 21, 2010 at 7:48 pm

An excellent letter- all so true.The trouble is that the powers-that-be in Jersey very much like outsiders to think of Jersey as a finance centre and a rich little place where everything is rosy.All these new cuts are helping to reveal what is really happening in an island that is now failing to support the most vulnerable in its’community.

Report abuse
4
Els

September 23, 2010 at 12:06 am

Whilst I agree with Mr Measure’s views on the serious case review. The cost of the serious case review illustrates a clear lack of decision and arbitration processes for extraordinary cases. Has anybody done anything about this or will the next case follow the same path – that would be an unnecessary tragedy.

I do not agree with his views on the state of the island’s social contract. Jersey is a small island with small working population contributing to the welfare budget and supporting a growing population of elderly people. Welfare interventions need to be effective and targeted to people who actually need them
Unfortunately, there is a budget deficit and in a small community we need to ensure welfare benefits those in need and in receipt.
The withdrawal of school milk and zoo visits is not going to have any lasting detrimental effect on the island’s children.
There is no evidence that children in Jersey are malnourished and underweight. Even if they were how is a small portion of milk going to reverse that status.
School milk was originally introduced to UK schools in the 1920s. The average modern child’s diet probably contains more calories and nutrients than previous generations enjoyed. If politicians are really worried, they should be ordering a nutritional survey of school children before we cry over cut milk

Durrells is a zoo and such organisations do not have a monopoly on teaching children about the environment or conservation. Subsidised school visits in such economic times are not the priority and if the parents really want this to go ahead – fundraise or take the kids at the weekend. The family pass is quite reasonable compared to the admission fee at rack rate

Report abuse
5
Philip Measures

September 25, 2010 at 10:29 am

I am surprised at the comments of ‘Els’ above – the Serious Case Review was because of the decision-making process, as I understand it. That decision was a ‘budget-led’ one and not a ‘Needs-led’ one.
The whole issue of who should feel the ‘pain’ of financial cuts is a difficult one – when those in power even refuse to debate their own allowances it hardly gives a good message to others.
Jersey is a rich Island albeit the minority possessing the majority of wealth – Jersey has to accept its political responsibilities for allowing the extremely wealthy only to be able to buy their way onto the island. I firmly believe that extreme wealth corrupts – the biblical warning is not there for nothing either.

Report abuse
6
JULIE

September 26, 2010 at 9:28 am

Philip (COMMENT 5)You are correct in saying that the minority possess the majority of the wealth.I am constantly amazed that some people I meet in the UK still hold the view that everyone in Jersey is wealthy-I think they used to watch Bergerac and think that everyone lives in mansions and swan around all day sipping cocktails overlooking the bay!I have seen a few jaws drop when I explain that Jersey has its good share of drug problems,unemployed people and poor housing.As I said before these latest cuts affect the most needy, in my opinion.

Report abuse