It is a sad fact of life that there will always be a few two-faced hypocrites who one minute are slagging off CDG, the next minute hard up their arse praising them to earn themselves a few brownie points.

Only last week Alex was saying how bad CDG was, comparing them unfavourably with previous training courses.

He has been complaining that they did nothing to get him a job placement.

What therefore has he been offered to give such a rosy glow to CDG, which has little truth in it?

Or does he just like licking arses?

The fanatasy piece from Alex has to be seen as a sick joke.

Only a couple of weeks ago he was telling anyone who would listen to him how a black guy had been bullied, that CDH caused him to kick off and that their reaction was over the top.

He was complaining of bullying by the 'Scottish thug', these were his words.

He was telling every one who would listen, how bad CDG was.

He said he'd been into the Job Centre to complain about CDG.

What's going on Alex?

You have a lot of explaining to do.

On the other hand, maybe someone is taking his name in vain.

If CDG need a second chance, does that not say they got it wrong the first time?

That's the trouble with people who feed us bullhsit, they end up falling in it themselves.

Come on Alex, we all know these courses are bullshit, so why are you trying to feed us bullshit.

CDG, a4e, Working Links. They are all a scam, to line private pockeTS, get rich quick scams, big sticks to beat tHe unemployed.

It is bad enough when Daily Mail readers and Sun scum play this game. It is sick when teh unemployed beat themselves.

Dont't aplogise for the system. FIGHT IT!!!!

Some of the points raised by Alex are VERY true but you have to look at it from this perspective. If it wasn't for some parts of Keith's article then change would have never been brought around. I myself do not agree with many things he's said (Mainly about the staff) but the things he did highlight brought change and helped CDG push forward.

A very well written article Alex, CDG is FAR from perfect but in today's world what company or charity is? Let's hope for a better 2008 where things can improve and not change to 2006's CDG.

Yes, I'm talking about the people who provide the courses. Thieves who are doing bugger all to justify their cost to the tax payer.

We all know dole courses are a return on party donors' investment.

Just another way to skim money off the public purse straight into the pockets of the rich. At the very kindest they are supply of dirt cheap very temporary labour, more usually though they area just a pretext for a scam.

Once upon a time someone said to me "They're going to privatise teh dole next". And I just laughed and said "There no money in it you idiot!"

Aah. I'm eating my hat now.

"a number of staff members are looking for another job "

Shiver me timbers! The rats are leaving the sinking ship.

They are the lucky ones, they are free to leave.Not they unemployed, who are not there by choice, who have to serve their 13 week sentence. Like galley slaves, chained to the bench, they are stuck with the stinking ship.

Not nice to shit on all your mates. Judas, after he reecived his thirty pieces of silver for betraying his mates, hung himself from a tree.

Alex the only one calling someone a scottish thug is you. Knowhere in ANY of keiths report's did he call anyone a scottish thug. Those where comments made by another person. Please make sure that your sources are right in the future.

"it sadness me to have learned while this article was written that a number of staff members are looking for another job all because of what Keith Parkins has written about them and calling them names like the “Scottish thug” and “The Goth” which is discrimination in itself"

Ummm Alex just one thing calling someone a scottish thug or the goth is not discrimination.

Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice: racial discrimination; discrimination against foreigners.

DUH! So you messed that part up

As a current staff member I feel that it is important that clients are made aware that they are not fighting a one sided battle against CDG. Staff in particular are very distressed and upset by the procedures imposed by the company and the treatment by senior managers. In one centre staff have resigned due to these issues and the remainding staff have been told that there is no budget to replace them, despite CDG milking the government for millions of pounds of taxpayers money. We are a charity in name but certainly not in nature. The staff are constantly set unrealistic and unacheivable targets for getting clients into employment.

To this end staff have been told by senior managers to 'traffic light' clients, and only to work with 'green lighted' clients. The remainding clients are to be left to complete the provision and then recommended to be booked onto a further course with cdg, making the company yet more money. The reasons given for red lighting a client range from 'spent theft' to simply 'unreliable'.

Staff are constantly having to use insufficient resources and space to deal with clients, eaning they have no chance of delivering the contract that is given to them by the job centre and ultimately the government.

To summarise staff feel undervalued and poorly supported, be assured clients, you are not alone!

I have to admit to being perplexed and somewhat at a loss by the article by 'Alex', as is everyone esle who I have spoken to.

If 'Alex' is to be believed (assuming it be he and someone is not masquerading as he), then all is sweetness and light at CDG, everything that has been written about them is a pack of lies, and the sun always shines out of his arse.

In conversation with myself and other, and in e-mails, he has been one of their strongest critics, and these were not minor gripes, these were legitimate criticisms of what was wrong. At one point he was even claiming to be talking to his lawyers.

Only recently in conversation with a couple of us he claimed that his father had called the Job Centre to ask was what had been written about CDG true, and to be told by his Job Adviser, yes.

He claims to have complained many times to his Job Centre that CDG was bad. Only recently, one of the guys off the course was in the Job Centre and saw him in the Job Centre complaining about CDG.

What therefore has brought about this 180 degree about turn change of face? Can it be true, that CDG. as many people are saying, that CDG has offered him something? Placement on a 13 week carers course?

Or maybe he is just a habitual liar and nothing he says can be believed.

CDG Basingstoke has not been, as falsely claimed by 'Alex'

'the subject of a cruel and heartless campaign designed to intermediate and harass the staff, the centre and the clients that are there'

There has though been detailed comments and exposure of many of the abuses taking place at CDG.

'Alex' claims things have improved, though you will have to look very hard to find out exactly what, other than minor cosmetic changes, and would even these have taken place had CDG not been subject to close scrutiny, with even Job Centres now starting to ask questions?

One of these so-called 'improvements' is apparently a course to be run by the "Scottish thug" (his words not mine), to teach people how to open an e-mail account and how to use it.

It may be news to 'Alex', but it does not take a course. I have shown many people, and it has taken all of a few minutes.

Or is 'Alex' implying that the tutor needs this amount of time because he is not up to the job, or that the clients at CDG are thick?

It is good news that clients now only have to apply for 2 jobs not 4 jobs every day, but contrary to the false claim by 'Alex', clients were told that they had to apply for at least 4 jobs every day, and if they did not, that they faced sanctions of benefits being stopped for up to 26 weeks for non-compliance.

This was contrary to any instructions from Job Centres, contrary to legislation, contrary to Job Seekers Agreements that have been signed.

The net result was that clients were playing a numbers game, applying for any job, to meet their daily quota.

DWP issue guidelines to CDG. Why do they not issue these guidelines to their clients? What are they trying to hide?

Staff have not been abused, though there has been widespread bullying and intimidation of clients by staff. Low staff morale long predates any criticism on Indymedia UK or elsewhere. One only has to look at the high staff turnover. Two members of staff left not long before Christmas. And according to 'Alex', all the staff of a year ago are no longer there.

The staff though at least have a choice, they can leave, a choice not open to clients for whom attendance is mandatory and failure to attend will result in loss of benefit.

Do the tutors who 'Alex' is suddenly in such awe, hold teaching certificates, if not, why not, as they could not teach in a school or college without? Or is it a case of nothing but third rate being good enough for the unemployed?

That is not to say there are a few members of staff who do not try very hard. They do, but they in turn get absoulutey no support from CDG. The others are rubbish, the are not up to the job, cannot cope, and make up for it by abusing and intimidating the clients.

Up until very recently, 'Alex' was saying the companies that held the training contract before CDG did a better job, now he is saying the contrary.

'Alex' ends his opinionated piece by saying that CDG 'should have a second chance'. Why? If they had done nothing wrong, why do the need a second chance!

More and more politicians and political commentators are now criticising New Deal and calling for the funding to be stopped, and at the very least, some accountable. A look at the raw statistics and it can seen that New Deal has been an unmitigated failure and a waste of public funds. The only beneficiaries being the companies that run them, the unemployed as usual getting the bum end of the deal.

Take a look inside CDG, and it is easy to see why.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/390638.html

Wake up 'Alex', all you are to CDG is a 'milche cow', to be squeezed for every penny of profit they can get out of you, that is why American companies are now eying this highly lucrative market.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/390290.html?c=on#comments
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/390346.html?c=on#comments

So much for your article, it's done nothing but bring people togother to show everyone the truth about this company. Repent CDG and you might just save yourself.

Nos es unus

I understand with all comments with this article at first I thought CDG Basingstoke were changing for the better but now it is more of the same so I have come to show my decision with this article that I have written.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392830.html

I have reconsidered my view of CDG and now I think they are very bad and should be shut down.

I have written a revised article

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/394982.html

The comments on my revised article by a CDG employee, only goes to show how bad they are.

They did nothing for me or anyone else, other than makes lots of threats and make our lives a misery.

More on CDG lies

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/394933.html