Regular readers will perhaps find it ironic that Wednesday's General Purposes Committee will be considering reports from Cara Davani, Director of Human Resources at Brent Council, on Equalities Strategy and Equalities Policy.
Brent Council has taken no action regarding Cara Davani's role in the Employment Tribunal's finding that Brent Council discriminated against an employee on grounds of race and was responsible for victimisation and constructive dismissal. They again failed to take action a second time when the Tribunal found no grounds for the Appeal that Brent Council launched.
The last General Purposes Committee heard a report from Cllr Michael Pavey on his inquiry into the role each person had in Brent Council 'to make it the best possible place to work' - not an inquiry into the Human Resources department as such. LINK
The latest argument I have heard regarding the lack of action is that this is not a matter for councillors but for Christine Gilbert, Acting Chief Executive Officer.
The General Purposes Committee consists of the Cabinet minus Cllr Mashari, plus Cllr Kansagra, leader of the official Conservative opposition. Consideration of thr Equalities issue would perhaps carry more weight and be more robust if some Cabinet members stepped aside in favour of substitutes who are members of the BAME community.
The Agenda blurb on the Equalities Strategy says:
Brent Council has taken no action regarding Cara Davani's role in the Employment Tribunal's finding that Brent Council discriminated against an employee on grounds of race and was responsible for victimisation and constructive dismissal. They again failed to take action a second time when the Tribunal found no grounds for the Appeal that Brent Council launched.
The last General Purposes Committee heard a report from Cllr Michael Pavey on his inquiry into the role each person had in Brent Council 'to make it the best possible place to work' - not an inquiry into the Human Resources department as such. LINK
The latest argument I have heard regarding the lack of action is that this is not a matter for councillors but for Christine Gilbert, Acting Chief Executive Officer.
The General Purposes Committee consists of the Cabinet minus Cllr Mashari, plus Cllr Kansagra, leader of the official Conservative opposition. Consideration of thr Equalities issue would perhaps carry more weight and be more robust if some Cabinet members stepped aside in favour of substitutes who are members of the BAME community.
The Agenda blurb on the Equalities Strategy says:
The new Equality Strategy 2015 – 2019 sets out a refreshed vision and approach underpinned by the values of fairness, respect for people, valuing diversity and excellence in all our services. The strategy sets out Brent’s determination to be an exemplar of good practice in equality, diversity and human rights by achieving an ‘excellent’ assessment in the Equality Framework for Local Government in 2015The Action Plan includes the following outcomes:
· All council employees receive equal pay for work of equal value
· Progress towards a living wage for all who live and work in Brent
· Equality is integral to all employment processes and practices
· The council workforce is representative of the local community at all levels
· Increased proportion of BAME senior managers
· Our employees feel engaged in the development and work of the council
· Positive outcomes from staff surveys
25 comments:
Martin with due respect who told you that Labour Cllrs have powers. They just obey orders 1st voted for Lutfur Rehman of Brent as their Leader, then voted for Christine Gilbert as an Interim CEO of the council. I wonder what were the reasons that Cllr Butt refused to work with former CE Gareth Daniel? Now we have Christine Gilbert & Associates who are running the council. Had a Cllr found guilty of harassment he could have been banned for 5 years. If Cllrs have no power to sack Carla Dawani then why an elected Cllr (Zafar Vankalvala) was banned from civic centre. Abuse of power to settle personal score, I believe.
Brent Labour are a laughing stock - When will this properly hit the press?
I have been asked to post this comment by Anon who I believe is an ex-Brent Council worker:
Methinks, Cara Davani and cohorts are having a laugh..
How can they say:-
"The new Equality Strategy 2015 – 2019 sets out a refreshed vision and approach underpinned by the values of fairness, respect for people, valuing diversity and excellence in all our services"
when they are outsourcing and severely cutting frontline services?
That..
"The strategy sets out Brent’s determination to be an exemplar of good practice in equality, diversity and human rights by achieving an ‘excellent’ assessment in the Equality Framework for Local Government in 2015"
Yet, their exemplar since September 2012 has been so scandalous that they have hit local newspaper headlines on several occasions and made it to the Rotten Boroughs section of Private Eye.
As for their action plan..
· "All council employees receive equal pay for work of equal value"
Does this mean that all employees of the Council will soon be earning £700 or more a day and have unquestionable / free use of Oyster cards?
That employees will..
· "Progress towards a living wage for all who live and work in Brent"
Is Brent considering raising the living wage to £87.50 or more an hour?
In relation to equality, they say..
· "Equality is integral to all employment processes and practices"
If it is integral to all employment processes and practices, will the highly paid managers take a cut in their salaries?
They say..
· "The council workforce is representative of the local community at all levels"
How can this statement be true when the following statement contradicts it?
They acknowledged that there is a need for..
· "Increased proportion of BAME senior managers"
They say..
· " Our employees feel engaged in the development and work of the council"
Where is the evidence of this?
Conversely, there appears to be such a culture of nepotism at the top there is fear at the bottom..
Protection seems to be given to individuals within favoured cliques, even though they may bully and harass and have employment tribunal judgements against them..
· "Positive outcomes from staff surveys".
Will these be available from Freedom of Information requests?
ANON
They used to say irony died when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel peace prize, but Brent seems to be entering the competition.
This whole affair makes me very ill just reading about it.
It might not have seemed at the time, but for those who have escaped from Brent Council, you are the Lucky Ones.
It appears from Martin's contacts with Brent councillors that some are arguing that it is Christine Gilbert's responsibility that no action has been taken against Cara Davani, and that it is not a matter which they as councillors can get involved in.
However, the appointment of Brent's Chief Executive IS the responsibility of councillors. In response to a report to the Full Council meeting on 24 June 2013, headed "Appointment of Permanent Chief Executive", they agreed to continue Christine Gilbert's role as interim Chief Executive for a fixed term, and 'that recruitment for a permanent Chief Executive commences after the May 2014 elections'.
Because councillors have not insisted that a permanent Chief Executive is appointed, and because Brent's Director of HR, Cara Davani, has not yet commenced the recruitment process which should have begun by June 2014, it is still Christine Gilbert who has the power to discipline Cara Davani over the damning findings of victimisation against her in the Employment Tribunal judgement of September 2014. So who is scratching who's back, and what is the role of the Leader of Brent Council in this?
Philip Grant.
I assume that Private Eye is being kept informed of the irony Martin draws attention to in the first 2 paras. Their understanding of the Ofsted/Tower Hamlets daisy-chain which spawned this lot of 'managers' will make them also aware of the sick joke of it being Christine Gilbert's responsibility to take action against the discriminating, victimising, racist Equalities guru, Davani.
I assume we all know Private Eye's contact by now. Remember, Brent Council missed out on an award last year. Let's help make sure that they aren't disappointed again in 2015.
You just could not make it up.
So Davani won't be sacked by Gilbert because she's her chum and Gilbert can't be sacked by Butt because he needs a CEO and her chum won't recruit her replacement so Davani won't be sacked by Gilbert because etc etc etc
Private Eye!
Private Eye know all about it. Watch this space
What a load of tosh. Any survey from Brent is not worth the paper it's written on, the way it's worded does not give you the chance to say what you want to say, it's worded so any answer you give will be always be in their favour. Give a straight-forward question to really get the truth.
As for 'Increased proportion of BAME senior managers' who has got ridden of the most senior BAME managers in Brent? Cara Davani. Bent Brent council is now a laughing stock
How comes she was appointed by these councillors but they now can't have a hand in sacking her. Bunch of idiots
Two things Divani is closer to Butt than Gilbert, hence it is Butt not Gilbert that has her back.
Secondly Anon above asks "If it is integral to all employment processes and practices, will the highly paid managers take a cut in their salaries?". The recent senior management restructuring paper from Davani and Gilbert announced to all senior managers that did not lose their jobs, and that have had a 1% pay increase in the last four years, that there pay will be cut later in 2015.
'a refreshed vision and approach underpinned by the values of fairness, respect for people, valuing diversity and excellence in all our services'.
This sentence is a master-class in the lazy-minded bullshitter's art. It contains a range of poor, innocent words which have been taken up by corporate crap-spreaders as a substitute for real thought and meaning and reduced to the status of verbal harlots for the use of dullard conmen.
When you see any of the following in a context like this, know that you're in the company of cynical chancers:
'refreshed' ( bullshit, except in relation to showers or hydration)
'vision' ( bullshit, except in the context of perspicacity or Specsavers appointments)
'underpinned' ( builders and estate agents surveys only, please)
'values' ( usually an appeal to standards and morality from people who have neither)
'respect' (see above)
'diversity' ( a tick box word which they don't really understand but which they've learned to scatter about randomly if they want to get on)
'excellence' ( something they constantly say they are in favour, of as if there's anyone who wouldn't be).
The fact that people like Davani think they can get away with phoning stuff like this in and get away with it shows just what 'respect' they have for us, what their idea of 'excellence' is and how it's long overdue that all of their kind need to be 'refreshed' as soon, and as vigorously, as possible.
Mike Hine
Edited comment: I assume that Private Eye is being kept informed of the irony Martin draws attention to in the first 2 paras. Their understanding of the Ofsted/Tower Hamlets daisy-chain which spawned this lot of 'managers' will make them also aware of the sick joke of it being Christine Gilbert's responsibility to take action against the (edited section) Davani. I assume we all know Private Eye's contact by now. Remember, Brent Council missed out on an award last year. Let's help make sure that they aren't disappointed again in 2015
Christine Gilbert was not appointed by Brent's councillors, she was "found" by Cara Davani when Cllr. Butt urgently needed an interim Chief Executive, after he had forced out Gareth Daniel in September 2012, and appointed by him. Cara Davani was a self-employed interim Head of HR at the time.
The only say in the matter that Full Council have had was when they were presented with the report I mentioned above at their meeting on 24 June 2013. The report was prepared by Fiona Ledden (now ex-Legal Director) and Cara Davani, and was very one-sided, but its recommendations were accepted by the Council, despite strong opposition from Paul Lorber and the Liberal Democrats, because the report claimed that it was supported by the Executive (even though they do not appear to have discussed it).
In July 2013, Cara Davani was appointed to the post of Director of HR, having been given this role on an interim basis (by Christine Gilbert?) after her self-employed contract expired at the end of March 2013, at a Senior Staff Appointments Sub-Committee meeting chaired by Cllr. Butt.
Philip Grant.
Phillip, for the record, I voted AGAINST that motion. So did the rest of my then colleagues. We continually pushed for a proper recruitment process.
Just in case there is any doubt what the role and responsibilities of Brent's (still interim) Chief Executive are, here is the description of them from the latest set of revisions to Brent's Constitution, which are going before Full Council next Monday for approval:
'Head of Paid Service. Managerial leadership of the Council including responsibility for overall corporate management and operational responsibility for all staff. Providing and securing of advice to the Council, and councillors, on strategy and policy. Acting in an executive capacity by making decisions or ensuring a system is in place for other officers to make decisions, as authorised by the Council. Delivering probity, value for money and continuous improvement.'
Philip Grant.
So Davani ‘found’ and recommended Gilbert. That makes her at least partly responsible for Gilbert’s performance. And Gilbert is responsible for ‘overall corporate management and operational responsibility for all staff’. That makes Gilbert responsible for Davani’s actions (which include discrimination, victimisation and r***** bullying, as proven in a court of law). And Davani is responsible for Gilbert being responsible for Davani’s actions. Which makes her doubly responsible (Davani, that is). Bang to rights, I’d say.
Leader! Some Leadership, if you will ...............
A good point, Anonymous at 16:50, about Leadership. I made that point in an email to Cllr. Butt on 21 September 2014.
After referring briefly to an earlier email which he had not replied to, I wrote:
' ... this email is about an even more serious matter, the judgement by an Employment Tribunal that former Brent employee Rosemarie Clarke was constructively dismissed by the Council, and that Brent (through its Operation Director, Human Resources, Cara Davani) was guilty of racial discrimination against, and victimisation of, this employee. My question in this email is:
What has Brent done about this since the judgement was published, and what are you going to do about it now?
I did raise this matter with you in emails back in May, and we spoke about it briefly during our meeting on 26 June (the one which I have referred to as our "secret" meeting, as Tom Cattermole, on your behalf refused to let me publish the notes of, and to which you have not replied to my request to reconsider that view). I can understand you not wishing to comment on this matter publicly when you had an election to win, and when the Employment Tribunal proceedings were still in progress, but now that the judgement has been made, and is in the public domain, you as Leader of the Council need to be seen to be taking the right action to deal with it.'
Five days later I received a "reply" from Thomas Cattermole on Cllr. Butt's behalf, sending me the text of the Brent Council statement saying that they were appealing against the Employment Tribunal judgement, and setting up Cllr. Pavey's review. I have not received any other response from Cllr. Butt to emails I have sent him on this matter, including one on 6 December 2014, after Brent's appeal had been thrown out by the Employment Appeals Tribunal, which included the following passage:
'... the position of Cara Davani as Brent's Director of Human Resources is surely now untenable, as a result of her actions which caused this case to be brought and have now been upheld as having amounted to victimisation and, through the ill-judged actions of Ms Ledden and others involved in presenting Brent's case to the Tribunal, racial discrimination. The harm of that "guilty" finding of racial discrimination could still be reduced in terms of Brent's public reputation, although not in law, if the Council now acts promptly. As I have previously suggested, this would require the Council to make a full and public apology to Rosemarie Clarke, to disclose the truth over why its officers decided to continue disciplinary proceedings against Ms Clarke after she had ceased to be a Council employee and to take immediate action to ensure that the officer(s) responsible for the victimisation of Ms Clarke (especially Ms Davani) face the consequences of their actions.
The Full Council meeting on Monday evening would appear to provide a good opportunity to make an announcement to both Councillors and the public in response to the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling. I will leave this in your hands. For the sake of Brent's employees and its people, please do not make further errors of judgement in the handling of this matter!'
Cllr. Butt did not take my well-meant advice, and as far as I am aware he has not made any public statement about this Employment Tribunal case. Is that showing leadership? I think not.
Philip Grant.
Phillip, that June 2013 meeting was the same one where we tried to have a motion debated on the Veolia contract with relation to their actions in Palestine. The minutes only refer to it being "illegal" to have that debate. Being gagged, we ended up with one on dog poo. Strangely apt, that.
Nice to see that there are people out there that can fully understand and educate the masses.
Why is this women still in her job? First she was caught stealing with the travel card and now this. SACK HER.
Spot on and all at the expense of the tax payer.
The government needs to investigate this council just as Newham was under investigation. The continuation of Davani in post is nothing more than a disgrace, and an insult in the face of Equality. How can Cllr Butt and Gilbert allow her to continue and lead on Equalities and expect staff to have faith in any HR practices!!
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