“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.”