Blimey. More shite from the Sloves. My big sis, Agent T, (yep, we’re all discovering skills and talents we never imagined) received a letter from the Sloves today, addressed to her but responding to the grievance of another patient. This is reminiscent of the set of Community Team Meeting minutes, covering all five patients, I received by email when LB was in the unit…

…what-effers. Yadiyawnsville. You tedious, professional (in development), Sloven basher you… 

Yep. I’m happy to assume the label of professional Sloven basher. Because they need bashing. Like other Trusts, I’m sure. (And given Norman Lamb’s completely frank account of the ‘abject failure’ of the Winterbourne View Joint (non) Improvement Plan* yesterday, I’m not sure what other options we have really).

Setting aside LB’s death (through complete indifference and disregard), we’ve had to sit through the Sloven Medical Director talk on local TV news about how the Sloves want to help us (me) move on. Move on. I don’t know how anyone can tell another person they need to ‘move on’ when someone they love beyond life itself, dies. Spoken by a representative of the organisation responsible for his death.

We’ve also listened to Katrina Percy, Chief Exec, talk bullshit about how this ‘isn’t about neglect’. I don’t want to meet KP but I’d like someone to ask her how LB drowning in the bath isn’t about neglect. About how the failings identified at STATT by the CQC, including a lack of therapeutic environment, aren’t about neglect. How ignoring staff concerns about an environment not fit for purpose at Evenlode isn’t about neglect. Etc, etc, etc. And relentless etc.

At the same time, despite (recent) assurances we’ll be kept informed of developments within Sloven Towers around the agonisingly slow process of doing anything in response to LB’s death, we know squit diddly. Agent T knows more about Mrs A’s complaint about her ******* than we know about any development in accountability for what happened to LB.

Then there’s this latest delight. An excel sheet emerging through a Freedom of Information request for all Sloven serious incidents by someone. I’ll work out how to post the full link tomorrow. In relation to LB’s death it states:

Senior management and Divisional Director informed. Police notified and attended, stated that the death appears not to be suspicious. Family notified. Parent has an academic interest in LD services and is known to the Trust – Comms made aware of potential media interest. Safeguarding notified. Incident form and IMA completed. CQC informed.

If you want to know why I’m raging and ranting about Slovenshite, it’s because even at the moment LB died (he died), their focus was on reputation. And has remained so.

* Worth flagging up here that #107days has no budget, no funding and is run solely on goodwill. An exceptional, unique celebration/critique of all stuff learning disability and broader. For free.