Mental Health Magazine Launch, Fri 17th January

by Phoenix - Brain Awareness Week Fri Mar 14, 2014 15:43

What will halt the fall?

The PAC are ratcheting up the lines of questioning.

John Kelly, developer, who lives in Wicklow (linked to now imprisoned solicitor Thomas Byrne) has asked to be invited before the PAC. Whatever he wishes to talk about relating to Rehab and its board members has resulted in the file being sent directly to the Gardai. Privilege of the Dail Committee is not permissible.

Meantime, HeadSpace and January event advertised on Indymedia. Does anyone know about this charity? Feedback is essential to ensure that some level of transparency applies to charites who claim to work in the best interest of vulnerable people and not for the privilege of their entitled elites.

Look out for Phoenix magazine front page: 'Ides of March' and 'Et Tu Brute'

by Horizon - Charity Sector Thu Mar 27, 2014 16:21

The Public Accounts Committee is caught in the whirlwind of corruption unfettered but alas deep insight by the ordinary people of Ireland appears to have given way to pure apathy and denial.

24th March 2014, an article by the Political Correspondent, Daniel McConnell, in the Irish Independent, tackled the issue head on about Charities in Ireland. Never more than now is the time to start examining the sacred demi-Gods and start asking questions in the quest of seeking social justice.

Too many charities draining state funds is the heading. The message is clear don't forget the charities and regulation just because there is a new topic on the agenda with the emphasis of equality.

The article goes on to state:

Dominic Layden, CEO of Aware, which helps fight depression, said that because of austerity and cuts to state spending; there was an issue with how public money was being spent

....he also importantly stated

....many people were driven to set up a body following a tragedy, but he questioned the need for so many

We need to ask some serious questions. The National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) figures state there are in excess of 1,200 bodies at national, voluntary and community levels ... all supposedly dealing with mental health-suicide. No economies of scale can exist here so hence no proper public health provision funded by the State to cater for the needs of people who are most vulnerable. The fact that nobody has chosen to respond to HeadSpace on the Indymedia citizen journalism site raises questions. Aware is one of the original voluntary groups associated with mental health education and support. However, it only receives 5% of its income, about e179,000, in state grants each year. Do they merit an opinion, based on their experience and professionalism? It seems not.

They want a national register of charities that receive state funding to be published, along with the rationale for why it was approved.

Regulation of charities is constantly being side tracked since the 1980's and without regulation especially in areas relating to mental health and suicide we need to know that these 'bodies' are appropriate and available to all which is often not the case. You only need to look at the crisis for the homeless, the people who are ex prisoners and the many people whose basic self esteem is so damaged that asks us to consider if there are too many and are they actually fit for purpose. We hear daily of the tragedies to suicide without any reduction in the numbers.

To conclude:

The comments by Mr Layden, whose salary is below e90,000, come at a time of great crisis for the charity sector given the recent controversies surrounding Rehab and the Central Remedial Clinic.

Is the State getting value for the citizens purse?

by Sean Crudden - impero Thu Mar 27, 2014 18:06

Well I think if voluntary organisations were truly voluntary then the more of them the merrier. Somewhere in my head are vague memories about "anti-combination" laws in Irish History. Were they part of the Penal Laws? I remember my father used to wear a badge with a red hand and the name of The Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. At the bottom of the badge were the initials OBU. What that stood for was, "One Big Union." People may see extra clout for themselves that way but I think it is a bit fascistic and anyway, unlike some of the contributors to this thread, I prefer increased diversity and a wider choice of organisation.

by Patch - Social Justice & Charitable sector Mon Mar 31, 2014 16:05

Yes Sean I agree but 'if it were truly voluntary, the more the merrier'. This would reflect community or a meitheal spirit.

However.....

The truth is who can we trust because media investigative sources are only now identifying the truth that belies our basically unregulated charity sector and those charity mandarins whose narcissistic tendencies seem to go hand and glove with that appeal to be supporting the vulnerable. Too often these mandarins earn way beyond their brief on the basis that albeit they work for charity they must be paid like their cohorts of similar rank in leading industries, banks, etc.

Joyce Fegan writes a damning piece on the Rehab Group in todays Indepedent. Rehab PR firm Insight has decided to "resign the account" that was not due for renewal until the end of 2014. Surely, this speaks volumes especially when we are told that "Insight was then asked by Rehab if they wanted to tender in the new bid for the contract". They chose not to.

Who are Insight Consultants? A PR firm based in the Ireland. They are reported to represent leading contracts including many charities such as the Laura Lynn Children's Hospice, and other contracts the Beacon Clinic and Carton House.

The absence of viable charity legislation especially as it is consistently placed on the backfoot decade after decade only gives rise to what is now before the Oireachtas PAC committee and which provides us with a sickening tale of abuse of power that has been inveigled through the auspices of governments in power, lobbyists, PR firms and a semblance of catering for those who are vulnerable in our society. Since this Rehab scandal broke, we hear little in the media from the people who should have been their beneficiaries of funds/work placements. We know the HSE and other sources of charity fundraising provided millions each year to keep a charity mingled with business connections flying it up there with the Celtic Tiger developers.

The Oireachtas PAC committee caused horror to those who watched it on the Dail report channel, to those who listened to the media and many others. The challenge for the next committee hearing scheduled for April 10th 2014 is to continue to explore all avenues: the now ashamedly defunct FAS course provision connections and if there are links to Solas/Intreo/Gateway; to review SMILE in the UK and the sale of equipment for people with disabilities, to explore the recent reasoning and business generation from the visit to the Middle East, and equally importantly to consider the inter connection between the parties detailed in today's article as follows:-

In September 2006, Mr Parker, director of Insight, was paid 40,000 euros by Mr Kelly, who wanted to buy Rehab Group's Dublin headquarters. Mr Parker was acting as a lobbyist for Mr Kelly at the time. Mr Kelly also claimed in recent weeks that he spent up to 100,000 euros entertaining representatives of Rehab, including Mr Parker.

At the beginning of March, it emerged that the embattled Rehab chief, Angela Kerins, and other charity executives used Mr Kelly's helicopter to travel around Ireland and the UK.

As said before we all know the motives that led to the National Sweepstakes and the successful building of hospitals throughout Ireland. However, we also know that it become immersed in corrupt practices and a culture of greed led corruption eventually resulted in its demise.

We need to regulate charities. 1,200 charitable organisations relating to mental health and suicide shows that intentions or good but we must realise that these are often funded by the HSE as their excuse to withdraw funding from mental health in the public sector. We need accountability and we need to know that people are not neglected because certain charities only cater for those they select.

Surely, this posting in a society that 1 in four is affected by mental health problems and given the involvement of Rehab suggests that someone can report back on the event in January 2014, if not Rehab itself.

Patch

by Seán Crudden - IMPERO Mon Mar 31, 2014 18:47

Hi Patch. I can see that your temperature is fairly high and your pulse is racing. But I am not going to get my beard in a blaze about all this. Certainly neither I nor impero will take the blame for the way the HSE spends its money and what organisations it chooses to fund. Could you please supply Mr. Parker's full name?

by Patch - Social Justice and Charitable Sector Thu Apr 03, 2014 16:12

Sean

The name is Mr Michael Parker, Insight PR.

Impero is not asked to take account for how the HSE decides to spend its funds. However Rehab is before the Public Accounts Committee April 10th 2014 and today we are told that Chief Executive Angela Kerins resigns (severence package and for that matter pension unknown). We know that her salary and perks are in excess of euros 240,000, and possibly more when the Public Accounts Committee reports on its findings. We also know the story is that 80 million euros pa from the HSE to Rehab sure raises questions about how the HSE divests funds to organisations that are not fully transparent. Add to this the Charitable lottery funds and other sources of fundraising and we must start challenging those in Charitoracy for some form of transparency and accountability. The promise of regulation dates back to the 1980's and now the need for such regulation is urgent.

Mental health applies according to the Irish Independent health supplement article yesterday to some 66,000 people. Do they get the care plans? It seems not so. The question therefore must be is mental health a public health provision or is it just haphazard with some 1,200 organisations divesting the HSE of the vital service in line with the Vision for Change that it is duty bound to provide.

Our main thoroughfares in our cities tell the story that many people are falling into homelessness and hostel provision living while their mental health including their dental needs are being ignored. The policy is define and exclude from society by appearance and mental health labels.

Patch

by Seán Crudden - IMPERO Thu Apr 03, 2014 17:43

Thanks for the info, Patch. I know Michael Parker.

You speak as if the idea of regulation is some kind of new discovery. Surely the disbursement of money from the HSE and from government is already subject to some form of regulation. I cannot believe it is some kind of "free-for-all." There must have been some kind of decision making process all along. Is officialdom claiming naivety?

Incidentally I heard a Fine Gael TD speaking about this last night on RTE Radio 1. One of the things he seems to require is "compliance" from so-called charities. In my opinion there has been too much arse-licking and compliance over the past decades. The real scandal is the people on the streets you are talking about.

You hit on a sensitive point there when you talk about dental problems. Like many mental patients my teeth have mostly fallen out over the years and now I am having difficulty wearing my dentures.

by Patch - Equality Wed Apr 09, 2014 16:26

The great unwashed comes to mind. Teeth and the mouth determine the health both medical and physical of people who are most vulnerable including those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, to those who are medically labeled bipolar (formerly known as manic depressive), schizophrenic, personality disorder etc.

Public health in Ireland fails dismally. Ireland engaged in a massive shift in the 1980's to remove people from the mental hospitals to the community. Funds were pledged but the truth is otherwise. Community health is underfunded.

HeadSpace still receives no feedback on Indymedia. Rehab - its Performing and Visual Arts section convey a picture of inclusiveness through its publication HeadSpace yet it comes back to what the HSE are funding; is their governance hit and miss with a myriad of charities in its wake collecting funds in the name of those with mental health conditions but without the necessary transparency, accountability, dignity and intregrity. 1,200 entities cannot be cost effective especially if Public Health provision is sacrificed.

10th April 2014 and the media reports snippets as to whether those who have been requested to attend at the Public Accounts Committee namely Angela Kerins (retired recently from position of CE) and Frank Flannery (resigned recently from the Board) of Rehab Group that maybe they will attend or maybe they won't or better still they will if the Committee give them the questions in advance so that they can prepare the answers. Surely we the ordinary people of Ireland and especially people with disabilities deserve more dignity and respect from an organisation that professes to act in our best interests and which receives e80 m from the HSE. Accusations that are untrue or which need clarification can be rendered untrue during the Committee hearing, so therefore why the ritual dance by the Rehab elites.

Today's Mail covers an interesting further dimension to fundraising and Rehab.

This rudderless charity or so it appears is involved in a e500 million legal suit against the State. The expense we know is phenomenol because the proceedings are in the High Court. It is the charity Rehab who is in fact suing the State.

According to the article in the Daily Mail written by Niamh Lyons, Political Correspondent

The Charity is suing the State for operating an 'anti-competitive' National Lottery that has allegedly 'abused its dominant position' and 'eroded' Rehab's potential market share.

.....it is purported that the charity claims that it lost out on e517 m over a 25 year period.

.....it also purports that Alan Shatter is 'conflicted' in his role as regulator of lotteries. The conflict of interest arising is because the State has an interest in the National lottery.

If the Rehab Board choice is to proceed in the High Court concerning fundraising lotteries and conflicts of interest, those so associated with Rehab must surely feel that it is their responsibility to attend the PAC committee.

Patch

by former rehab care worker Wed Apr 09, 2014 19:17

I used to work in rehab care as a social care worker,i worked there for about two years then got slowly pushed out the door,while the company rehab group decided to enter into a contract with fas(now solas).

I was given my p45 and out the door,no sooner than 1 week passed i walked by the buiding to collect my dole,only to see the fas trainees outside in a single file after they were doing their fire drill for everyone at about 11:00,i knew one lady there and got talking to her briefly to my shock and horror she said she was with fas and they took about 10 fas workers on as low level care workers.

I complained to the manager of fas,wrote a letter to my local TD,and tried to get on to the press about it,this was back in 2010.

I did get a response from my local TD,and he said he would chase it up,the press werent interested and didnt respond to any of my emails or letters,the manager of Fas was polite but unhelpful as she was not really in a position to do anything about it,she was there to co-ordinate the fas side with rehab and that was her role and she was sticking to it,she wasnt going to jepordise her position.

Nothing came out of it in the end,im glad to see rehab are in trouble,if not for selfish reasons,for the fact they have been dishonest with public money,and the fact they never treated their intellecually disabled with much care,i found one man on my first day covered in excrement from the waist down under his trousers and he had been left in that condition for the full day,and the stink off of him,it took me to call over one of the careworkers to sort him out.

There were other incidents too,but i don't want to give too much away that i identify myself as i still rely on that place for a reference.

by Sean Crudden - impero Thu Apr 10, 2014 16:04

Well, Patch, there is nothing like repetition if you want to make a point. I see what you are saying or, at least, implying. That the HSE like some kind of pubic benefactor distributing largesse has been funding a myriad of "voluntary" organisations flying the "mental health" banner. Perhaps to gain easy kudos in the eyes of a gullible public and maybe to give the impression that their political masters are loving and caring people or maybe they are doing this as a more acceptable "alternative" to traditional practices in the field. I think you have a jaundiced opinion of the worth of all this apparent effort and I think you are entitled to your opinion. Personally I think there is a lot of window dressing going on in the corridors of power. But I would rather see money go in this direction than many multiples of it going to rescue failed banks.

As regards the hard core mental health services themselves I do not think they are underfunded. I think that the service providers will get what they ask for. So-called mental health is seen as a good cause and is probably the last in the queue for budgetary cuts.

I do not think that these two apparently separate areas of expenditure are like two bubbles connected by a tube so that as one grows bigger the other grows smaller.