Credit where credit’s due. I think Andy Burnham got this one right
Baroness Casey’s interest, determination and push have convinced me this Government is genuinely willing to make a real effort on dementia and care.
I have always believed in giving credit where credit is due, and this is credit earned.
Homelessness has long concerned me. A dear friend from my NUS days, Leslie Morphy, was chief executive of Crisis for years, and I have seen first hand what committed leadership in this sector can achieve.
Rough sleeping is one of the cruellest aspects of homelessness.
When Andy Burnham announced that ending it by Christmas was a new priority for Greater Manchester, I was delighted.
Not just because of the initiative itself, but because he acknowledged government could not do this alone.
He wanted to work with the voluntary sector, faith groups and charities, and that partnership is the right instinct.
I did a lot in support of Crisis at Christmas, which offers homeless people a hot meal and vital advice on housing and work.
I was drawn into it by the then Chairman of NatWest, Bob Alexander, an acquaintance and a big supporter of the cause.
That approach, Government working hand in hand with charities and volunteers, is in my view the best way forward in dealing with many of society’s ills.
It reminds me of David Cameron’s Big Society initiative, which I told him at the time he should have stuck with and pushed further.
History may yet prove him right to have started it, even if he did not see it through.
Recognising and supporting the hundreds of thousands of people who give their time to help others and support their chosen causes is a sure-fire strategy for improving society.
Mr Burnham seems a committed convert to this thinking, so hurrah to that.
But credit where it’s due must be matched by honesty where it’s needed.
The Winter Fuel Allowance is back in the news, and applying for any of the benefits to which you are entitled can be a nightmare for those of us living with dementia.
Forms that assume clarity of memory, patience with bureaucracy and confidence with paperwork are not fit for purpose for this group.
Making that process easier should be every bit as much a priority as the warm words about care.
Good intentions need simple systems behind them. Government should deliver both.