tasha1

Thanks for the link JohnL. This is fantastic. The waiting list for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are currently 12 months and to have a drop in service is excellent. The one in Lambeth works incredibly well. Please remember that people with mental health conditions are 4 times more likely to be a victim of crime, not a perpetrator. We are also talking low level mental health issues. Why would constant security guards be required for a service that promotes health to our young people?

As a Probation officer myself, working with young people who are involved in crime, using the term 'delinquent' is not very helpful. You will find people involved in crime will not usually target people or properties right next to where they are getting support. At a guess, we have many people who offend in our community and we are none the wiser.

Judging my the scars on the guys face, I don't think he has always got away unscathed tbh

I've now reported it.

Thanks Goldilocks, I will do. I did think of doing that at the time but apart from invading my personal space, he didn't commit a crime. Like you say though, it'll give the police more of a picture.

Think I met this chap while waiting for a bus by Tesco Express next to the Rye this morning. He was on the opposite side of the road, saw me and crossed over. He was right in my face and told me I 'owed him'. I responded I didn't and had nothing to give him. I tried to move away but he was really invading my personal space. He did then move away but stayed close and just kept staring at me. it was slightly unnerving

Just has Steve come round to fix my washing machine. I've used him before and as usual, he was prompt, knowledgeable and solved the issue quickly.

i got Brad's contact details from the forum and he (and Michael) have just painted my flat. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Their attention to detail is second to none, really lovely guys and true professionals.

It can be especially scary going for a job interview when you've been out of the work place for some time. Remember it's ok to utilise your life experiences, as well as previous work experiences. Interviewers usually like interviewees to demonstrtae skills by providing examples. If you can't think of a work one, try and think of one in your personal life, such as if asked for an example Of strategies you've used to manage challenging behaviour, you will likely to have experienced this in your every day life. What skills did you use to calm things. Be familiar with the job description and personal specification and as said above, think what you can bring to the job and team. Good luck1

I asked them last week if their online booking works (as whenever I try, it says this isn't available). I was told they release online bookings at 10am each day. I've been at the practice for 52 years and I've never known it this difficult to get a non emergency appointment. I find it especially frustrating when they text to ask you to make an appointment following tests but it's impossible to actually get seen!

Apologies for my previous post. I clinked on the link in the hope it was going to be something really helpful.

My mother has Alzheimer's. It's an awful awful disease and not something to be made light of.

I would imagine that the travellers are not solely responsible for the fly tipping. I remember when travellers based themselves at Peckham Rye Park a year or so ago, some people were quick to blame them for all the rubbish. However, it transpired that others outside the travelling community, took advantage and dumped van loads of their own rubbish.

My son has just spent a year in Hove. It's pretty expensive to rent (?850 for 1 bed). He and his girlfriend really enjoyed it initially and his girlfriend is in the arts industry and lots of opportunities. My son had a lovely cycle to work along the beach front ( although the weather rusted his bike prematurely during the winter months). They decided they missed greenery though as there is very little in Brighton and Hove themselves. They've just made a move up to Leeds as they realised they'd rather countryside. My sister in law lives in Brighton and has a young child and is extremely happy. Again, it's pricey though.

my children's school asked for higher GSCE results for external 6th form applicants. Three of my children remained at their school for 6th form. One of them really wished he'd gone elsewhere, despite doing well atA/Level. He just wished he'd had a fresh beginning. My youngest went to a 6th form college and I'm wishing she hadn't. Nothing wrong with the college but they are huge and the children are meant to be able to manage themselves and their work a lot more independnatly than we experienced with school 6th form. Although the pastoral care is good, it's much easier to be lost and not picked up so easily. I'd say it very much depends on your child and their personality.

Hi AM. I've PMd you

Thank you. That looks perfect for her

Thank you so much. Really helpful suggestions and very much appreciated

Thank you. I'm not sure how I missed that. There aren't any choirs or book groups advertised but I'll phone them for more information

Thank you. I'll look into those

I'm not sure if this is the correct section to post this, so apologies if it's wrong. I would really welcome some advice regarding dementia friendly groups in or around ED. My 76 year old mother is planning on moving in with me in the next couple of months. She has Alzheimer's, with her main presenting problems being language ( finding her words etc). She does have some symptoms of dementia. However, she still functions extremely well, has a positive attitude to life and wants to keep her mind and body as active as possible. She currently lives in Islington where services are incredible. She has amazing support and is very active in a dementia friendly choir and book group. She still attends a book group she's been in for years. They are friends of hers and very understanding but she's finding that group a bit too difficult now. She is an alto singer (non professional) and has only just had to leave her regular choir as she could no longer keep up. Although services and access to groups are excellently in Islington, she's adamant that she wants to move in with me while she will still be able to create an active and positive life for herself this side of the river. I've spent ages googling comparable groups in and around ED and come up blank. I would be so grateful if anyone has any knowledge of groups etc in the area as I don't want her to make the move and for her to find there's nothing appropriate for her to participate in. Many thanks

This happened to my elderly neighbour's a couple of years ago. A guy turned up at their door, stating his garden backed onto theirs, a problem with the 'joint'sewer and job would cost ?5000 which they had to pay half. My neighbour's are pretty savvy but were convinced by their story. I only found out after they had already parted with ?2000 and the con men came and demanded more. My neighbour was still convinced the story was true but didn't know how to raise the money. I knew it wasn't, as our sewers run into the road and not our gardens and I went to the address the guy stated he lived at. Of course he didn't live there so when they phoned again, demanding money, I took the call and they soon disconnected. Th police were brilliant but said this was a well known scam. The scammers either watch roads and identify where the elderly live (as they are easier to scam) or they look at the electoral register to check ages of occupants and target accordingly. Absolutely sickening

Adam has also done quite a bit of work in my garden. My neighbour recommended him to me. Adam's great, punctual, thorough and knows his stuff. It's really lovely to see someone with such passion and being able to follow his dream. I have no hesitation in recommending Adam.

I totally agree. The absolute devastation caused is immeasurable and for what? One point I was trying to make is that the perpetrators (probably a better word than client group) often lack any kind of remorse for their actions and it's still beyond my comprehension how callous they come across. Yes, probably 99 percent of people I've supervised have had truely awful childhoods but as already pointed out, the majority of people who experience equally awful childhoods, do not behave in a violent manner and a traumatic upbringing is not an excuse for violence. Another point I was trying to make is that, when the perpetrators of these awful attacks are caught (and sooner the better), they will be 'locked up' and rightly so. The difficulty for services is that they cannot arrest someone for what they are deemed to be capbbale of doing to someone at some point in their lives. They can only be picked up and removed from society once they have committed an offence. If police believe or have intelligence, they can of course stop and search for weapons or if the person has made threats etc. It's exceedingly difficult to identify and preempt someone's behaviour. Perpetrators don't factor in sentencing guidelines. They don't stop and think of the consequences for the victim, family or indeed for themselve because my experience has shown me that they don't care or do a damm good job of pretending, as well as believing they won't get caught. I've had people identified as a real concern and the police cannot do anything on hearsay or gut feeling. I don't know what the answer is but locking everyone up (and im not sure how it would be determined who gets locked up) isn't practically feasible. I think its tragic that some individuals have no regard for human life. Last point is that perpetrators who commit the most hineous of crimes, such as murder, attempted murder, extremely rarely have committed such offences before and rarely do again (please don't shoot the messanger as this is fact) and therefore, again makes it very difficult for services within the criminal justice system to preempt and prevent.