The SLCNG Conference 2010

I have just returned from, what we thought was a very good SLCNG Conference this year.

Good, because it was well attended by enthusiastic delegates keen to participate, many of whom use Caseworks. Two of our customers where up for awards. Congratulations to Amanda Fulcher from East Durham Homes and Vickie King-Lowe from Gloucester City Homes for making the effort, sadly neither won the award for which they were nominated.

Good, also because the Conference was very informative. We heard a speech from the new Crime Prevention Minister, which went some way to answer the questions which most of us must have had about the future of Anti Social Behaviour Legislation in this country. I think that there was some re assurance that, while there might be a bonfire of the old tools, there will be new powers to deal with ASB and during this period of consultation and review we were not expected to give up on the current legislation. I was slightly surprised by how long this process of review was going to take. We were told that we are currently in informal consultation, formal consultation would start in the new year, and primary legislation would not be put before the House until the middle of next year, and this might take a further 12 months to become law. A long time to wait, and, of course, what wasn't mentioned was that during this time Local Authorities, the Police, the Home Office and Voluntary bodies are all being scaled back substantially. All families with children are going to be put under greater financial stress, parents who are looking after them are going to be compelled to get full time work and youth facilities are going to be under financial pressure, doubtless many will close.

The obvious concern to me is, that the knowledge that the main piece of legislation - the ASBO - will probably be scrapped, will undermine those working in ASB and their attempts to retain the resources they currently have. I also feel constantly uneasy about the assertions from ministers that ASB is a crime, when some is, but some is not. I fear for the re-definition of ASB and the elimination of large elements of it from the realm of requiring intervention.

Moving on, I also attended a Workshop on Domestic Violence - the MARAC process - hosted by delegates from the Peabody Trust which was excellent, and informed me about further enhancements to make to the DV Module.

Finally, I must say that the venue was excellent, and the interest in HUBSolutions was impressive, the more so because everyone was a bit depressed about the economic situation. And on that note, the distribution of Inside Housing with a headline about the death of Social Housing did seem to create an atmosphere of "we are all in this together ... fighting the forces of darkness".

For those who came to our stand and socialised or made enquiries, many thanks. For those who didnt see our newly revamped stand, this is our picture of it.