UKC

Surprised there has been no conspiracy theory mooted on UKC regarding this. Interesting case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/07/03/kids-company-camila-batmanghelid...

In reply to Greenbanks:

I'm also surprised there has been little comment, conspiratorial or otherwise.

Has there been a conspiracy? Or just bad judgement? It's widely reported that Cameron was "mesmerised" by Batmanghelidjh and over-ruled officials who raised concerns. Today he defended the government’s decision to give Kids Company £3m.

Cameron wasn't the only person taken in by Batmanghelidjh - Alan Yentob, Gordon Brown, Coldplay - because she is said to be 'compelling' and 'charismatic'. I don't see it myself - she comes across as in denial, a near-hysteric question-dodging bully, evasive and bombastic by turns. But maybe she's more compelling one-to-one than in a radio or television studio.

In reply to Sceptical Bastard:

I think you have just defined 'charismatic'.

In reply to Greenbanks:

If they wanted a picture to illustrate the entry for "couldnae run a tuppeny menage" in the Scots dictionary it would be a toss-up between Mrs Batman and the idiot who gave her 3 million quid a week before she went bust.

In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:

Or...."coudnae fkin run, a chip shop queue"...

In reply to Greenbanks:

Know little about this charity but it seems very odd to me that such an organisation should have a hot line to the cabinet office.........

In reply to Sceptical Bastard:




When you say....'taken in by'...what do you mean?
I met her about 12 years ago, we were both speaking at a conference and i had lunch with her. I didn't find her mesmerising or anything unusual. It was early days for Kids Company at the time. She was a bit unconventional i'd say but not in a dodgy way.
It's a shame to hear whats happened as they were doing good work with some tough groups of kids.....mostly north london gangs if i remember accurately.

I can't see where its all gone wrong from what is reported....certainly a failure of governance by the look of it but i suspect they have just got too big.

I've sen this increasingly in the market principle of commissioning services by CCG's and Social Care....charities undercut statutory services but then fail on issues such as safeguarding and governance.

In reply to Greenbanks:

I met her some years ago when Victoria Climbie was being discussed. I think she genuinely cares about children. I also find it interesting that she predicted this a year ago when she pointed out that the child protection in this country is crap.

"Governments put pressure on people in senior positions to shut up. I know they’ll try it with me, but luckily I don’t have any political aspirations. I’m prepared to have myself written off so long as this issue is addressed. I’m quite kamikaze about this because children deserve better."

“Social care is so snowed under in some areas they just can’t take more cases. It’s created a destructive culture. I’ve heard it from social workers, they come to see me privately, even heads of children’s services.”

Anxious she could be dismissed as “just that fruitcake saying it again”, Batmanghelidjh decided to ask a reputable think-thank to investigate. “The CSJ analysed a number of the cases we couldn’t get into the system. It was evidenced by barristers and is a very rigorous, robust independent review. So, now we have a big report coming out that social workers, mental health workers and other professionals have been whistleblowing to.”

From http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/05/21/camila-batmanghelidjh-workers-wor...

http://www.seethechild.org/find-out-more


http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/publications/enough-is-enough

I suggest people read the report before believing the spin.

In reply to Sceptical Bastard:

Have you met her?