“What
are they talking about? They’ve been in there for ages”,
hissed
Janice to Vinney.
“Relax
Janice. Richard and Sarah often have long supervision sessions,”
reassured Vinney.
“Well,
the kids will be home from school soon, so we’d better clear
away our tea cups and start thinking about dinner and the evening
activities.”
“Hang
on; the office door is opening,” whispered
Vinney, who was not as laid back about things as he wished to appear.
Sarah
and Richard emerged from the office, both looking grim.
Sarah
barely responded to Richard as he said good bye.
“You
look awful, Sarah”, said
Vinney. “Have you had some bad news?”
“You’d
better come into the office a minute, Vinney”, she
replied.
Sarah
closed the office door firmly behind Vinney and used the well-worn
phrase that precedes bad news, “Sit down “.
“What
is it. Sarah? What has Richard told you that is so upsetting?”
“We’re
closing, Vinney”, Sarah
gasped, tears forming in her eyes.
“We’re
what?” asked
Vinney incredulously.
“Did
you say we are closing, …. you mean Bluebrick?”
“What
the hell do think I meant? Yes, they are going to close Bluebrick!”
snapped
Sarah, now full of anger.
“But
why? We are full. Our last inspection report was good. The kids are
doing well. Why should they close us?”
“”Don’t
you think I’ve been asking that swine Richard those self-same
questions for the last two hours?”
“And
what did he say? ….I just don’t understand”.
“No,
Vinney, and nor do |I,” answered
Sarah, visibly trying to recompose herself.
“He
said that the Borough has got to make savings in next year’s
budget and that the only way for this to be done is close two children’s
homes and hive off all the adult homes to the private sector”.
“My
God, just like that?”
“Yes,
just like that”.
“And
the fact that this home has been here for 50 or more years, in one
shape or form, and is now the home of six young people, counts for
nothing?” shouted
Vinney.
“Seemingly
not”.
“So
when is all this supposed to happen?”
“Next
March, before the end of the financial year”.
“But
what about the kids? What’s going to happen to them?”
“Richard
has it all worked out. Jilly and Dwain are due to move on in the next
couple of months anyway. We are still working on getting Nickki home
by Christmas and hoping to find families for Abdul and Gary, and Angi
will just have to move on to another placement.”
“And
bingo, that’s it. All our years of working at creating a caring
professional environment and a real home base for the kids, not mention
a well trained and motivated staff. All that to be thrown down the
pan just to balance the Council books? No wonder this country is in
a mess”.
“They
are all my feelings and more, Vinney, but we have got to stay cool
now for the sake of the kids and the staff team”, urged
Sarah.
“But,
Sarah, aren’t we going to fight it?”
“I
agree we should check out what we could do to get the decision cancelled,
but we have also got to prepare for the worst”.
“So
what happens now? Do we tell the staff and kids?”
“Richard
is coming to the staff meeting on Wednesday and is bringing Councillor
Sharp, the Vice-Chair of the Department with him. We will have to
wait till then before we tell anyone”, replied
Sarah, firmly.
“I’m
not sure I can still carry on as normal, not with this news hanging
over my head”
“You
have to Vinney, just as I have to. There will be the statutory consultation
period; that’s when we can explore options. We can’t burden
the kids with the news until we are certain it is definitely going
to happen”
Just
then there was a sharp knock on the door.
“Oh,
see who that is, Vinney”.
“Sorry
to interrupt you folks, but Jilly says she left her gym card in here
and she needs it soon as she is off to aerobics,” said
Janice.
“Yes,
it in here somewhere”, answered
Sarah, opening a drawer in her desk.
“Me
and Vinney are just finishing anyhow, just been arranging some items
for the staff meeting.”
“I
hope you don’t mind me asking, but is something wrong?”
“Well,
there are some issues around, but we will address them in the staff
meeting”, responded
Vinney.
“Where’s
my bloody pass, Janice? I’m not going if you can’t find
it. You lot are useless, always losing my stuff”,
shouted Jilly angrily.
“This
place stinks” added
Gary, who was in a bad mood because his school day had not gone well.
“Why
do you say that, Gary?” asked
Janice.
“’Cos
it does”.
“Yer,
the staff are always bossing us around, the food is rubbish and you
won’t get the internet back on just because my chat room went
wobbly”, grumbled
Dwain.
“Are
you lot saying you want to move to another home?” said
Janice.
“What
do you mean, another home?” snapped
Jilly. “This is our home in’it?”
