Oh Dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Today the British Ministry of Justice have warned Clearsprings that their £4million private contract to run bail hostels may be terminated unless they improve their procedures. As I have previously described the housing association properties that are part of the Croydon network as being "one step up from bail hostels" this is clearly directed at them. The problem is that it is only warning. This is simply not acceptable. The Croydon network have already behaved in such a way as to forfeit their right to continue operating. Therefore this is the minimum outcome that I am entitled to so is the minimum outcome that I will settle for. Issuing warnings only makes it harder for the Brits to deliver that outcome. Long term readers may remember that I had almost this exact same conversation with the Brits back in March 2008. Now we're in November 2009 they may wish to revisit that earlier decision and ask themselves if they made a good choice.

I should also tell you that my father's main source for news and current events is the letters page on ITV Teletext. Yesterday, on the subject of the Basildon hospital scandal, someone texted in and said; "What do these hospital cleaners do all day, sit around drinking coffee and playing cards?" That is exactly what my father does while claiming to be caring for my grandmother. The upshot is that since reading it my father's finally gotten up out of his chair and has started doing something vaguely resembling actual work.