Sunday, February 25, 2007

VICTORY FOR THE BLOG: City Council forced to stop Careline answering calls about turkeys

Liverpool city council has been forced to stop its Careline staff from answering calls about Bernard Matthew's infected turkeys.

The move followed the huge flap caused at the Municipal Buildings following our last 'Its not bootiful' post.


The council has now told the rottweiller McElhinney that specially trained social services staff should not be used to answer calls on behalf of DEFRA.


Instead, they should continue to answer calls about children at risk and the most vulnerable people.


The council are now able to truthfully deny that Careline staff are working for DEFRA.


But they WERE answering such calls - until we made it public.


Our post resulted in a flurry of activity at the MO, with leading councillors asking serious questions and worse, demanding truthful answers (!) and even the Echo motivated to make a few tentative enquiries.


But the Echo were easily fobbed off with some careful phrasing and the bureaucrats are now drawing up an unitelligible report to confuse and therefore quieten down any unruly councillors.


Meanwhile McElhinney, chief exec of Liverpool Direct Limited at MisadVenture Place, has escaped as usual with just a verbal ticking off from 'Cover Up'.


The much heralded fight with Peter Cosgrove never materialised (predictably, ed).


However, the LDL contract with DEFRA over the turkey flu outbreak in Suffolk continues (isn't that worth an Echo story then? ed) with council staff, seconded to LDL, continuing to handle calls.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does that mean my mother can now get a home help?

We can't even afford a bird for dinner let alone one that ends up sitting in a chair answering DEFRA calls, instead of sorting out my council tax paid for services!

When do the people of Liverpool get the attention of Liverpool Direct limited?
They may be a private company, but Liverpool City Council tax payers are the ones that pay the wages of these people.
I don't recall being asked would I mind if my family waited for services whilst some Surrey person moans on about Bernard Matthews!
Some one said we have enough turkeys in the council, well I say they are playing fowl!

Anonymous said...

You can never get through anyway, I had a turkey hanging on my neck trying to kill me, I phoned LDL they told me that I was in a queue! They played some nice folk music to me, but the turkey hung on with all its might gnawing at my jugular!
after half an hour I thought I would strangle the folk singer, a pleasant voice then came across the line and asked me did I want to apply for a job!
I told her get this bleedin' bird off my neck, what about DERFA they should be helping me coz McElhinney promised?
She advised me that she could no longer take my call because she was suposed to be helping a little old lady get some help as she was on the floor and had been for more than a week, apparently she was on hold listening to folk music, and that I should phone LDL!
She said it was because someone grassed them up and now the people of Liverpool knew McElhinney was stealing money again!
She also told me she was being threatened with gross misconduct if she didn't do overtime on Saturday and Sunday on the DEFRA contract, she said I wouldn't mind but I'm a vegeterian!
The turkey clung on to my throat and it was difficult to speak but I just managed to confirm I would be in work on Sunday for the contract DEFRA, they said given I had a turkey hanging from my neck, I had all the relavant skills and gave me a job!
Problem is the turkey has decided it likes working at the call centre and won't leave me alone!
Liverpool Direct Limited failed in dealing with my call!

Anonymous said...

Tony

Thanks for bringing these cheeky retrobates back into line. Its just a shame that Cover Up's loyalties lie with his mates rather than with the people who pay his salary and who he is supposed to serve.

Anonymous said...

IS THIS WHY I HAVE TO WAIT FOREVER TO GET THROUGH TO LIVERPOOL DIRECT ??

Anonymous said...

Listen here, I say, listen here boy! This aint no victory...we gotta do something. Action, I say,action!

Besides, this bird flu is giving us Chickens a bad name! Now they probably, I say probably got the Dog to do it cos he aint no bird. Not unless you can count him as a Vulture, that is. Circling high over the City of the Dead. Dead I say!

Let's face it boy, he seems to be immune from anything. Immune I say. Either that or there is just too many Chickens in the Municipal hen-house.

What we need is a Chicken Hawk! Take the Dog for a walk if ya catch...I say if ya catch my drift.

Why people is gettin so feared ah this bird flu, they start cryin' if a pigeon takes poop on their Vee-hicles. By the way, I say by the way, if you wanna take a poop on the Docs new car, he has a personalised numberplate. DOG H5N1

C'mon you Chickens, time to walk the dog or you may just be a worrying about rabies, I say rabies too! We got rid of the Hen,sure but that Dog needs puttin' down!

Here boy, i say here!!!

Anonymous said...

Maybe linking up to the BITE BACK campaign that the ECHO have, would do the trick?
Get dangerous dogs off the street.
Who will get the fine if the DOG is not put down?
B.T?
Henshaw?
Halsall?
Harrowbarrowboy?
Storey or Bradley?
Or even Cover up?

Anonymous said...

The Dog will have to go ... cold ... turkey... from ripping off LCC for LDL

Tori Blare said...

This story has really fluffed some feathers in the Council Chambers, I think we may even get a stuffing of the fowl too!

Anonymous said...

following on from this story, word on Dale Street is that because of all the fuss that was made because of the DEFRA contract and the use of council staff to answer the calls.
Macca is trying to change the partnership agreement between LDL and the council.
The bells are ringing that he wants to take out a clause that states any external business that is taken on by LDL that makes use of council staff should go through the consultation process with staff and Trade unions!
In other words he wants an agreement to do as he pleases without having to consult with or get permission from anyone!
Is this even too cheeky for the dog or what?