#HeadlineTherapy Hundreds of Royal Mail staff quitting each week under new efficiency plans.

Thanks to Colletta Smith and Elaine Doran and BBC News Online for the Headline.

There are two sides to every story, Royal Mail Management are firm in their belief that they are doing the right thing and introducing working methods that will bring more efficiency Apparently it is code named DM26.

In truth I think I paid £1.36 to send a letter first class, and actually the local post office in a big Supermarket is always very friendly and efficient. However, I only send letters once in a blue moon and restrict myself to close family when it comes to Christmas Cards.

So I’m sad to see that the Communication Workers Union say that on a weekly basis a significant number of the 83,000 workforce of Royal Mail delivery workers are leaving, because their job is becoming more and more difficult with the priorities of making first class letter deliveries every day , whereas second class are now delivered every other day, and they’ve got to fit in parcels too.

An average of 25,000 steps a day to deliver mail is for some a great way to stay fit, but for some it will wear them out. Also , some are upset because they say that first class letters get left behind because they need to catch up on all the second class that they have got behind on. Actually it seems a bit daft, if they all arrive at the sorting office together , why not just deliver them. I thought all the sorting was automated anyway.

Ofcom have fined Royal Mail more than £37million over the last three years for missing delivery targets. I wonder what happened to that money? Actually I think anyone who criticises Royal Mail should have to do 25,000 steps a day and see how they like it.

And now with the advent of Christmas , which is a terrible time for posties, the weather is bad , everything has to be delivered in time for Christmas and people still forget to put their Post Codes on their addresses. Royal Mail recruit about 22,000 temporary staff to help out, but it’s still a pretty tough time to try and hit targets.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading. 🙏

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#HeadlineTherapy Stoma-friendly toilets introduced in hospitals

Thanks to Holly Phillips and BBC News Online for the Headline

This headline helped answer a very important question ,what do people with Stoma bags need when they are out and about and need to access Public Toilets ? According to Colostomy UK there are more than 200,000 people in the UK living with a stoma.

A campaigner in East Yorkshire has successfully achieved her goal for more Stoma friendly toilets in the local hospitals, where shelves and mirrors have been installed in the facilities as well as coat hooks and a disposable waste system. This is to enable a change of bag when needed.

These are not expensive alterations, and could be accommodated Nationwide and even Globally.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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#HeadlineTherapy Council invites ideas for ‘underused’ seafront site.

Thanks to Joshua Askew and BBC Online News for the Headline.

Thanet District Council has a Car Park which is on the seafront of the Marina Esplanade in Ramsgate, a prime seaside location.They are looking for ideas from developers to utilise the land more creatively to get the maximum benefit for local taxpayers as well as creating a “wonderful seafront location”.

How exciting, to be in right at the very beginning of the project when anything is possible.

The site is approximately one acre along the Eastern Undercliff, and forms an unbroken seafront location.

Obviously they don’t need a Car Park as it’s not being used as much as the Council would like. So the usual options are shops, a hotel or sports and leisure spaces.

I suppose it has to be something that people both locals and visitors use and will provide an economic boost to the area.

Ideas please to Thanet Council.

#Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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Carlos Alcaraz

Daily writing prompt
Which celebrity would you love to meet, and what would you talk about?

Carlos Alcaraz and I would sit down together and have tea,

Because I wanted to practise my Spanish really,

I’d make certain I didn’t bore him and would make him smile with my pronounciation,

And of course I’d ask him where he likes to vacation,

For tennis players are very busy,

The speed he would talk would make me feel quite dizzy,

I’d tell him I really thought he was the best,

And apart from Nadal he was ahead of the rest,

It didn’t matter if he sometimes got beat,

Because as a tenista he is complete!

Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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#HeadlineTherapy Housing industry experts call for the amended Renter’s Rights Act

Thank you to Helen Gregory and LandlordZone for the Headline

Facts,statistics and Lobbyists. In this particular instance an ex-Housing Minister (during Grenfell Tower Fire) who also held the post of Chief of Staff in Downing Street under PM Theresa May is leading the Prosper UK Housing Commission’s lobby to get the recently passed Parlimentary Law, the Renter’s Rights Act, changed to encourage investment in the Public Rental Supply.

The argument is that the only way to ensure rents are affordable is to ensure supply and that new landlords will not invest in property unless the conditions are right for them. The lobby is asking for a statutory exclusion preventing rent controls, backed by a ten-year agreement between ministers and the sector on rent indexation, to give investors greater certainty and clarity over future returns.

In reality they are not looking to offer “affordable rates ” but are looking to guarantee their investment and indeed control rents for ten years and then foist whatever they want on the poor renter for another ten year period. So a hike every ten years.

Whatever your thoughts on this, the professional lobbyist, particularly with the pedigree of an ex-MP who admirably managed to raise a Private Members Bill ( on Mental Health Discrimination) and successfully got it through Parliament is well placed to head this campaign.

It is just unfortunate that their career is a bit checkered by the fact that in the run up to the Grenfell disaster, they largely ignored warning from the All- Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fire Safety and Rescue chaired by David Amess MP. They were contacted seven times about the dangers of Class O fire rated materials , and received the last letter 26 days before the Grenfell Tower fire and took no action.

Whatever your thoughts on “investment properties” or how we organise Public Housing, relying on a market that is “controlled ” by Ministers and the sector rent indexation is extremely dangerous.

Perhaps for the future what people can afford to pay for decent housing needs a practical problem-solving approach not a percentage monetary gain approach.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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To be good you really must be not bad.

Daily writing prompt
What does it mean to be a good person?

To be good you really must be not bad,

Yes it’s not easy and it’s really quite sad,

It’s all a bit like a tightrope to walk,

Even the brave may gasp and baulk,

What is right ?What is wrong?

Do we need to sing another song?

Is the tune off or is it our hearing?

Are angels singing or is it the devil sneering?

So much to consider,

There really isn’t time to dither,

Still to live our best lives is all you can do,

If you do harm it will come back to you.

But that’s not definite perhaps it’s more of a wish,

It’s like a chef serving up the perfect dish,

Which on the plate looks perfect and clean,

But with the ingredients they’ve been really mean,

Aiming high can lead to a fall,

I’m sure it has happened to us all,

So don’t worry about the latest fad,

Just be grateful you can be not bad.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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#HeadlineTherapy Ex-Grenfell housing chief no longer at Barnet Council

Thanks to Ayshea Buksh and BBC News Online for the Headline.

“Barnet” Homes is a Company owned by Barnet Council in London. They appointed the ex-Director of Housing who was in post at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea when the Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people in June 2017. During the public inquiry into the disaster it was stated by her when giving evidence about what she would have done differently “if only we had more due diligence in relation to the cladding that was placed on the tower”

Barnet Homes is an arm’s-length management organisation (Almo) responsible for managing more than 14,000 council-owned properties in the north London borough. Why do we need (Almo’s) are these a council thing?

Barnet Council employed the ex-Director as she was the best candidate for the job, and of course all these decisions are confidential for the benefit of the candidate, she joined Barnet Homes in 2024 and was appointed to a senior role earlier this year.

She is no longer in post as the Metropolitan Police announced recently it had referred 54 individuals and 20 Companies and organisations to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as part of it’s investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire. I don’t know if the two are related as surely the CPS are the ones who decide if there is sufficient evidence to prosecute.

It’s one example( apparently there are more) where despite a high-profile Public Inquiry and much discussion and identification about what went wrong that caused the horrific fire at Grenfell that the findings are not considered when making appointments to jobs with similar responsibilities.

It does seem strange that Barnet Housing weren’t aware of the details of the Public Inquiry, and the possibility of legal proceedings. It does make me think that perhaps interviewers need to have a broader perspective and sensitivities to those who may have lost loved ones in high profile disasters that their candidates have admitted that their due diligence was not sufficient prior to the disaster.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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Mine used to be overflowing until I learned a simple rule.

What’s a country that’s at the top of your bucket list?

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The problem with a bucket is it can be half- empty or half- full,

Mine use to be overflowing until I learned a simple rule, 

Edit , revise and compromise and you’ll begin to see the truth,

 Travel is something to be done in your youth, 

Inconvenience , Challenge and Bad Hygiene,

Are reasons enough for me to vent my spleen,

Countries are fine and dandy there are so many,

But I don’t have to pass an exam in any, 

So a gentle amble across any border is as much as I will do,

Back in time for tea and toast and to have a chat with you.

Namaste , Thank You for Reading.

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First Google what SEO means.

Daily writing prompt
What are your strategies for SEO?

First Google what SEO means,

OK is it a can of worms or a can of beans?

Neither worms don’t have strategies,

And to give them a website would be a tease,

All about manure and digestise,

So lets get back to the task in hand,

The aim is to join a merry Band,

Who want to optimise their customer reach,

Search Engine Opitimisation is the juicy peach,

There’s a lot of things you’ve got to do,

Of course you can use your AI tool,

To get it right will take some time,

So make sure what your saying is fine,

For without the content you are wasting your time.

Illustration labeled “SEO WORM” and “SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION,” with text including “DATA DIGGING,” “KEYWORD HARVESTING,” “KEYWORD RESEARCH,” “BACKLINKS,” “CONTENT STRATEGY,” “META TAGS,” “TRAFFIC,” “ANALYTICS,” “SERP,” “SERP TAGS,” “RANKING,” and “TRAFFIC BUILDING.”
A colorful cartoon worm explores the key concepts behind search engine optimization.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading🙏

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#HeadlineTherapy New passport rules implemented at Gatwick Airport eGates

Thanks to Macaully Moffat and the Argus for the Headline.

Passengers arriving at Gatwick Airport can now pass through the eGates without showing their passports. This is because facial recognition cameras are in place and can even be used by children aged 8 and over making it easier for whole families to go through as long as they don’t have toddlers or babies.

The director of Border Force is very happy as it speeds up the process of people going through the gates as well as maintaining Security.

Under the new process passengers will have their photo taken at the eGate, they system will then compare the live image to official records , allowing entry without the need to show their passport. Though it is recommended that they carry their passport with them and be ready to show it if necessary.

The new system is part of wider efforts to modernise the UK border, as outlined in the government’s Immigration White Paper. ( Sorry must have missed that one).

Other recent updates include the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)scheme which helps officials identify potential security risks before travel.( I wonder how many people work in that department?)

Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

Child holding passport at eGate marked UK/EU/EEA Passports Only; nearby signs read All Passports and Departures.
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