0:00:02 > 0:00:06Did you know that where you live dictates what you get?
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Even one side of the street can be completely different to another
0:00:09 > 0:00:13because every part of our lives is affected by a line on a map
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and a few letters and numbers.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Well, I'm here to get you a better deal
0:00:18 > 0:00:22and to reveal what is really going on in the postcode lottery.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24'And in today's programme,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'we reveal the startling story of the homecare postcode lottery.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:32She said, "I don't think you fulfil the criteria for care any more
0:00:32 > 0:00:35"and we're cutting it out."
0:00:35 > 0:00:39'We lift the lid on the adoption postcode lottery.'
0:00:39 > 0:00:42I'd actually contacted one of the authorities and was really put off.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'And caught in a trap.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49'The real truth about the speed camera postcode lottery.'
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Well, I have heard that sometimes speed cameras
0:00:51 > 0:00:53are not actually plugged in.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55It's a bluff, isn't it? People see it and think,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58"There's a speed camera," and slow down.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And it's...it's not working at all.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Are you going to be a winner in the postcode lottery?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Well, I'm here to help you get the right number.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Hello. My Postcode Lottery team and I have been roaming the country
0:01:26 > 0:01:29to find you the most ridiculous and inexplicable decisions
0:01:29 > 0:01:33taken about our lives based purely on where we live.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38And today we're going to be bringing you news stories from BH11, Poole in Dorset,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41to LL15, Clocaenog in North Wales.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46'But first, a postcode lottery story that drives us all to distraction.'
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Speed cameras.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Probably the source of more heated argument and discussions
0:01:51 > 0:01:54than football, religion and politics put together.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Love or hate them, but ignore them at your peril.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00And in the postcode lottery of life, guess what?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I'm about to put fuel on the fire by telling you all is not fair
0:02:03 > 0:02:05when it comes to cars and speeding.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07We're off to Poole in Dorset
0:02:07 > 0:02:12and the capital of Wales to see what a difference a place makes.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Speed cameras have been dividing public opinion ever since
0:02:15 > 0:02:19they were first introduced onto our roads in 1992.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Whilst most of us see them as a necessary safety measure,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28there are those of us who believe they are just a cheap and easy way to make money.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34Pointing to the fact that they rake in a staggering £100 million a year.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39But is it true that whether or not you're nicked by one of these
0:02:39 > 0:02:42little flashers is a postcode lottery?
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Well, the bare statistics seem to indicate that it is!
0:02:45 > 0:02:46And by way of illustration,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50let me tell you the story of two yellow boxes.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53One in Poole in Dorset and the other in a busy suburb of Cardiff.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58They are the hit and the miss of the speed camera world.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04First, the hit.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Next time you're pootling around Poole in Dorset, beware,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10because Poole is home to a speed camera
0:03:10 > 0:03:12that's now a bit of a celebrity.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16That's because it's one of the most lucrative cameras in the UK,
0:03:16 > 0:03:22pulling in an unbelievable £1.3 million a year, all on its own.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24That's almost four grand a day.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27No wonder so many people describe this camera
0:03:27 > 0:03:29on Holes Bay Road as a cash cow.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31But do the locals give it the green light?
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Speed cameras are a waste of time.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36If people are going to speed, they're going to speed,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38no matter what's there.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I see a speed camera coming up, I slow down.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43As soon as I'm past it, I speed back up. Simple as that.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44I think speed cameras save lives
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and if people do something wrong, they should be punished for it.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50As I'm a lorry driver, it's my livelihood.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I think they cause more problems than what they're worth.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Well, you may well think that. And I couldn't possibly comment.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01So, let's head 130 miles west, under the national speed limit,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03of course, to the capital of Wales.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07In Cardiff, there's a camera that has become celebrated
0:04:07 > 0:04:09for a very different reason.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13It is, officially, the camera at the bottom of the ticket table.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18This speed camera on Rhiwbina Hill was dubbed the most useless
0:04:18 > 0:04:21speed camera in Britain by none other than the Daily Mail
0:04:21 > 0:04:22after it was revealed
0:04:22 > 0:04:25that only one person was nicked speeding through it
0:04:25 > 0:04:28during the whole of last year.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31But hold your horses a minute.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Surely the Daily Mail has got this the wrong way round?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38If the whole point of a speed camera is to act as a deterrent
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and stop drivers speeding, then, surely,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44this humble little Cardiff camera has been doing an incredible job
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and must be the most successful speed cam in the UK.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50But don't just take my word for it,
0:04:50 > 0:04:55let's ask the one fella undeterred enough to get nicked by it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I drive that way every day.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And I suppose one day, not concentrating, and, yes,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I was doing 34, 35 and I got done there.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07I am very unlucky, aren't I? But, you know, it's fair enough.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10There's a speed limit there, it's there for a reason.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Wasn't concentrating, missed it and, yep, I got done.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15So, it was a fair cop, guv,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and there's no postcode lottery when it comes to speed cameras.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22You're either caught speeding, or you're not.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27And it seems that far more people
0:05:27 > 0:05:29speed in Poole than they do in Cardiff.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32End of any so-called postcode lottery.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34In fact, end of story, really.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Or is it?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Because the people of Cardiff have another theory
0:05:41 > 0:05:42why the camera in Rhiwbina
0:05:42 > 0:05:45only caught that one absent-minded speedster.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48They reckon that most of the time it doesn't work.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55I have heard that sometimes speed cameras are not actually plugged in.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56Not in use.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59So...maybe that should be looked into.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Could be not on and it's just a bluff, isn't it?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05It could be that, you know, it's just there, people see it,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and think, "Oh, yes, there's a speed camera," and slow down.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10And it's...it's not working at all.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12'And it's not just Cardiff
0:06:12 > 0:06:16'where the urban myth of the fake speed camera exists.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19'But is there any mileage in this conspiracy theory?
0:06:19 > 0:06:21'Well, actually, there is.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25'And, what is more, it really IS a postcode lottery.
0:06:25 > 0:06:31'Last year, the consumer group Which? asked all 43 police forces in England and Wales
0:06:31 > 0:06:35'how many of their fixed speed cameras were operational at any given time.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'And the gobsmacking answer was...
0:06:38 > 0:06:42'that less than half of all speed cameras are actually working.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'Just 44.7%, to be precise.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52'The rest are either broken, out of film or simply switched off.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56'But that catch-all figure hides the real postcode lottery
0:06:56 > 0:06:59'that whether or not you get nicked by a speed camera
0:06:59 > 0:07:03'really does have more to do with where you live than how you drive.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05'Because these non-operational cameras
0:07:05 > 0:07:08'are not spread equally across all the forces.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14'So, if you're an unrepentant little boy racer hoping to dodge
0:07:14 > 0:07:17'three points and a statutory 60 quid fine,
0:07:17 > 0:07:18'then listen carefully now.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'You might want to avoid lead-footing it through
0:07:22 > 0:07:27'West Mercia, Cumbria or Sussex because 100% of their speed cameras
0:07:27 > 0:07:31'are fully operational, 100% of the time.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34'Though you could consider chancing your arm around London,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'Leicestershire or Gwent,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38'where there's a 50-50 chance
0:07:38 > 0:07:41'of any camera you flash by flashing you back.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46'But if you really want a home run in the speed cam postcode lottery,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49'try any one of these three places -
0:07:49 > 0:07:50'Derbyshire,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54'where only 12% of their 117 speed cameras are ever operational,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56'Thames Valley,
0:07:56 > 0:08:01'where only 12% of their 238 cameras are fully functional,
0:08:01 > 0:08:02'or Staffordshire,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06'where only one in 10 of its 263 speed cameras is ever working.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10'Finally, the Cardiff conspirators could well have been right,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14'because although they wouldn't reveal which camera did and didn't work,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18'South Wales Police admitted that only 40% of their 97 speed cameras
0:08:18 > 0:08:21'were fully functioning flashers.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26'So, if you find yourself gambling with the Rhiwbina Hill speed camera,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28'you might strike it lucky.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33'Just don't ask that guy who did get nicked for his lottery numbers.'
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It's been called the epidemic of the 21st century.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46And it's a disease that terrifies all of us.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Alzheimer's.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51There are currently three quarters of a million people in the UK
0:08:51 > 0:08:54suffering from dementia and that figure is set to double,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56maybe even triple in the next 25 years.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03'Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's is vital
0:09:03 > 0:09:07'as there are a range of treatments that at the very least
0:09:07 > 0:09:09'can help slow down the disease's progress.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12'But we discovered that access to this vital early diagnosis
0:09:12 > 0:09:16'varies frighteningly from health authority to health authority.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19'And that an Alzheimer's sufferer's immediate
0:09:19 > 0:09:22'and future treatment could be seriously affected
0:09:22 > 0:09:24'just by their postcode.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26'We're off to north-west England
0:09:26 > 0:09:30'to tell you about this alarming postcode lottery.'
0:09:30 > 0:09:35THEY SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'And a happy birthday it is to Heather Roberts.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42'Bright and fun-loving at first sight, Heather, 57,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45'is the last person you would think has been affected by Alzheimer's.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50'But a few years ago, she started to notice some memory loss.'
0:09:50 > 0:09:53'I was working as a teacher at the time at college,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55'professional,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59'very confident, used to going out on my own, sorting things,'
0:09:59 > 0:10:01'out there and doing it.'
0:10:01 > 0:10:02The crunch came one day
0:10:02 > 0:10:06when I turned up at work expecting to give a lecture to a load of 18-year-olds,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09only to find that I'd got the wrong time, the wrong day,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12the wrong place, and everything else was wrong.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13'And I couldn't understand it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17'And it was then when I started to pursue this a little bit further,'
0:10:17 > 0:10:20because of course I've had family connections -
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I've had a grandmother that was senile,
0:10:23 > 0:10:24which we now know is dementia.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26And my dad had vascular dementia.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Which is caused by a series of mini-strokes.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31So I knew what I was looking at.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And as time went on, I became more convinced that this is why
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I was struggling with numbers, I didn't know where I was,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I kept getting lost.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Memories would trick me and play me up.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And I was generally confused.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48That wasn't me at all, I'm not normally like that.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Why has it suddenly started?
0:10:50 > 0:10:55'At this point, Heather consulted her GP about her fears
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'and was referred to a neurologist for assessment.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'It was the start of a long three-year battle
0:11:02 > 0:11:05'to get a clear diagnosis for her condition,
0:11:05 > 0:11:10'during which time Heather became a victim of the Alzheimer's diagnosis postcode lottery.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15'In March last year, Tesco, the Alzheimer's Society
0:11:15 > 0:11:18'and Alzheimer's Scotland produced Mapping The Dementia Gap,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22'a report that highlighted the postcode lottery
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'in the critical early diagnosis of dementia.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29'Using established statistics and Government population estimates,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33'the report disclosed that the highest performing health authority
0:11:33 > 0:11:35'for diagnosis of dementia was Belfast
0:11:35 > 0:11:38'where 69% of sufferers had a medical diagnosis
0:11:38 > 0:11:40'for their condition.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44'At the bottom of this postcode lottery was Dorset
0:11:44 > 0:11:48'where only 26% of people believed to be suffering from dementia
0:11:48 > 0:11:50'had been medically diagnosed
0:11:50 > 0:11:54'and are therefore getting access to the treatments they require.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58'Almost slap bang in the middle of this postcode lottery
0:11:58 > 0:12:00'lay Heather's health authority.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02'Whilst Heather and her husband Dave
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'have requested we don't name their health authority,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08'they are keen for us to tell the story of their own three-year battle
0:12:08 > 0:12:11'to get Heather a clear diagnosis.'
0:12:12 > 0:12:14'I went to see a neurologist'
0:12:14 > 0:12:16and the neurologist was, well,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19you know, a bit dismissive of it.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24"Well, you know, it can't be dementia, you're far too young, and far too bright."
0:12:24 > 0:12:28OK, well, what is it, if it isn't dementia, what is it?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30"Well, I don't know."
0:12:30 > 0:12:33They faffed backwards and forwards, and time went on.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37He did start me off on some very extensive tests that were done
0:12:37 > 0:12:40from the specialised Memory Department
0:12:40 > 0:12:43but these tests can only be done once every 12 months
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and you need three, apparently, to be able to show
0:12:46 > 0:12:48any indication of what's wrong,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51so, you know, I was looking at the long haul here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56'The postcode lottery that Heather unwittingly found herself trapped in
0:12:56 > 0:12:59'revolved around the fact that there is no unified code of practice
0:12:59 > 0:13:04'when it comes to diagnosing dementia in the UK.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08'Every local health authority, every NHS surgery,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11'every GP is left to their own devices.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15'And whether or not they allocated the necessary funding and resources
0:13:15 > 0:13:20'to achieve successful early diagnosis is entirely at their discretion.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23'Heather was certainly a victim of this postcode lottery
0:13:23 > 0:13:25'when she and her husband Dave
0:13:25 > 0:13:29'were forced to wait three years for a diagnosis.'
0:13:29 > 0:13:31'Our journey to diagnosis was...
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'..long and arduous, is the best way to describe it.'
0:13:36 > 0:13:37It IS a postcode lottery
0:13:37 > 0:13:43because you're at the mercy of the attitude of individuals within the system, whether they will...
0:13:43 > 0:13:46listen to you, whether they've had experience of people like you
0:13:46 > 0:13:50before or not, and recognise what's in front of them.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55'Time went on and I just didn't get any better.'
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And my GP was very supportive, he was very good,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01but the neurologist was really a waste of space.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Complete and utter waste of space.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06And as for being able to see a psychogeriatrician,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10you weren't allowed to see them. Which I thought was a bit odd.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Surely, if you're looking at the possibility of dementia,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15you should see somebody who specialises in it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19No, you're not allowed to see them until you've got some sort of result.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23'Not only was Heather denied access to a specialist psychogeriatrician,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25'but throughout her struggle,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'she was wrongly being prescribed drugs for depression.'
0:14:28 > 0:14:30'The neurologist kept saying,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'"Well, no, you're still far too young and far too bright,"
0:14:33 > 0:14:36'and you know, "Have an antidepressant."
0:14:36 > 0:14:39'No. "Well, try this antidepressant." No.'
0:14:39 > 0:14:42I don't want antidepressants, I'm not depressed.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43'"Oh, well try this one."
0:14:43 > 0:14:46'He got really quite insistent and I think...
0:14:46 > 0:14:50'I think we had seven in total and none of them did me any good,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52'of course, they made me feel dreadful.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Heather and Dave kept requesting an appointment
0:14:55 > 0:14:57with a psychogeriatrician.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00After three years, that persistence finally paid off.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06'Eventually, I did get an appointment to see the psychogeriatrician.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:08I did the third load of tests
0:15:08 > 0:15:11and when I went back to see the psychogeriatrician,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14it was like somebody had flipped a switch.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17"Oh yes," he said, "there's a significant deterioration.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19"I think it's probably Alzheimer's.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21"Here's the drugs, we'll see you again in six months."
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Heather's Alzheimer's diagnosis
0:15:25 > 0:15:29didn't signal an end to her active life. Quite the opposite, in fact.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Now that she was on the correct medication,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33her life was transformed.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Amazingly, within a couple of months, I'd started to pick up again
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and I found that life was not quite normal,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43but I can still play a game of tennis.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- Did you win the first point? - Don't ask me.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I can't score any more because I'm just hopeless at it.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53I lose the ability to be able to score,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55so I let somebody else do that.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00The diagnosis also took all of the uncertainty away from their lives.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Heather and Dave can plan clearly for the future
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and can now enjoy the present.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09With me and my husband, we've changed our lives around completely.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13He's taken redundancy and early retirement
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and we spend our days doing the things that are important to us.
0:16:16 > 0:16:22That was the flats we visited where that old guy lived
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and that was the kitchen.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25I vaguely remember that.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28We're trying to get some travelling while I'm still well enough,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30see a bit of the world.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34You have to think that I have been given a terminal diagnosis
0:16:34 > 0:16:39but we just don't know when at the moment, so time is of essence.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Use the time now, use it properly.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46But after three wasted years chasing a proper diagnosis,
0:16:46 > 0:16:51are Heather and Dave bitter about the Alzheimer's postcode lottery?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53I don't think we're bitter.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58I think disappointed,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02that a disease that's going to affect one in three people
0:17:02 > 0:17:09in this country is so poorly recognised and so poorly dealt with.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14I feel sad for those people who're trapped,
0:17:14 > 0:17:21feeling afraid, confused about what's happening to them
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and why nobody is taking any real notice.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Family, friends, professionals,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33it must be a very, very lonely place for them to be.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36You need to know, so if you've got a problem,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39keep pursuing it, keep pushing.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Eventually somebody will give you some help somewhere.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Don't be afraid to ask.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Don't be afraid to tell them what your fears are,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50because somebody should listen somewhere.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Every day this week, we've brought you a bite-size list
0:17:58 > 0:18:01of postcode lottery fame and shame,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03you know, winners and losers.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07And our next short is just the ticket to drive you mad.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16The parking meter has just celebrated its 75th anniversary,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18but I don't think many people join the party for that one.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22A recent survey revealed
0:18:22 > 0:18:26an on-street parking prices postcode lottery in our big cities.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28And here, in reverse order,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32are the top five costliest cities to feed the meter.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38At five, there's a tie between Manchester and Stoke.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Both of them charging £2.20 per hour
0:18:41 > 0:18:43for you to park on their city streets.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49At three, it's Glasgow, where every hour will set you back £2.40.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53At number two, it's Leeds,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57where you'll be rinsed to the tune of £2.60 per hour.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58But the runaway winner
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and by far the most expensive place to park in the UK,
0:19:02 > 0:19:07is the place where the streets could easily afford to be paved with gold.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Westminster, London,
0:19:09 > 0:19:14where every hour will knock you back a whopping £4.40.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15Quid's in.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Here's a personal question for you.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28I'll try and keep it as clean as possible.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Have you ever been out in the town centre,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33need a lav and can't find one?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Well you're not alone, because up and down the country,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38is becoming increasingly difficult to spend a penny.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Finding a public convenience
0:19:40 > 0:19:45is rarer than finding an honest politician in Parliament.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46I am busting.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53In the past 10 years, 40% of our public toilets have been closed
0:19:53 > 0:19:57and there are now fewer functioning rest rooms in our towns and villages
0:19:57 > 0:20:00than at any time since the Victorian era.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05This has led to a cross-country postcode lottery of convenience inconvenience.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11For instance, in Edinburgh, 50% of public toilets are being shut.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13In Manchester city centre,
0:20:13 > 0:20:18where once there were 18 glistening public loos, now there is just one.
0:20:18 > 0:20:24And in Shrewsbury, every single public loo has gone down the pan.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26These councils are just taking the urinals.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Well, the fightback against the system has already started
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and we're travelling to Llansannan in North Wales
0:20:34 > 0:20:36to learn a sanitary lesson for us all.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39MALE VOICE CHOIR SINGS
0:20:47 > 0:20:50The beautiful North Wales village of Llansannan.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54It's got a lovely pub, a quaint village post office
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and an ancient and historic church.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00It used to have a public convenience as well,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04but that became a victim of the postcode lottery and vandals.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08These toilets at one stage were the most vandalised toilets
0:21:08 > 0:21:11in the whole of the County of Conwy.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14It was costing the local authority a lot of money to tidy them up
0:21:14 > 0:21:17and put washbasins back on the wall and stuff like that.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19And in these penny-pinching times,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22the local council were faced with a tough decision.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Could they still afford to splash out
0:21:25 > 0:21:28on the upkeep of Llansannan's public convenience?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The running costs for public toilets
0:21:31 > 0:21:32is absolutely enormous
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and for Llansannan,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36the rates and the running costs
0:21:36 > 0:21:38would be many, many thousands.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42We quickly found out, as councillors,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46that the funding was not available and we had to look at the reality
0:21:46 > 0:21:50of the situation and the reality was closures.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53The consequences for the villagers young and old
0:21:53 > 0:21:56were immediate and severe.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00In the church especially, we have visiting vicars who are retired.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It was a terrible thing when they wanted to run to the toilet
0:22:02 > 0:22:04and they had to go behind the church.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It is a huge problem for all kinds of people.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Tourists, visitors, workers, whatever.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15But the inconvenienced folk of Llansannan
0:22:15 > 0:22:19weren't going to take the loss of them loo sitting down.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22They formed a crack toilet brigade of volunteers
0:22:22 > 0:22:25who banded together to resurrect their local lav.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Found many volunteers through lots of the work.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36One man, a retired builder, he took over charge
0:22:36 > 0:22:40of overseeing that the toilets were brought up to a standard.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45What was encouraging was everybody was prepared to help.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Mr Jones did the painting and tiling inside.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51We all pitched in, it was lots of hard work but it was worth it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Jackie at the Red Lion is invaluable with the cleaning.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58It's a dirty job but somebody had to do it.
0:22:58 > 0:23:04And so, what was once a bashed up bog, is now a five-star convenience.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Almost a home from home.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08A complete toilet makeover
0:23:08 > 0:23:13and the locals are quite rightly flushed with their success.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Well, yes we are quite proud, really.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Not that we stand in front every day and beam at people passing by.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23We've had someone leave a note in the ladies toilet,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25"What beautiful toilets, thank you," and signed.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29And once again, loyal customers are also pouring back in.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34I was in dire need and I came to visit the toilets
0:23:34 > 0:23:36and it's a pleasure to use them, I have to say.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39It makes our lives a lot more comfortable and pleasant.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43I use them quite regularly and it is nice to go in.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Lovely, aren't they? Really lovely.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The local council are also mightily relieved
0:23:49 > 0:23:51that the toilet is now open again.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55It is being used by youngsters, people a little bit older,
0:23:55 > 0:24:00people who are coming into Llansannan and people who live in Llansannan.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03This is a massive success
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and it's very much the first of its type in Conwy.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And a final grave warning to anyone foolish enough
0:24:11 > 0:24:13to think of coming to the village
0:24:13 > 0:24:15with any unclean thoughts towards the toilet.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20Should any be so stupid as to put any graffiti on there,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24I think they would be hanged in public in this square in Llansannan.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Anyone passing through
0:24:26 > 0:24:30desiring to use the convenience for the right purpose
0:24:30 > 0:24:34will be welcomed with open arms and an open public toilets.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39If your local public convenience looks like it's going down the pan,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42why don't you take a leaf out of Llansannan loo roll
0:24:42 > 0:24:44and contact your local council,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47because you too might be flushed with success
0:24:47 > 0:24:49if you can overturn the decision.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Trust me, I did not write these lines and I'm not happy.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Get my agent on the phone.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06As a nation, one of the biggest challenges we face
0:25:06 > 0:25:09is how to look after a growing ageing population
0:25:09 > 0:25:12with care and dignity. It's the Government's policy
0:25:12 > 0:25:15to let the elderly live in their own homes for as long as possible.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And it's the local authority's responsibility to make this happen
0:25:19 > 0:25:23with a range of homecare services. But, as the story of Mick Crompton,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27a 73-year-old disabled man living on his own reveals,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30whether or not you get those homecare services
0:25:30 > 0:25:32is a postcode lottery nightmare.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37We're travelling to Sutton in Surrey to bring you Mick's story.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41First thing you're aware of every morning when you get up is pain.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43It's very hard to move.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46It's osteoporosis and osteoarthritis,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51and unfortunately it's centred round the hip joint.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56People don't realise the impact, being disabled,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59there's so many ramifications.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04Even simple things what you take for granted, they're not there.
0:26:04 > 0:26:11When people have things like this, they tend to think "Why me?"
0:26:11 > 0:26:15I think the short answer to that is because we're here.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18If we weren't here, we couldn't suffer on this earth, you know.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Mick's limited mobility and low income mean that even simple tasks
0:26:23 > 0:26:27like washing his clothes are a major undertaking.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Basic living, keeping clean, shopping, eating
0:26:31 > 0:26:34take up all of his time and energy.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37But things weren't always so difficult for Mick.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Until the spring of 2010, Mick's local council, Sutton Borough,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43provided him with homecare.
0:26:43 > 0:26:49With his homecare needs classified as substantial,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Mick was given one and a half hours of home support each week.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56It was all incremental, the care.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you know, it was a routine.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06The home help allowed Mick some quality of life, but his condition
0:27:06 > 0:27:10was continuing to deteriorate, so he asked Sutton Borough council
0:27:10 > 0:27:13to review his case to see if he might be able
0:27:13 > 0:27:15to get a bit more help.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20But, like a modern day Oliver Twist, when Mick asked for more,
0:27:20 > 0:27:21he was in for a nasty surprise.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25I shouldn't have said nothing.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30She said, "I don't think you fulfil the criteria for care anymore,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34"and we're cutting it out." And they gave me a fortnight.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So that was it. I was just cast adrift.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42All of Mick's homecare was withdrawn by Sutton Borough Council,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44but he's not alone in being a victim
0:27:44 > 0:27:48of a national homecare postcode lottery.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51In England, when assessing someone's homecare needs,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54all councils use the Department for Health's guidelines.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58There are four categories that qualify for help, from critical,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01for those needing most support,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05through to substantial, moderate and low. If a council assesses someone
0:28:05 > 0:28:08as critical, they have to offer homecare.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12But if someone is assessed as being substantial, moderate or low,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16it is entirely up to that council what help they offer.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18So, yes, you've guessed it.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22It's led to a postcode lottery that sees only one council,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Sunderland, offering help in all four categories.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Every other council picks and chooses which category
0:28:28 > 0:28:31they will support, or, in the case of Sutton,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33they even make up new ones.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39When Mick asked Sutton to review his case, they reassessed him as
0:28:39 > 0:28:43low moderate, a category that not only doesn't qualify for home help
0:28:43 > 0:28:48in Sutton, but doesn't appear to exist in any other English council.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Mick contacted Douglas Joy, a disability rights lawyer,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56to help fight his case.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02When Douglas looked into Mick's case, he decided the council's
0:29:02 > 0:29:06actions merited the attention of the local government ombudsman.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10The ombudsman asked the council to reconsider their decision.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Douglas also contacted the council,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15and we asked him to visit Mick with an update.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19- Michael, very nice to meet you, finally.- Likewise, genuinely.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22After such a long time.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23Right.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26So, from the tone of the ombudsman's letter to Sutton,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30which I've seen, I think it's quite encouraging
0:29:30 > 0:29:33because they've invited Sutton to change their actions
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- and to actually support you. - It's putting them on the spot.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Very much so, and they've actually invited them, they've said,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44if you change your actions now and reinstate care,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46we will stop investigating.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49As well as revealing that the council had made up
0:29:49 > 0:29:53that "low moderate" category into which Mick was reassigned,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Douglas made another discovery.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59In correspondence from the local authority,
0:29:59 > 0:30:03they have acknowledged that someone
0:30:03 > 0:30:06conducted an assessment upon Mr Crompton
0:30:06 > 0:30:09that wasn't appropriately qualified.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12They have acknowledged that themselves.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Following that revelation, the Postcode Lottery team decided
0:30:16 > 0:30:20to bring in Sandra Knox, an independent and fully qualified
0:30:20 > 0:30:24social worker, to carry out another assessment of Mick's needs.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Mr Crompton, I'm Sandra Knox, I'm an independent social worker.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30- Good morning.- Good morning.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33I've been a social worker for 23 years.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38- My God, so you've some experience then?- Just a little bit, Mick.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40What did you do before you retired?
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Everything.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46Been a miner, a soldier, I write poetry.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- I won't let you read it though. - Why not?- Bit risque, some of it.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52OK, then, I won't read it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58What is your normal day? You get up in the morning...
0:30:58 > 0:31:03how d'you manage to wash and dress and shave and do your hair?
0:31:03 > 0:31:09I have a strip-wash in a bucket for basic hygiene.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16I'm clean. No, I'm a very, you know, I'm a very clean animal, I am.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20So then, you have your breakfast?
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- I only eat one meal a day?- Do you?
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Cos I can't run it off me. Yeah, I'm not obsessed with food.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28How many visitors do you get in a week?
0:31:30 > 0:31:38Well, on an average week, I would say one visitor.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44What we need to establish is you're not managing.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- No, I'm not.- Right.- You know, I'm not a whinger, Mandy,
0:31:48 > 0:31:56and I'm not somebody who'll want to get something that I don't need.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57I do everything by the book.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Because of his mobility and because of his illness,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05he experiences a lot of pain.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08I believe he does need some support. It'd be imperative to have
0:32:08 > 0:32:11somebody to help him clean.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15It would be imperative for him to have someone to help him
0:32:15 > 0:32:17get fresh food in the house.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23I think local authorities are looking at resources
0:32:23 > 0:32:25rather than the duty of care.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28And that can't be right.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30It is a postcode lottery.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It means, wherever you live, you'll either get the best,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36the worst or most mediocre service.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Social services have an agenda to cut money and councils,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42every council's cash-strapped.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47Um...so, people like me just have to get on the best way you can.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50They just abandon you, that's it.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54Not quite. Thanks to Douglas, Sandra and the Postcode Lottery team,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Sutton Borough Council have decided to overturn their decision
0:32:58 > 0:32:59to withdraw homecare help for Mick.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02And when we contacted Sutton Council,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05they asked to read out a written statement.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Sutton Council is sorry that Mr Crompton has been
0:33:07 > 0:33:11living in poor conditions, and we can't undo what has happened.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13As soon as we learnt of the situation,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16we meet every effort to visit and assess him.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Once Mr Crompton allowed us into his flat, things got better quickly.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Some very positive steps have been agreed with Mr Crompton
0:33:24 > 0:33:25to improve the way he's living.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30Those positive steps include reinstating Mick's home help,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33offering him additional hours of support,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and clearing, cleaning, repairing, and refurbishing his flat.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Meanwhile, the council refute
0:33:39 > 0:33:43that Mick's situation was caused by cuts.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47The assessment that removed Mr Crompton's entitlement to social care services
0:33:47 > 0:33:50had nothing to do with budget cuts.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54We are all very pleased with the progress now being made,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56and this means a lot to me.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00Helping people like Mr Crompton is what makes my job worthwhile.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04It's a real triumph for people power and common sense
0:34:04 > 0:34:07in the fight against the postcode lotteries.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Time for another example from the postcode lottery list of fame and shame.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21This time, it's the winners and losers in the funeral game.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25As the old saying goes, nothing is certain but death and taxes.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29But, whilst we all have to pay out to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33how many of us can actually afford to die?
0:34:33 > 0:34:38Because, according to a recent survey of funeral homes across the UK,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41the price we pay for our final farewell
0:34:41 > 0:34:44is a right old postcode lottery.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Based on a quote for a standard funeral with cremation, and one limousine,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52here's what you can expect to pay when you pop it according to your postcode.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56In reverse order, the most expensive places in Britain
0:34:56 > 0:34:59to shuffle off this mortal coil are...
0:34:59 > 0:35:01At number three, Bournemouth.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06Where an all-in funeral, cremation, and limousine by the seaside
0:35:06 > 0:35:10will set you back £3,635.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13At number two, it's Harrow, on the outskirts of London,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16with charges totalling £3,814.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21And in at number one, we're heading north of the border to Glasgow,
0:35:21 > 0:35:28where a basic funeral can set you back £4,199.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33An awful lot of wonga for a do you'll never get to enjoy yourself.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38And the cheapest towns to pop it are, in reverse order...
0:35:38 > 0:35:40At number three, Ipswich in East Anglia,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43where your funeral, cremation, and limousine package
0:35:43 > 0:35:49will send you off at a not unreasonable £2,104.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52At number two, Stoke-on-Trent in the Potteries,
0:35:52 > 0:35:57where they'll pot you and plot to you for just £2,029.
0:35:57 > 0:36:03But at number one, and the cheapest place to get a funeral in the UK,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06is the South Wales valleys town of Merthyr Tydfil,
0:36:06 > 0:36:12where they'll see you off in style, for a very reasonable £1,959.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Now, isn't that just typical? The postcode lottery -
0:36:15 > 0:36:18it will still get you even when you're gone.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Here's some figures that surprised and shocked me
0:36:29 > 0:36:30when I first heard them.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34In 2010, the number of children in care across the UK
0:36:34 > 0:36:37rose by 9% to over 65,000.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Now, whilst the main preference is to put these kids back with their parents,
0:36:41 > 0:36:45some will go into foster care, some will go into council care,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47and others will be put up for permanent adoption.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51But here is what shocked me even more,
0:36:51 > 0:36:56in 2010, just 60 children under the age of one were adopted.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01And that's because, when it comes to something as vitally important as a child's future,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04there's a postcode lottery to mess it all up.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08At the end of last year, the Government published a league table
0:37:08 > 0:37:12showing adoption rates in authorities across England.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14In the high achievers bracket,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Hartlepool managed to successfully place 95% of the children
0:37:18 > 0:37:22put up for adoption in their authority within 12 months.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27In the same time period, South Tyneside had a 96% success rate,
0:37:27 > 0:37:32and top of the tree was York, which managed a perfect 100%.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35At the other end of the scale, within 12 months,
0:37:35 > 0:37:40Brent managed to place just 52% of their children.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Nottinghamshire placed 55%,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45but at the very bottom of the pile,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Hackney placed just 43%.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51So, why is there such a postcode lottery
0:37:51 > 0:37:52when it comes to adoption rates?
0:37:52 > 0:37:54According to the Government,
0:37:54 > 0:37:59it is because local authorities are too slow, too bureaucratic,
0:37:59 > 0:38:01and too politically correct.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04We travel to Harrow to meet a couple who found themselves
0:38:04 > 0:38:06caught in the adoption postcode lottery.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11And to learn more about a possible solution to this postcode problem.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Harrow residents Jane and Clive
0:38:14 > 0:38:18had tried for several years to start a family of their own,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20before deciding to explore adoption.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23But, like many would-be adopters,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25they were put off at the first hurdle.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27I thought about adopting,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and I had actually contacted one of the local authorities,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32but I was really put off,
0:38:32 > 0:38:39they almost made me think that unless I could take three children with severe difficulties,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41learning difficulties, or disabilities,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44that, actually, I should just go away.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47So, it wasn't made to be a really viable option.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50And then, actually, time went on, and we had our oldest son,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54and then, you know, fostering seemed to be,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57that came up as the next thing to do, really.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Having finally managed to start a family of their own,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Jane and Clive looked into fostering.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Unlike adoption, they found the criteria was much simpler,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and they have successfully fostered for five years,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12before taking in a baby girl in 2005.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15After a year, the authorities in Harrow
0:39:15 > 0:39:19decided the baby girl should be adopted along with her brother,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22who was with a foster family nearby.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25With their experience as foster parents,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Jane and Clive thought themselves perfectly placed
0:39:28 > 0:39:31to offer the girl and her brother a permanent, loving home.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35But they soon found themselves facing the bureaucratic hurdles
0:39:35 > 0:39:38of the adoption postcode lottery.
0:39:38 > 0:39:39Over the summer in 2006,
0:39:39 > 0:39:43we just came to realise that we actually needed to apply,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45it would be the right thing to do.
0:39:45 > 0:39:50So, we put a formal application in in July 2006 to adopt both of them.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Initially, the council weren't prepared to look at our application,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56because we hadn't been assessed,
0:39:56 > 0:40:00that would obviously delay the procedure for the children,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03so they wanted to follow through those avenues they already had.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07That was really hard for us, because, obviously,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10it took us a long time to decide that we would do that.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Having reached a dead end,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16Jane and Clive suddenly found their fate reversed,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19when Harrow brought in Coram,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21a children's charity with over 250 years of experience,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25to help sort out their underperforming adoption department.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30Coram immediately set about clearing a backlog of older children
0:40:30 > 0:40:32awaiting adoption in Harrow.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33Once this was cleared,
0:40:33 > 0:40:38they then began to work with the babies that were coming into the care system.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40And whilst the courts decided a baby's future,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44Coram placed it with a foster family who could then go on to adopt it,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48if the court didn't feel the child could return to its birth parents.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50As a result of this new policy,
0:40:50 > 0:40:55Jane and Clive's decision to adopt their foster child suddenly fitted the bill.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03Harrow straightaway handed our assessment procedure over to Coram,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06to do it from beginning to end, really.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09And straightaway, they were just so efficient, brilliant,
0:41:09 > 0:41:11they assigned a social worker to us.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14She came to see us and came regularly for the next few months,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17just helping with homework, and telling us what to do,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19and guiding us through the procedure.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22You know, really holding our hands, wasn't she?
0:41:22 > 0:41:23Certainly, all the way through.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Actually, without that, if we'd have been left to our own devices,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- it probably wouldn't have gone very smoothly at all.- Definitely not.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34But she came to the panel with us, came to court with us.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- She did everything with us. - She was brilliant.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Even after the adoption had gone through,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43she was still there for the children,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47she came to see us to see how they were settling in.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52This kind of partnership could work across the whole country
0:41:52 > 0:41:56to make it a quicker and fairer system for everybody.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00And to give more happy endings to this particular children's story.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Crikey, hasn't it been a week of tears and triumphs?
0:42:10 > 0:42:14But sadly, that's the end of this series of Postcode Lottery.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17We know though, that we have only just scraped the surface
0:42:17 > 0:42:20as far as postcode lottery scandals are concerned.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23If there's one thing I think we've all learned from this series,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25it's - don't let them get you down.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30We can buck the bureaucrats, and beat the postcode lottery.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd