At the time I was writing last week's piece, I didn't know whether or not I was going to die in a horrendous apocalypse. Actually, I hadn't even heard of it when I wrote last week's piece, I wrote it about 3 weeks ago. Anyway, safe in the knowledge that the world has a future, I can now end 2012 with a customary look forward to 2013. I refer to twitter again this week for a group called Community Care who were garnering thoughts from tweeters on their wish list for social care in 2013. You can go here or, if you prefer, you can read my journalistic report on the report here:

As people telling you about the budget like to say, there are winners and losers. The Government comes out very badly, with roughly a quarter of responses being critical of them in general and Michael Gove in particular. You may google him if you wish, but two tweeters at least specifically wished for 'a career ending scandal' to befall him. Certainly the prevailing view seems to be that we have a Government that doesn't care, doesn't understand and won't pay. The latter may seem the greatest crime, but really it's the former (the first one). They can't pay for everything, there's no getting away from that¹ but our delightful Prime Minister and his charming and in no way odious cabinet seem hell bent on pushing us the notion that people on benefits of any kind are spongers who ought to get a proper job. Small note: I HAVE A JOB. It doesn't pay well enough to cover my council tax. Which doesn't pay well enough to fund our local hospital properly. Bah.

Anyway, all this is at least good news for social workers. Social workers, bless them, get a generally terrible press, which we will come to in a minute. But the second highest demand was in fact for more social workers. The majority of this deeply numerically flawed survey recognise that social workers are in fact overworked and would do their job a good deal better if there were more of them to do it. Sadly, this requires money. It seems in return for doing a rotten job for which they require considerable skill, tolerance, patience and energy and for which they are routinely vilified, these wretched people require MONEY. The nerve. Anyway, next on our list:

Some people talked about more positive news. There was a suggestion for 'a balanced Daily Mail² story' (HAH!) as well as a well-informed series on BBC Radio Four and more positive stories about care. These things, of course, can be achieved without a great deal of money. I myself wished for a better network and better communication. I shall do my tiny part by continuing to witter until the Post gets tired of me, and I shall be talking about social workers in the future. I do hope I fly the flag for carers. In the meantime, and finally:

A bit of inspiration: An 'I Couldn't Care Less 2013 Wishlist'. This will, the calendar being what it is, be the last ICCL of 2012. What can I offer you next year? What have you got out of this year, if anything? I am sorry that the last question sounds like shameless self-aggrandisement (it is a bit) so forget that if you wish, but I would love (really) to know what you have found useful and what you want to see and hear next year. If anything. Silence, of course, is Golden.

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