Tim Farron Election 2017

Good morning. Up early and active. Just doing a few activities here.

All part of what these lovely people do. We have right there. We have

Joseph. Joseph, nice to see you. What are we doing? Is that a

lighthouse? Yes. Brilliant. Fantastic work. The right colour.

Thank you. And that is... Roy, what is that? Is it a bird box? That's

right. It's fantastic. It's quite something. Have you just started

that this morning, right? You've done a lot of work. Do you want to

sit down. Shall I get some points out in case you want to paint? I

don't think I can match your prowess. It is not my talent. Roy,

are we going to use that as a bird box outside? Do you think so? It

would be quite a small bird. Tremendous. I see you've made great

progress, how long have you been out on the table? Since breakfast? I

think the last hour or so. Roy has been here for many years. About 15

years. He has a brother in America that he skates on a regular basis.

-- Skypes. We are one of the few homes in Great Britain that is

graded our standard by the Kircaldy commission. Where very proud of

that. -- Care Quality Commission. This is an example. What sort of

things have you done? A lot of it was very low cost. People think you

got to put a lot of money into these things. Actually, it was extended

into the community so it wasn't just about painting and putting iPads in

the place but it was about spreading best practice. We brought other

homes in and said this is how we do stuff. We learn from each other. The

Care Quality Commission really appreciated that. As well as IT

innovation, we have a pet cameras on the wall. We have a lot of pets

outside. We bring all the pets interfere through digitally on the

wall, or indeed physically. We have rabbits and all sorts. That's great.

So, the demographic of the residents you have here. When you came in a

year or so ago, you said Roy had been here a long time. Many others

are... Four sons inherited it some years ago when dad died. One by one,

we bought the brothers out. It is now me and my wife. It's been in the

family for a good 20 years. It was dad who extended it. He was very

much part of the furniture here. He loved the place. Great. These lovely

people. You have learning disabilities ranging from bipolar

two down syndrome. As a centre of research, we are looking at how we

can indicate better. And also in terms of how we research in terms of

dementia. Joseph's a big Tony Blair fan,

aren't you? Who do we follow? Everton. Are you Everton too? You're

surrounded, Tim. Surrounded. Are you Everton too? Everton too. Goodness

me. We do have some... Shall we say the word? Are Reds allowed in here?

Band. Completely banned. Ever heard of Blackburn Rovers? I'm labelled

with them. We were good once. You probably remember! LAUGHTER We were

once. I drove past it this morning. Best ground in the Third Division!

That's great work. That is lovely. They should all be pink. I think all

hedgehogs should be pink. Hi, Susan. That is great. A good point for

safety sake, they should all be pink. That is marvellous. We've Paul

there with his blue lighthouse. Great. Is that another Evertonian or

just happens to be blue? You were blue? Is that right? Some

brainwashing. There is a pattern going on. Is this part of the deal?

Hello. This is not a good idea. Probably not. Children and pets, was

it? I'll bring the chicken in. Best not.

Cover his ears up! This is all about pet therapy.

Do you want to hold him, Susan? Here we go. What's your favourite pet,

Roy? The chickens? Rabbits? Or fish? Both, that's a good enough answer.

It's just called rabbit! You've not got a name for him, have you? That

will do. I can't make it up. What it called? That's all right. It's

called rabbit! Easy to remember! Yeah, relatively straightforward.

Been a busy morning for you? Yeah, yeah. Been to Blackburn to do the

Today programme from the radio Lancashire studios. Started off in

the Lake District at 6.00am this morning. Edinburgh last night. Got

home to my own bed last night which was a bit of a bonus. Great. A bit

of a mad time. All fun as well. For you, you're doing these activities

early on in the day. So, what time do you begin normally? They get up,

it's their home. They get up when they want. When they feel like it.

Breakfast is served between 8.00am and 10.00am. 10.00 is mid-morning

break with activities laid on. We've entertainers that come in normally

after lunch. And further activities in the afternoon. Many of the lovely

residents will go out to either work in charity shops or they go and

volunteer or they will go to other centres where they might do some day

care activity. They then all come back. We also do a number of

different tours. We normally have a minibus outside. In for an MOT at

the moment. What do we do? The mystery tour? Mystery tour. Me and

my family take them out. Snow staff, us and the children. We take them

out in our big fun bus to a different restaurant. And we have a

great time. That's a monthly activity along with many other

activities. What's that, Roy? Lots the parties. Sound awesome. This

month, we've the care home open day on Friday 16th June which is a

national event. We, like everyone else, our doors are always open. But

on that day, we're going to welcome even more people in to celebrate.

It's really good. They all do that on the same day? Brings a lot of the

public and relatives in. It can be a lot of fun, actually. There's so

many stereotypes about the words "Care home." When you break that

stereotype down from the places where people with dim enya are being

looked after or residential or nursing, they are the most fantastic

places doing amazing jobsment here in Southport, it is one of the big

economies. Do you do music? It is a great therapy. It is. We've karaoke.

Which is most mornings here. Start early! What's your five rid song?

All of them. All of them. Fair enough. We've got a very busy month.

We've learning disabilities week, the week after. More activities

here. Again, just to invite people in so they can see what living with

learning disabilities is about. It's not what people think at all. They

realise the joy of all of these lovely people. That's what's so

special. Isn't that right, Joseph? Yes. When you're not painting

lighthouses, mystery tours and, what's that, backstage pass? It was

from the Coronation Street tour. When did you go to there? Did you

see anybody famous? Yeah. Who was that? My mate. Brilliant. He knows

all the cast! Personally. You be walked on the cobbles? Yes. Did you

go to the pub? Yes. We like a beer, don't we, Joseph? Newton Ridley, the

real brewery. Yes. A pint of Best. Excellent. Jonathan's doing a lot of

work with other organisations in Southport. That's really been quite

key. Working with an outreach programme. What kind of things? We

try to help other homes. We've got a separate business to this, a company

called Storm. We'll go into homes and assist them. We know we are a

provider of social care. We're not coming from it from a pure

consultancy point of view. We're actually doing it and we're being

regulated and are under the same pressures and scrutiny as everyone

else. You come from a position of equality. Do you help them with CQC

assessments? Yeah. They don't realise the game has changed. The

met-Ricks have changed. Now there is no excuse whatsoever where the Care

Quality Commission. You either deliver good care or you don't. If

you don't, you will be held accountable. That's entirely right.

It must be safe, a fabulous environment for anyone's parents or

a loved one to go to. We'll go in there. It's normally

inconsistencies. They don't realise in terms of due diligence when it

comes to safety, medication or activities. We assist them to

implement those systems and work with them. It is incredibly

rewarding. You're making life better for people. Recently, we stopped a

big provider here which was held in special measures. As of a few days

ago, it was taken out of special measures. It's saved jobs, people

being relow Kated and a -- relocated. And improved the life

experience of the people there. What it's all about. It is a benchmark.

There were enormous variety of accommodation. Some very, very good

and some very, very poor. Those are being driven out by the CQC process?

They are indeed. If you're bottom of the pile, or inadequate. Unless you

can turn your fortunes round very quickly, your days are numbered.

That's rightly so. If you can't deliver high quality care to these

lovely people, then this isn't the game for you. Go and do something

else. It's now for those who can aspire. Don't aim for Care Quality

Commission minimum compliance. Aim for the stars. A real vocation. At

one stage it was something, go to Southport. Buy a big house, get some

residents in and it would work out well. Now, that commercial man over

has been displaced by people coming in who really have a mission to do

things in around around care. You can see it is top down. You can see

the passion and love when you walk into a home. If it's not tired and

the paint's falling off walls and you've threat bare carpets, you're

starting to think, do they care? Is it a home. You can see it. As soon

as you walk into a home you can feel the love and see how people are

being looked after. That's what's so rewarding. Isn't that right, mate?

Yes. Why did you decide to come here this morning? It is great to see the

work care homes like this do. Particularly for a part of society

that perhaps isn't always catered for in a bespoke way. Those who are

older people, who have learning difficulties, it is a reminder of

how important social care is as an issue in this election. The quality

of care provided here is outstanding. It isn't everywhere.

Let's remember, the majority of people who are working in our care

sector are being paid not much more than the minimum wage. They do it

essentially out of compassion and great love and dedication but it is

not the career it should be. That's why our investment, 1p on income tax

and social care gives us the opportunity to invest properly. Not

doing it through the cruel manner through dementia tax like Theresa

May is planning. This isn't just dementia? That's right. People have

dubbed this the dementia taxment that doesn't tell you the whole

picture. People who have a long-term condition of any kind. MS, other

things as well, often younger people could find themselves in a situation

where their home is at risk. Therefore the home of their loved

ones to pay for their care. That is cruel, it is poorly thought out.

It's heartless. We're being told by Theresa May, give me a landslide on

Thursday and I'll tell you how much of your home you can keep some time

in the future. That's not a deal anybody should accept. By backing

the Liberal Democrats on Thursday, you can send a strong message that

trees' may does not have permission to bring in the dim ex-attacks. As

of recent events, security is right at the top of everybody's minds,

isn't it? Given what we now know, that the police did know quite a lot

about at least one of the attackers involved in London, why do you think

that it wasn't able to be stopped? Well, it's important not to jump to

conclusions. It's also important to recognise what lessons we can learn

both from the outrage in Manchester and the outrage in London just a few

days ago, is that it's not that the police and security services don't

have the powers that they need. It may well be about resources. We know

in man man, the murderer there was reported on five separate occasions

by the local community. We know one of the killers from Saturday night

was also somebody known to the awe authoritities. It is not that we

don't have the ability to track or detain people. It's quite likely

because of cuts made in police and intelligence services over the

years, we don't have enough pairs of hands or eyes to be able to track

people and bring them to justice. The most obvious way to cure that is

reverse the cuts made, particularly in policing under Theresa May's time

as Home Secretary and Prime Minister. And to invest as we say,

?300 million every year in more police, a stronger police force, and

therefore keeping us all safe. What it not also be an obvious way to

make things safe to role back on Government surveillances, what you

suggest in the manifesto? We've seen in the response of Governments is a

knee jerk introduction of new legislation. Since the year 2,000,

we've had a new piece of anti-terrorism legislation, some

form of control act every two years. That hasn't made us any safer. It's

allowed politicians to look like they're doing something. What we

really need to do is not restrict people's freedom so much as invest

in our police and security services. All the evidence shows that's how we

keep ourselves safe. Not politicians talking tough. In reality acting

weak. Control orders, may well have helped to keep a tab on certain

people. You guys have to water that down? Control orders were a great

example of a policy that sounded tough and in practice just didn't

work. One of those things Tony Blair came up with because it looked good

in a news interview and made good and attractive legislation to keep

people happy for a while. When it came down to, it simply didn't work.

They were constantly being overturned. That's why when in

coalition we brought in T Pimm's a far more effective way of

controlling people and restricting their movement. It is not that the

security services don't have enough you Pokers, it is that they don't

have enough resources. Politicians should stop constantly legislating

about our freedoms and instead do something to protect all of our

security and do what the Liberal Democrats are saying, put the extra

?300 million every year into policing, strengthen our security

services. They know best how to keep us safe. Not the politicians the

Is there a number of police you have in mind? We propose to give the ?300

million and allowed chief constables to make the decisions about how they

allocate those resources locally. Nice to see you. Are you one of the

many Everton fans? Who do you support? Liverpool. At last. They've

left one in. I'm a Blackburn Rovers fan. We had Kenny Dalglish. He won

the league for you and for us. I'm called Tim. What have you been doing

this morning so far? Painting. Excellent. Have you been working

with the bird boxes here? Yes. Really great. How long have you

lived here? 13 years. Great. Are they a good family who look after

you? It was good to meet you. I think we are going to move on and do

something else. Nice to meet you. All the best. Good luck in the

Champions League. Welcome to book talk. Throughout

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