Social issues that must be addressed

From: John Bolton, Gregory Spring Mounts, Mirfield.

I FEEL your coverage of the Ofsted report by Sir Michael Wilshaw on the state of social care (Yorkshire Post, Octob er 16) in concentrating on the regional relevances omitted other important nation-wide issues.

At last someone in authority has had the courage to tell it as it is.

Sir Michael grasps the nettle, almost challenges society to change its attitude to the way we respond toward the series of tragic cases in recent years where children have died midst cruelty and neglect of parents and family.

He said child abuse and neglect was not the fault of local authorities alone. Such issues were the product of a “social breakdown” and the “hollowed out and fragmented families” where parents suffer a “poverty of accountability”.

I worked with offenders and their families in the areas of 
South Yorkshire referred to during the 1980s and early 90s. I can honestly say these trends were around then and those affected children now have families of their own, perpetuating the arising problems even more.

Opportunities were missed to save some of the children in recent cases. Society points accusing fingers at social 
services but shouldn’t we also 
be examining and tackling 
the social environment and systems that spawn the tragic problems?

Society’s ever increasing demands on social workers is, as the Ofsted report points out, creating a “climate of turbulance”, making it harder to address problems. The profession is haemorrhaging expertise with morale at an all-time low and a looming “demographic time bomb” as a large number of staff near retirement.

Hardly any of the report will make pleasant reading, I would guess, but Sir Michael is to be applauded for bringing these very important issues into the public domain.

They are somewhat overdue but, I hope not too late to arrest the serious situation the whole of society faces. Political decisions will not solve themselves, as we have already seen.

Getting rail back on track

From: Coun James Lewis, Chairman, Metro.

IF Centre for Policy Studies research fellow Tony Lodge had done a little more research (‘Rail competition is finally delivering as passenger demand hits new high’, Yorkshire Post, October 14), he may have found that over £3.5m of the £4.6m required to refurbishment Wakefield 
Kirkgate Rail Station comes from public sector bodies Network Rail, Wakefield Council and Metro.

There has been financial support from private sector bodies, including the two local train operators, but this project simply would not have happened without the public sector.

But rather than do some homework on the project, it seems that Mr Lodge would prefer to defend a discredited franchising system which has taken millions of pounds-worth of profits out of the railway network and put them into the pockets of train company shareholders while passengers face soaring fares.

Putting more of those profits into supporting local rail services would help our local authorities deliver more projects to benefit passengers and the local economy, such the recently-announced plan to electrify the route between Leeds, Harrogate and York.

If Mr Lodge would like to visit West Yorkshire sometime, I would be happy to arrange for him to meet some local commuters that travel daily on overcrowded, outdated trains and perhaps he would understand why there is so much public support for renationalising our railways.

Ban protesters rather than EDL

From: Peter Staniforth, Washburn Drive, Glusburn, North Yorkshire.

WITH regard to the English Defence League gatherings and attendant costs, surely a major point is being either omitted, avoided or ignored (Yorkshire Post, October 14).

The chief reason for the necessity of such a large number of police is the counter-protesters who are trying to prevent what is, whether you agree with them or not, a legal demonstration.

Since, as far as I am aware, no EDL demonstration has in itself caused damage or disruption 
to any town or city centre, perhaps rather than ban their meetings, it is any counter-demonstration which should be banned? This to apply to any occurrence where opposing groups are likely to confront each other.

No need for trendy ditties

From: Martyn L Scargill, Chantry Meadows, Kilham, East Yorkshire.

IT is always very interesting to read the articles by Sarah Todd in Country Week, which contain much sound common sense and wisdom.

How right she is to say how she likes the splendid hymn We Plough the Fields and Scatter – what is a Harvest Festival if it does not include this lovely hymn with such good music and meaningful words?

There is also Come, Ye Thankful People, Come and many other good rousing hymns of the period for harvest.

We do not want, nor do we have any need of, a “modern version” of this, or any other hymn.

It is like trying to write a new tune for Jerusalem. It is not needed, and would be an insult to the splendid composer.

It seems to me that just about all denominations these days have replaced all our tuneful and musical hymns with trendy ditties in the pop idiom.

What, exactly, lies behind this current obsession to get rid of anything written before, say, the year 2000?