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We already know what life without a caretaker is like
• IT is rather surprising that the Camden councillors who are advocating the abolition of residential caretakers on council estates (Who will care? Jobs threat staff speak out, July 23) have not fully researched among those who have experienced such disasters.
We on the Haddo estate know only too well what it is like to be at the mercy of the Town Hall’s emergency services during the evenings and weekends.
For several years during the 1990s, this estate was deprived of its caretaker.
Almost immediately gangs of youngsters began to invade the stairwells, parade along the passageways, climb on the roof and, in general, make a nuisance of themselves.
In the late evening older and less sober groups took over. Nearly every night and certainly at weekends, the lifts were awash with urine.
Efforts to contact the emergency services proved almost impossible.
If one got through the ever-keen security patrols arrived at least half an hour after the trouble had subsided.
To get a lift cleaned was a rarity.
Also, the all-important liaison that existed among neighbouring caretakers in identifying troublemakers was lost, while the police made it clear that they were too busy to attend to our troubles.
Then one December the country froze as Bing Crosby warbled about the delights of a White Christmas.
As plumbing problems escalated, the emergency services broke down completely as the then chair of housing admitted.
No caretaker was available to give help or advice to tenants in distress.
Are we now to pray for global warming to reduce the risk of a repetition of such yuletides.
All of this obscures the day-to-day tasks of caretakers; the elderly who suddenly need an ambulance, the plight of those who lock themselves out, and the victims of crime who need helping.
Are these problems to be confined to the hours when the proposed cleaners might be available to render assistance or are they beyond the terms of contract of such people?
PETER RICHARDS
Highgate Road, NW5
What price public service?
• WHAT do librarians and caretakers have in common?
When it comes to Camden’s Liberal Democrats, it seems they are considered unnecessary (Cleaning ‘monopoly’ claim as firm wins estates contract and Borrowed time: jobs to go at libraries, July 23).
It is incredible that, since going into power with the Tories, the Lib Dems have abandoned any pretence about caring for public services.
While nobody expects Camden’s libraries to stay stuck in some dusty 1950s past, it isn’t surprising that the programme to modernise them hides a programme of redundancies. What isn’t clear is why modernise libraries shouldn’t be well staffed too.
We know the Lib Dems have been reducing opening hours at libraries and failing to invest in the book stock (between 2006 and 2007 more than 35,000 books in Camden libraries were sold off or thrown away by the Town Hall).
Now it seems this drive to cut provision has accelerated.
But it is no coincidence this comes at the same time as the council’s decision to privatise caretakers.
Many tenants I spoke to on estates in Kilburn, where the outsourcing was trialled, were really unhappy about the experience.
It seems the Lib Dems took little notice of their views. Caretakers don’t just keep estates tidy, they really know their patch, look out for elderly tenants and become part of the community.
How can Veolia be expected to do this?
Not content with selling off some of our council housing stock, Camden wants to worsen life on estates for the tenants that remain.
All these service cuts and privatisation is happening while £80million is left sitting in the Town Hall’s reserves.
It just demonstrates how little Camden’s Lib Dems care about public services, or estates and tenants.
MIKE KATZ
Chair, Hampstead & Kilburn Labour Party, NW6
Class thing!
• ONCE again council estates are taking the brunt of the cuts by the council’s executive.
The removal of doorstep recycling was the beginning.
Is this a class thing or what? The only reason that the tenants are in any way satisfied is thanks to the hard work of the caretakers. And what is happening to the supervisors, are they being cut back as well?
So now we have more unemployment created by these councillors.
Money, it seems, is more important than humanity and the caretakers’ facilities suffer.
ETHEL HORACEK
Camelot House, NW1
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