The new whipping boy

Poor Nick Clegg; everyone from Jonathan Ross and Jeremy Clarkson to readers of the News of the World thinks he deserves a good kicking.  For what, I wonder?  Doing the right, however politically uncomfortable thing?

I grow tired of hearing otherwise quite rational people exclaim, much as in the same way they do about Tony Blair for slightly different reasons, that the Lib Dems are finished as a political force.  How easy it is to throw stones and I have no doubt that the Lib Dems have done their share of it over the years, so perhaps that explains the public animosity towards them? 

And yet, there's a petulant refusal it seems, to acknowledge their positive role in Coalition government.  Again the NOTW (paywall) poll on Sunday suggested that a majority favoured the Coalition over either a single Tory or Labour government but at the same time, 73% felt that the Lib Dems would be seriously damaged by Coalition come the next general election.    It's as if we know that something's got to be done, we are prepared to grit our teeth and go along with it but we want someone (other than ourselves and our credit habit) to blame for it - the bankers won't do because they are well insulated by their money, so the Lib Dems with fresh-faced, eager-to-please Mr Clegg will. 

I don't have any answers for the Lib Dems except to say that they have got to see this through.  I suspect that Mr Clegg has already accepted his fate but believes passionately that this is a chance to re-balance the economy and the country, onto a surer footing, thus ensuring the right legacy however damaging politically in the short-term.

In the BM household, we watch as Southwark Labour councillors (3 so far) with either criminal convictions or charges pending (in one case for alleged internet paedophile activity) cling onto power and wonder how times have changed.  A year ago this sort of scandal (and it is) would have sunk the LibDem Council administration without trace but now...well it barely raised a murmur in the local press.  BBC London ran a brief piece and even that failed to gain traction.  Not for the first time BM feels that alls changed...

Other hat

Governor's, that is.  The Sutton Trust have today published a report which is both depressing and familiar in which it sets out the current findings of an ongoing long term longitudinal study, of children born in the early 90s compared with children born in 2000, in this case dealing with behavioural issues. 

It's depressing because it shows that for those children born into the lowest income families, behavioural issues have actually got worse and familiar because the impact of problematic behaviour on curriculum outcomes is significant across every phase of schooling.  It has had a high priority in my particular school (necessarily in my view) because unless children know how to behave towards each other and the adults in the room, and how to manage and control their emotions properly, they cannot begin to learn and just as important, neither can anyone else in that room with them.

Nevertheless we have just had an Ofsted inspector comment that we should not lose sight of our other curriculum outcomes at the expense of PSED (Personal Social and Emotional Development) as it's known in the jargon.  We haven't, believe me, but as I say if a child cannot share, or wait and take his/her turn or hits out at another child in frustration, then no learning can take place in that room.   

Nationally this pattern of behaviour issues is also associated with poor attainment on entry to Primary school in CLL (Communication Language and Literacy).  It's hardly surprising when you think about it a little and equally, if successful intervention takes place which necessarily involves the child learning to verbally express their frustration as well as be polite ie say "Please" and "Thank you", the corollary is an improvement in CLL outcomes.  

Very often though, it is the parents who need support and whilst that might sound critical, it's not meant to be.  Parenting is hard: not just the daily monotonous grind of physically caring for young children but rather the realisation that it's a process, that they are not going to be beautifully behaved just because you tell them to.  It takes energy and consistency and young children are naturally programmed to test their boundaries.  Also they 'model' behaviour - in other words they copy what they see and observe rather than what they are told. 

How do we make parenting support and 'training' less judgmental, I wonder?   One ongoing project in Southwark, which I have mentioned before is EPEC (Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities).   But I think it would be facile to imagine that one single project could be the answer.   It takes a whole range of approaches and input from different agencies sometimes to reach a satisfactory outcome which is why I remain convinced that Children's Centres offering a range of support to children and their parents, are the best way to help all kinds of families achieve the best possible outcomes for their children.

26 letters

I came across the writer Sara Sheridan via Normblog (see the blogroll on the right), not having read any of her published works so far.  But that's not the point; the point is that in addition to being a bestselling author of historical novels, she is also part of a writer's collective called '26'.  They engage in lots of different writing projects, which in themselves sound wonderful and well worth a visit to their website.  More pertinently, their most recent project is in conjunction with London Design week, called 26Treasures and running at the V&A from 18th September.  Each writer has been allocated a treasure and invited to write 62 words in any style or format, reflecting on that object.

Sara Sheridan has written a poem entitled 'On a Plate' about this beautiful object...

which dates from Southwark 1653 and was made as a marriage gift to...who knows? 

The exhibition runs from 18-26th September.  Somehow, even though time is tight right now, I suspect it will be well worth a visit.

Empowering Parents, Empowering communities

Nice piece in the Guardian today about this successful parenting project in Southwark, although to be fair it is only at the half-way stage.  Worth noting too that despite the climate of cuts facing the Authority, a decision was made to fund the research project jointly with Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Trust earlier this year.   It's also worth reading the terms of reference for the study which interestingly point out that the facilitators are parent peers - so the whole process becomes a virtuous circle.    Watch this space for the final judgements of the research project, published probably September 2011.

Food as a political issue

During the recent local election in Southwark, Labour made a pledge to introduce free school meals to all primary school children across the borough.  This was unfunded.  They probably didn't expect to win (they weren't the only ones, sadly).  Anyway, they did and now they are trying to find ways to fulfil this pledge or maybe a way of backing out of it while saving face...

Primary schools in Southwark are being invited to take part in a local pilot beginning in September.  Schools taking part will choose 1 year group, those children will be offered free school meals and the school will be offered additional support in working with children, school staff and parents/carers on understanding the benefits of healthy meals on long-term health and wellbeing and maintenance of a healthy weight.  The findings will then be analysed alongside the results of 3 ongoing national pilots (in Newham, Wolverhampton & Durham) to inform the roll-out to all schools in the borough.

Several things about this idea trouble me.  Firstly, the 3 national pilots have been up and running for 1 year already and are being co-ordinated by the DfE, with research ongoing by NCSR , into not simply the issue of obesity but also behaviour, concentration and academic attainment.  The Southwark approach seems a bit of a stop-gap, 'on the hoof' idea with no real focus.  Why do this when a national, properly funded study is mid-way along and will report its findings about 18 months from now?   How is the study of 1 year group per school going to, for instance, inform the Council about the capital investment necessary to enable that school to offer free school meals to all its pupils?   It just seems a bit pointless - as if they have to be seen to be acting on their pledge, so they have come up with this.   In the meantime, it will be increasingly obvious that it is unaffordable and they will be able to say that they tried but the Coalition government policies made it impossible.   

Maybe the real question is why, after 13 years of a Labour government the key measure of child poverty ie FSM take-up, is relatively unchanged in Southwark.

Interesting and exciting times

Nice article in today's Guardian by Julian Glover, expressing but much more eloquently, what BM has returned to several times over the past few months - Labour and the Trades Unions howl over the Budget cuts and anticipated cuts in the spending review but have no realistic alternative policy agenda to offer.   And yet, while they hog all or most of the media attention, moaning and being self-righteous, it seems to me that they are missing what's going on under their noses.   Wedded as they are to 'process' often at the expense of outcomes, it seems that this extends even to the Labour Leadership contest, which Polly Toynbee despaired of in Saturday's Guardian.

There are loads of examples of fresh ways of looking at things like welfare reform and new ways of making the public services work better for everyone.  BM wrote last week about Southwark Circle and about Participle's new vision for the welfare state 'Beveridge 4.0'.   Even those affected by the reform agenda which makes me most nervous (Education) are not simply sitting and waiting - conferences are taking place all over the country, looking at new ways to deliver essential services within a tightened financial framework.  As a school Governor, I have been impressed at the way in which Southwark had the foresight to introduce traded services for schools, with the result that while the impact of any cuts from central government will undoubtedly be felt, the impact on Southwark schools and children is likely to be less severe.  

More widely, I noticed at the weekend that the Prince of Wales is facilitating some of this brainstorming:  'The Garden Party to Make a Difference' will run from 8-19 September at Clarence House, Lancaster House and Marlborough House.  It will involve the arts, science and business and will include mucic from Jools Holland, debates by Jonathan Dimbleby, Sanjeev Bhaskar & Clive Anderson, comedy by Marcus Brigstocke and Hugh Dennis, a discussion and demonstrations of Ecocars by Roger Saul and Kevin McCloud and fashion by Dame Vivienne Westwood. 

Another article which caught my eye at the weekend was a piece for 'Think Tank' in the Sunday Times, entitled 'Stop the aid - it's cash that ends poverty'.  (Sadly cannot link to it due the paywall..)  Claire Melamed is head of the growth and equity programme at the Overseas Development Institute and Joseph Hanlon is the author of 'Just Give Money to the Poor'.  Their article discussed the success in countries such as Brazil & Mexico of simple cash transfers to the poor, rather than disparate multiple aid programmes.  In Brazil this has resulted in a near halving of child malnutrition and in rural Mexico, high school enrolment has doubled among children whose families receive cash transfers; and for the first time, girls are just a likely as boys to go to school.    They suggest that this idea of giving money to the poor, is essentially copying what we in Britian have been doing (successfully as it turns out, in terms of eradicating extreme povery and death from famine) for 200 years or so.  It's not a panacea for the reasons they go on to set out but it's interesting.  And it seems, their opening gambit in the lead up to the UN's search for a successor to the millenium development goals programme.

You see what I mean; it is possible to re-think the process.  Just because it has been done a certain way for a period of time, does not and should not mean it cannot be done differently and better.    Julian Glover has it about right - the public accept not only that cuts to public services are are coming but that long overdue reform is also on the way.    Which is why I suspect that Labour need more than a change of leadership to begin to appeal to the public again.

Wow

The Shard as it will be and where it's up to now... 

Phew...

Having worked out that it had been 10 months since we were last out alone together, BM and B husband have just spent an entire weekend socialising every night.  Time was when that was not so unusual but life has changed a lot over the past 10 years or so, with the result that today, BM is very very tired.

Tired but unrepentant actually.   Chances are it may be another 10 years before BM indulges in such a weekend again and all things considered, it turned out much better than anticipated.  Friday night, Alan Bennett play, Saturday Mayor's Ball and last night, dinner with Simon H and campaign team at Cafe Amisha, along the road.  Quite a few of the team including B husband were fresh from the special conference in Birmingham and full of praise for Simon's barnstorming speech.  Lots of wine, food, more speeches and laughter followed with people reflecting almost in disbelief, on the events of the past 7 days.     Even though there is understandable concern about the future, there is genuine excitement about seeing LibDem manifesto pledges materialise into government policy.

But for BM right now, it's time for nurofen and an early night...

Far From Kansas...

BM lives a sheltered life but as it often does, Southwark surprises and so it was that last night BM first heard the London Gay Men's Chorus at the Mayor of Southwark's Ball in aid of Help for Heroes. So much fun!

The Elephant in the view

Returning from town on the bus today, as we turned from Aldwych onto the Strand and BM looked down Arundel Street, the new landmark at the Elephant & Castle came into view...rather impressive really.

More of them...opposite side...

A couple of them had child/baby seats in the back.  Bermondsey Mum is intrigued...

The Ant Hill mob ?

Picking up stationery supplies yesterday, Bermondsey Mum spotted these in the car park at Staples, Old Kent Road....fully taxed too.

Bermondsey girls

Although I may not be squarely representative of the average Bermondsey mum, I nevertheless love this area and have enormous respect for all mums, wherever they are from. 

So I was upset to read a comment on the SE1 Forum recently referring to a visit to Castello's Restaurant on Jamaica Road, describing the food as 'passable' (which I thought was unfair for a start) and the clientele as like a 'chavs convention'.  It went on to describe a game 'Spot the Tramp Stamps' they played to pass the time- (does this mean tattoos ??)   Clearly this person felt superior to everyone else there and felt confident enough about that to post it onto the community forum - presumably expecting lots of other people to agree.   

I can't be the only one to find this sort of snide attitude offensive although the more I think about it, the more I realise that it forms a significant part of the print media we are all too familiar with.   It's a way of getting a cheap laugh I suppose.   Without getting all amateur psychologist about it, I wonder if all this doesn't reveal a secret insecurity about the sort of person who uses words like 'chav' as an insult.    They might not envy the lifestyle but I wonder if they don't secretly envy the confidence.

As for this Bermondsey Mum, I am always in awe of the fact that no matter how unexpected, the moment the first day of Summer arrives, your average Bermondsey girl is out there wearing the very latest trend, with hair and skin tone to match.  Needless to say, it takes Bermondsey Mum a bit longer to get her look together!