“Once again we are faced with name calling from those who feel so superior that only they are entitled to an opinion.”

“Considering local authorities have been offloading all services to private companies for many years, surely a private company, which in this case appears to have succeeded very well in other parts of the country, is better than a void in the care system.
Having been appalled at the recent events in Haringay, I would rather put faith in a private concern than a publicly funded one that has a long record of incompetence. Glowing Ofsted reports into Northerncare and statements made by youngsters whose life's have been turned around positively by being in Northerncare homes make more of a statement than all the so-called experts who comment via these forums. It was so-called experts at fault in Haringay and that is far more worrying than private companies filling that challenging void in the market created by those who balance books and offload these vital services in order to do so.”

“I am really confused by some of the opinions on these mail pages. In the previous story where someone has exercised 'choice' and based their opinion of someone on the colour of their skin commentators have supported her saying we should be allowed to have such freedoms of opinion. However when someone else exercises this same right of freedom of opinion based on what I can see is years of experience in the field and concern for the negative effects of privatisation of services they are called bigots and prejudiced ? Are we not all equal and allowed the same rights and freedoms or are their certain areas of discussion that should not be led by experience and knowledge but simply opinion? Very worrying times indeed.”

“"large profit led organisations are powerful and are very good at manipulation . History shows how the official line does not always represent the reality for the young people in care and the community at large . I believe D has said this, police statistics, council/public meeting minutes and community complaints, these are the facts. "
Whilst we are turning around reality, maybe your statement could equally explain the attitude and behaviour of North Somerset Council who are professionals in manipulation and who's official line very rarely represents reality.

Many of us have worked at the 'coalface' as you call it, and still do, but most of us do so with optimism that change for the good can be acheived and usually the biggest barriers are blind prejudice and the type of organised bigotry witnessed in Portishead recently.
D and yourself must live under a rose tinted cloud formation if you honestly believe that there is not a need for the kind of facilty Northerncare intend to provide in this area.
Incidentally, the community complaints in this case equate to less than 2% of the population of Portishead and a large number of those original concerns were addressed and accepted by many at the protest meeting, a meeting that left many Portishead residents more concerned about the digusting attitudes of a hostile element within the protest group than they were about any care home that may be opening within such an intolerant community.
Fortunately the 20,000 residents who haven't been convinced by the scaremongering antics say more about the true feelings locally than the handful who would object to anything at all changing in what Council Leader Nigel Ashton refers to as a 'little hamlet on the edge of Portishead'. That statement alone explains the true reasoning behind a lot of the complaints just as every other suggestion for the area has done over the past twenty years, especially if it involves anyt connection to the youth element.

If we must talk reality, I really wish it were just that because to date everything has been twisted to fit personal agendas whilst the welfare of young people plays second fiddle, and yes that is totally due to ignorance and misinformation and the councillors involved are expert examples at manipulating facts and figures to suit their own ends.”

“I am sorry KBM but you appear to have miss read what D has said. Nearly 2 decades of living and front line working in the inner city in the North has shown me that it is not as you argue. Now back where I was born and bread I am very fearful of what impact a private unit such as Northern Care will have on Portishead with limited resources, poor infrastructures and the mass of unaffordable housing developments.

My experience of working at the coal face has taught me you have to always look further than official reports, as large profit led organisations are powerful and are very good at manipulation . History shows how the official line does not always represent the reality for the young people in care and the community at large . I believe D has said this, police statistics, council/public meeting minutes and community complaints, these are the facts. It all show that when resources are profit led corners are cut: staff on minimum wages, with inadequate experience and social care qualifications, poorly supported unable to effectively intervene into the lives of alienated vulnerable young people with highly complex needs.

My experiences at the coal face here in the South unfortunately has done nothing to convince me that the growth of an inadequate private care system at the expense of a lack of support for front line workers is anything but dangerous.

I at times wish I was as you describe uniformed and ignorant, my life would be a lot easier, as I expect D does too, unfortunately this could not be more further than the truth.”

“D, of Portishead. Obviously you are one of those ignorant protestors who are opposed, not just to Northerncare opening on your doorstep but in true Portishead 'I'm alright, stuff everyone else' tradiiton you probably oppose anything that others wish to see change in the town unless it involves large developers raping what is left of a once pleasant community.
Get your head out of the sand and wake up and actually look deeper than the airbrushed picture Portishead is marketed as. There are dozens of young people in the town, and hundreds across North Somerset in need of proper provision which North Somerset Council fail to even admit exist. Reality check: they do exist and the numbers are growing.
Then maybe take some time out to read the facts surrounding Northerncare.
Even though they run almost 30 similar homes around the country, all of which are very highly rated by both Ofsted and those who benefit from the services they offer, you and your fellow blinkered protesters keep repeating the alleged problems in Withernsea as some kind of benchmark of depravity. Minor details like the local Police informing the Withernsea Council that claims against youngsters from the home were inaccurate and mostly contrived (probably by some other ignorant individual like yourself) seems to have been selectively ignored in your witch hunt.
The only comparison that Portishead has with Withernsea is that they are both neglected costal towns run by councils with an average age that confirms most peoples opinions that council members are living fossils. The down side of this being that here in Portishead, and North Somerset, and also Withernsea, decisions are made by old people who have lived their own life's and are only concerned with their own creature comforts (usually at the taxpayers expense).
It wouldn't surprise me if D from Portishead wasn't the local councillor who fully supported the 100 or so protesters who heckled and abused others who dared to speak in favour of Northencrae at the recent meeting.
Sadly the only reason that councillor is making such a fuss is because he lives 200 yards from the proposed home. Ironically he is also against the idea of a Skatepark for youngsters just around the corner and is also in favour of following the party line of closing the local pool.
With closed mind selfish attitudes at the helm of all that goes on in these parts it's no wonder news articles like this one appear because those in power prefer to pretend they don't exist.
Incidentally, last year a Portishead resident was stabbed with a sword in the town by 2 other local Portishead drug addicts, there were several racist incidents at the Lake Grounds involving Portishead youths, an Asian youngster was attacked in the High Street 2 months ago, last summer, like previous summers drugs were being sold within 20 yards of the local youth centre by Portishead youngsters, I have forgotten how many cars have been set alight in the town in all the years I have lived here but it runs into dozens and all by Portishead youngsters. I could list incidences for hours and you seem to think there is no need to open care homes like Northerncare propose?
I'm fairly certain my eyes are as wide open as they need to be but you, D of Portishead really need to get out more and learn about the town you live in.
Now I will probably get heckled and verbally abused as that is the way of the ignorant and uninformed.”

“"twentyteen year olds reinact a scene from spiderman after watching the movie"
now thats a headline i wana see!!! mind you how the bep exagerate that will be the headline monday”

“steve, southville
totally agree!!
but hey im starting to think that the kids that climbed the severn bridge may have watched spiderman the nite before!!! its coz of the movies...............haha”

“Wake up KBM. You clearly have no idea of the care system, children in need and indeed the failings of Northern Care in all the other areas of which they have their children's homes. Study police statistics, council/public meeting minutes, look at the 'official criteria definitions' that Northern Care are being asked to provide a service for in the region. Then you might understand why so many people are concerned about the inadequacies of Northern Care and profit lead provision. A greater knowledge of this area of need might help you understand that we do not have such vulnerable young people that Northern Care are being asked to provide placements for, living in Portishead. You could in fact count on one hand the young people with such needs in the whole of North Somerset. Concerns are therefore based on facts figures and experience which demonstrate how service provision is inadequate which will lead to a huge impact for the whole community as such vulnerable young people will be disengaged whilst Northern Care's profits expand.”

“John O'Groats would not be far enough ~ how about Alcatraz?”