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* Management consultancy and social work have not traditionally been the closest of professions but Liam Byrne's (pictured) appointment as care services minister could change matters. Speaking at Community Care LIVE last month, he treated his audience to an assortment of management buzzwords. The "direction of travel" for the sector was closer union with the NHS while "keeping our eyes on the prize" was paramount. Please clarify, Liam.

* Politics are responsible for a lot of things, but the fate of football teams has not traditionally been one of them -- except in Southampton. Speaking at Community Care LIVE last month, social services director John Beer recalled how one member of the council's Liberal Democrat administration almost came to blows with an opposition member after being told: "Things have all gone wrong since you lot were in power. We've even been relegated."

* Commission for Social Care Inspection chair Denise Platt (pictured), never a shrinking violet, is excelling herself with her willingness to have a pop at the government. Having described multiple reorganisations of social care regulation as a "farce" she proceeded to declare herself "fed up" with the Department of Health's attitude to social work. Good to see that plain speaking isn't entirely extinct.

* Members attending the British Association of Social Workers annual meeting at Community Care LIVE last month were subjected to numerous head counts to work out whether the meeting was quorate. After several attempts it was established that it was not. BASW director Ian Johnston then proceeded to discuss how the body's membership has swelled to more than 10,000. It's a shame more of them couldn't turn up to the meeting.

* Social care professionals despairing over educationalists taking most children's services directors' jobs can put aside their fears. The word is that the reign of the education director will be temporary, and the next generation of children's services leaders will come mainly from a social care background. The logic is that educationalists have been shoe-horned into children's services jobs because there is nowhere else for them to go, whereas the next batch will be chosen purely on merit.

* Send Backchat contributions to comcare.news@rbi.co.uk