On the ward at the hospital. Art group going well. Nurse comes up and says that the patients would like to do some Christmassy stuff in the coming weeks, and she's made a list: paper chains, Christmas tree decorations, and can the cookery group make mince pies? Great stuff. I think up a few things of my own, too, and visualise a really fun display where the patients can participate, with all the benefits which this entails; and can see the results of their labours, with all the positive self-esteem which this entails; and all the team work which will really help them when they go back into the community. Lovely jubbly.
Had meeting this morning with Head of Nursing Staff, who wanted to know our ideas for stuff we could do on the wards. When I raise the above, she responds ' I'm not a party pooper, but' ... (had you noticed that when people say things like 'I'm not a stupid w****r, but ...' THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE BEING?) Health and Safety won't allow that ... burble ... burble ... mutter ... mutter. I'm waiting to hear back what won't be allowed by this dysfunctional organisation which has banned more activities than the Taliban ...
In the meantime, I've a good mind to get the patients to paint on the wall something along the lines of 'I hope you like this colourful display because that's all you're getting in the way of Christmas cheer because of the painful jobsworths at the HSE'. I can see that some of the patients would probably enjoy the activity.
Ok, now who do you think REALLY has the mental health problem here?
P.S. It's not me, now I've got that out of my system!
8 comments:
I'm all about giving them buckets of paint and letting them throw it on the walls if they want to. Someone decided to play god and dictate their own personal version of sanity. People can be so uptight. Wow thats a word I haven't used in decades.
Ooh - now that's a thought ...
Wow...are they afraid they'd get papercuts from making streamers?!
Ridiculous, I hate all this health and safety stuff.
A charity shop wouldnt sell Toby knitting needles cos of 'health and safety' the other week!!
Yep, we're not allowed to sell knitting needles in our place either in case the local vagrants use them to stab us. Seriously, they're very strict on it.
The more independent charity shops will though, some even sell knives.
Sometimes the rules make sense, but mostly they're just daft
It's not the HSE to blame - it's the litigatious society that is building here in the UK - everyone is out to make a claim against someone, so organisations are just watching their backs - it can be very expensive! If everyone out there just watched out for themsleves and were careful and learned from their mistakes that lead to injury instead of looking for someone to sue then there wouldn't be this problem!
Sorry - rant over - I just get sick of the HSE or Health & Safty professionals getting blamed all the time ...
I do apologise if I've offended you. Perish the thought that I should use my own blog to express my own thoughts!
By the way, I'd have much more sympathy if I hadn't had a HSE official telling me to take down the pictures in my art room - this was when I was a full time art teacher - on the grounds that they were a fire risk!
Health and safety seems to of gone into over load. You can't do anything fun, I think its a secret ploy. Sounds a great job though.
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