Glasgow

[rosemary]

read full article here

The British Association of Social Workers warned the schemes would prove to be a "major loss" for the council and a sign of things to come nationwide.

Any thoughts on this?

[Myrtle]

As if things weren't bad enough..........................................................

[fluffycat]

Oh dear...it is so scary!

How call centre can handle confidential information?! It is VERY personal details than just about name and address

[Lazydaisy]

there is NO confidential information. My son's information was passed from Social Services Learning Disability Team to NHS hospital and GP surgery without our/his permission.It was information that should not have been passed on and took us over a year to get removed(as it was not even true, which we were able to prove.)
My husband's mobile phone number was given by the Visual Impairment Team to the Piper lifeline team, without his knowledge or permission, and at the point where it was used caused us a great deal of distress.They all apparently share information, except the childrens team in Social Services. (I do know that there are several people within our local Social Services who do not agree with sharing information which should be confidential).

[wonder]

Oh my God!! One disaster after another and it 'will be' rolled out all over the country. I'm aghast!

[Eun]

Rosemary to be brutally honest most if not all of the social workers we have had have been as much use as a chocolate poker anyway.

Eun

[no1mum]

That is a frightening thought.

[Guest]

The NHS Direct of social care, no thank you .

[Ned Ludd carer]

In the area where we live, Social Services have been operating a call centre for some time - the HUB. Not only does this mean carers have to go through it to contact anyone, people with learning disabilities, who may find phone calls difficult anyway, have to use it. Needless to say, it's proved fairly disastrous, with everyone doing their best to avoid it. We collect direct line numbers for any staff we do get through to. The HUB has been closed down and rebranded already but basically it acts more as a shield for hard pressed social workers to hide behind rather than helping people. Not a good idea.

[NanaNana]

Our spinal unit at the orthopaedic hospital is awful to get through to, because the hospital has a voice-operated answer system. You have to tell the 'voice' which department you want, before you're put through (it was to make things easier for people using speaker phones). The 'voice' doesn't recognise 'Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries', nor 'the spinal unit' - so I just say 'operator' and I get through to the main hospital switchboard who then put me through. On the very rare occasions that I have got through the 'voice' asks me if I want the 'Wrecking' ward! The ward that hubby goes into for his annual MOT, is called WREKIN ward, after the Wrekin Hill near Telford.
It's pronounced WREEEEEKIN. For such an important hospital within sight of The Wrekin hills, the 'voice' should be able to actually pronounce it correctly.

How do disabled people using speaker phones cope with this system? It's hard enough for me.