IS IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN BACK THE TIDE?

According to legend, King Canute put his throne on the beach and commanded the tide to halt and not wet his feet and robes; but the tide failed to stop. Canute leapt backwards and said “Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings”.

Canute was an especially powerful and successful king (simultaneously King of England, Norway, Denmark and parts of Sweden for almost 20 years) but even he knew there were some things he couldn’t do. For officers in local government, the tidal wave of demand hitting them from vulnerable adults and children must sometimes make them feel like King Canute.

It isn’t as if central government is helping much to reduce the financial burden – Directors of Adult Social Care don’t expect the DH Green Paper on Adult Social Care (whilst welcome) to lead to anything significant for a few years at least; meanwhile DCSF is ratcheting up the pressure on Directors of Children’s Services to eliminate risk to the point where the number of care proceedings are now at record levels – leading to ever more costs in future.

Click on link below to read full perspective.

Efficiency in adults and chidlren’s services