Save Hopscotch Nursery - sign this petition

The Hopscotch Nursery Campaign are asking Brent residents and people who work in Brent to sign their e-petition, lodged with Brent Council.  The petition is self-explanatory and signing is easy. Follow this LINK

The petition:

We the undersigned petition the council to allow Hopscotch Nursery to continue providing its much needed nursery and drop-in services. We demand that Brent council gives Hopscotch a secure future in Winkworth Hall or helps to locate alternative premises in same vicinity and undertakes not to evict Hopscotch until such premises are found.

Hopscotch is a much loved nursery that has been serving the local community for nearly 30 years, providing nursery education for the under 5’s, and a low cost drop-in for carers and children. Hopscotch was rated ‘outstanding’ in its last two Ofsted reports and is the only outstanding full time nursery in NW6.

Brent Council, which owns Winkworth Hall in which Hopscotch is based, has said that the building is “surplus to requirements” and expressed the intention to evict Hopscotch in 2013 in order to sell off the site.
This is despite its statutory duty, under the 2006 Children’s Act, to ensure sufficient childcare for working parents. The area that Hopscotch serves (Kilburn, Brondesbury Park, Mapesbury, Queen’s Park) is the least well provided for in the whole borough. The council’s recent assessment of childcare provision (February 2011) stated that:

“The availability of childcare may be more of an acute problem faced by families in Kilburn than it is for families in the rest of Brent.”

Hopscotch, which is run by a charity for the benefit of the community, addresses these needs. Its nursery and drop-in serve have served 100s of families in the local area. Without it these families simply have no childcare provision available. At a time of cuts a charity like Hopscotch is all the more precious; providing a valuable local service available to all parents without council funding.

 The campaign has a blog HERE. At the time of writing the petition has 355 signatures. It closes on August 1st.

Romayne will be a vigorous, campaigning Green Party leader

This is my personal choice as the next leader of the Green Party.

School financial mismanagement under scrutiny tomorrow

Following the controversy at Copland High School over allegedly illegal bonus payments, Brent Council has tightened up its audit arrangements. The 'Copland Six' are still to stand trial but meanwhile several other head teachers and other staff have been suspended while the possibility of financial management irregularities are investigated. Some have faced disciplinary action leading to dismissal.  There has been publicity about these events in local newspapers and the Evening Standard and the Times Educational Supplement.

Some commentary has suggested that this is a particular problem in Brent while others have suggested that the problem occurs elsewhere but because of Brent's experience it has been better at uncovering it. Generally there is a concern that as schools become more independent of local councils, being set up as 'free' schools or when they convert to academy status, that there may be more occurrences.The report from the Director of Finance and Corporate Services and the Director Children's Services which will be considered on Thursday by the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee states that Copland, as a foundation school, had made its own audit arrangements, rather than be visited by the local authority team, until 2009: 'The significant additions (to pay) were not picked up during any of the external audits conducted annually at the school.'

Although there may be deliberate attempts as fraud it may also be the case that some of the occurrences are the result of inexperience or incompetence on the part of headteachers and governing bodies. Although the local authority offers financial training to headteachers they do not have a business management background and their main task remains the management of teaching and learning.

Two main issues have emerged which the report says the Council has addressed:

Senior Leadership Pay: a key issue that had been identified through the audit process relates to schools complying with the statutory requirements regarding the setting of pay levels for Headteachers and other Senior Leadership posts. The regulations are complex but nevertheless compliance with them is a statutory requirement and a comprehensive action plan was put in place by the Council to both support and challenge schools to ensure compliance. A great deal of progress has been successfully made as set out in Appendix C which shows the detailed action undertaken by the Council. Further on-going work is necessary to ensure continued
compliance with the regulations.

Leasing: In 2010, the Council identified that a number of schools had entered into very unfavourable leasing arrangements with large finance companies for the hire of equipment such as photocopiers. The Council is of the view that these leases should be treated as being void from the outset, as the schools in question did not have the legal power (‘vires’) to enter into them. If the leases were enforceable, they would have a negative impact on the schools’ financial positions. There are various grounds as to why the Council argues the leases should be considered void. The Council has taken the following action in order to protect the public funds exposed to these purported leases:

• Sent a number of letters and uploaded intranet postings clarifying the importance of complying with the leasing requirements set out in the Council’s Financial Regulations.
• Arranged for Council officers to meet with school officers where appropriate in order to discuss leasing issues.
• Hosted a number of presentations at Governor, Headteacher and Bursar meetings, clarifying the requirements of a lawful lease and offering support to schools that may have ostensibly entered into leases which are void in law, in order to encourage schools to obtain legal advice.
• Referred schools to the Council’s internal and external solicitors who are able to advise the schools (the content of the advice is confidential and subject to legal privilege).
• Obtained advice from a QC (the content of which is confidential and subject to legal privilege).
• Facilitated court action: A number of schools have stopped paying the sums purportedly due under these purported leases. As a result, one finance company has issued legal proceedings against two separate schools for amounts allegedly due. The Council’s solicitors have been instructed by the two schools to defend these claims. The schools are counter-claiming for restitution of the sums paid under the purported leases. The cases are on-going.
• Released guidance to all schools setting out the framework agreements
available, in order to help schools purchase or lease equipment at favourable rates.
• Hosted regular leasing / procurement training sessions with school bursars.

Using a traffic light system of Assurance about Audut Outcomes for audits in 2011-12 the report gives 7 primary schools a green light (substantial), 9 an amber (limited) and 4 a red (nil). The report gives a long list of issues that have been identified 'in the majority of schools' over the last two years. These cover Governance, Procurement, Unofficial Funds, Budgeting, Income and Banking.

The Head of Audit's opinion reported to the Audit Committee for 2010-11 sums up some of the issues:

I also remain concerned about the apparent lack of financial control within a significant minority of the council’s schools and the general approach to internal audit findings. Whilst schools are responsible for their own budgets, they are required to adhere to both legal requirements and to financial regulations issued by the council. These ensure public money is properly spent and accounted for. A number of schools are demonstrating a lack of compliance with basic procurement regulations. This is placing schools at risk of failing to achieve value for money and at risk of potential legal challenge where EU procurement regulations apply.

In addition, a number of schools are failing to adhere to the national rules concerning teacher’s pay, specifically in relation to head teacher pay being outside the prescribed bandings determined by the school size. Although, in certain circumstances schools are permitted to pay above the maximum group range, I consider that in a number of cases these circumstances may not apply and school governing bodies may be paying above the ranges set out within the national conditions document to facilitate incremental increases in pay once the natural pay cap, relative to the size of school, has been reached. This is further exacerbated by Governing Bodies not always being diligent in their recording of the reasons for granting permission to exceed to cap thus placing the school at risk of challenge.

In response to the issue of headteacher (and thus deputy headteacher) pay being outside the criteria published in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD)  the Children and Families Department in October 2011 asked chairs of governors to return headteacher pay information. The report states that 'many schools failed to respond to this request in a reasonable timescale and it is only now that a full picture is emerging' and schools are being supported and challenged to ensure compliance with the STPCD.

Clearly this report raises important issues about probity, accountability and governance and deserves thorough discussion tomorrow.

The meeting takes place at 7pm in Committee Rooms 1 and 2 at Brent Town Hall on Thursday  July 19th Agenda: HERE

Declaration of interest: I am chair of governors at two primary schools and a former primary headteacher - all in Brent. I do not have a Swiss bank account!

Housing crisis arrives on Town Hall doorstep

The housing crisis came to the steps of Brent Town Hall yesterday evening when the Counihan family and their supporters demonstrated as the Brent Executive met to rubber stamp a series of far reaching decisions.

Their reception was mixed with some members of the Executive wanting to find out about the  family's plight while others told the family that  they had no choice but to move out of London in order to get affordable housing.

As the benefit income cap and housing benefit cap bite, along with changes in council tax benefits, more and more Brent families will be suffering the same fate. Although the demonstrators recognised that the changes have been brought about by Coalition Government policies they did expect more of a fightback on behalf of Brent residents from a Labour Council, rather than acquiescence in disastrous policies.

Officers recommend go ahead for ASDA petrol station

The planning application for the building of a petrol station in the car park of the Wembley ASDA store was called in by Barnhill councillors Michael Pavey and Shafique Choudhary.  It will be considered by the Planning Committee on July 25th.

The officers reject objections that have been made on grounds of increased traffic congestion, increased danger for children and the elderly at the Forty Lane/King's Drive/ASDA intersection, and noise and nuisance to neighbours. They say that it is not within the planning system's purview to consider whether this would lead to over-provision of petrol stations in the vicinity.

On the capacity of the ASDA entrance road, Forty Lane and King's Drive intersection the report says:

Previous capacity analysis carried out for the signalised junction at the Asda entrance onto Forty Lane suggests there is plenty of spare capacity at this particular junction, so the predicted increases in flows are not considered likely to give rise to any junction capacity problems at the site access

The photograph below, taken recently, shows traffic at the intersection:

Traffic at ASDA entrance road/.Forty Lane/King's Drive

No Brent free school in today's list

The free schools in London

The list of approved free school applications published today  does not include any in Brent. Of the102 schools:

• 40 are primary schools
• 28 are secondary school
• 10 are "all through schools" - primary and secondary combined 
• 34 are in the London area
• Five are independent schools which are joining the state sector
• Five are special schools
• 12 are "alternative provision" such as schools for those expelled from mainstream schools 

Interestingly Education Investor, the website of people expecting to make a profit from education stated:

It remains unclear how buildings for the new schools are to be funded, however. Capital funding for the projects has yet to be decided, and government advisors said it was too early to comment on specific projects.

 

Government figures show that the average capital cost of the first wave of free schools was expected to be between £4.6 million and £5.4 million. If repeated, this would mean that buildings for the 152 schools still in the pipeline would cost upwards of £700 million.

 

Last November, the Treasury allocated £600 million to the programme.

Just think what the local authority system could do with that £700m!

'Super contractor' bundle for Brent's waste, street sweeping and parks?

'Geometrical' plant maintenance via power saw

The above picture illustrates the kind of parks maintenance we can expect with sub-contractors: neat and tidy but totally insensitive to any appreciation of the natural and aesthetic nature of shrubs. This was well illustrated by bags of compostable materials consisting of flowers in bud and blossom that had been shorn off in a shrub equivalent of a 'Number 1'.

Brent Council has said no more about its plans to privatise the Parks Maintenance Service but I understand that the Council's Environment and Neighbourhood Services Department is now looking to procure a 'super-contractor' to take on waste management, street cleaning and parks maintenance as one deal.

This will rule out any in-house bid by the present highly skilled parks maintenance team as well as  contractors who specialise only in waste. It will favour the current holder of the waste and street sleaning contract, Veolia, which already provides parks maintenance services in other boroughs and has the Regents Park contract.

Veolia has attracted adverse publicity because of its activities in Israel and the occupied territories and gave Brent Council a rough time over changes in the waste management and street sweeping contract almost a year ago. LINK

Will Brent Council take on the fight to save Central Middlesex A&E?

In a recent posting I called on Brent Council to take a proactive stance in fighting the proposals for closure of the Central Middlesex Hospital (Park Royal) Accident and Emergency. Ealing Council have already take up such a position.

A resolution at the last Brent Council meeting proposed by Cllr Krupesh Hirani (Lead member for Health and adult Care) didn't quite do that but was a step in the right direction.

This Council condemns the Tory and Liberal Democrat Government for the lack of consideration to Brent residents over the likely closure of Accident and Emergency (A&E) services at the Central Middlesex Hospital, which will lead to people in the poorest part of Brent, having to travel longer distances to address life threatening imminent needs.

Brent Labour recently had a meeting on the NHS which was addressed by  Fiona Twycross, a Labour Assembly Member for London. Perhaps a more militant stance will emerge from that meeting. Is is certainly something the Council should be doing on behalf of its citizens.

Meanwhile at the Willesden Area Consultation Forum the item on 'Shaping a Healthier Future'  was curtailed because Dr Mark Spencer who was giving the talk had another meeting to attend. The result was a rush through a PowerPoint presentation and very little time for elaboration, questions or discussions. Neither Spencer or Abbas Mirza (Communications Engagement Manager for NHS North West London, were available to speak to residents at the break. This was scandalous given the far-reaching and poentially life and death issues being discussed. At the beginning of the presentation Mirza said, 'these are just proposals - nothing has been decided'  but in response to a question from me, Spencer confirmed that there was no option to keep Central Middlesex A and E open. Clearly its closure has been decided ahead of consultation.

Dr Spencer claimed that the A and E at Centrtal Middlesex was under-used, that many who did use it, used it wrongly and would be catered for by other proposals. He said that the privately run (by Care UK) Urgent Care Centre could answer most emergency needs. Central Middlesex Hospital would eventually become a 'localised' hospital for planned admissions only.  Asked by an audience member which A and E they could go to instead, he said that that was a decision they could make for themselves. I am sure I will enjoy exercising that choice when I next get knocked off my bike!

Earlier in the meeting I did a Soapbox where I publicised the campaign that has been formed to oppose the closure of Central Middlesex Hospital A and E and the hospital's run-down and the defend the NHS against cuts and privatisation. We will be marching from Harlesden to Central Middlesex Hospital on Saturday September 15th to buiold support for the campaign. It would be great of Labour councillors joined us.

In my Soapbox speech I said that losing an Accident and Emergency ward was often the first chapter in the running down and eventual closure of a hospital. As a qualified first-aider in  local schools I had often had recourse to Central Mid A and E for ill and injured pupils and knew of its worth. 

I pointed out the need for a  A and E in this poorest part of the borough that would be readily accessible to local residents who were reliant on public transport. Public transport links with Northwick Park Hospital (the proposed alternative A and E) were very poor.

The local area has many possible sites for major incidents requiring A and E and emergency operation facilities. These include the main Euston-Birmingham Railway line, the Bakerloo and Overground Line, Chiltern Line and Jubilee/Metropolitan. Major Roads including the North Circular, Harrow Road and Kilburn High Road. Large industrial areas in Park Royal and around Neasden Goods Yard and the major venues of Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena.  Accidents at any of these places could involve many people requiring emergency treatment or hospital admission. Could the reduced provision of A and E cope?

Cllr Lesley Jones, who was chairing the meeting, said that the council had been pressurising Transport for London to extend the 18 bus route to Northwick Park for a long time and would continue to do so.