Blood on the carpet at Brent Civic Centre as senior management jobs slashed-but what about the new jobs created?

I am now able to publish the details of the senior management restructuring that Brent Council are about to consult on. The proposals are aimed at cutting £1.4m from the Council's budget.

In addition to to the posts in red, above the Head of Sports and Parks, Libraries and Heritage and Partnership and Engagement are proposed to be deleted along with the Head of Business Intelligence.

Unusually there are no authors cited on the report (which is available below) but the process will be managed by Interim Chief Executive Christina Gilbert and Human Resources Director Cara Davani.

One high profile casualty could be Fiona Ledden, Director of Legal and Procurement. Ben Spinks, Assistant Chief Executive, has only been in post a short time - since the last restructuring...

As well as the deletion of posts, new posts are to be created. Sharp-eyed insiders have pointed out that a new post of Chief Legal Officer has been ring-fenced to three Hay graded lawyers, which includes Cara Davani's partner, Andy Potts.

None of the other new posts have been ring-fenced. The two Operational Directors in Finance will have to compete for the remaining post.

The abolition of the Environment Department follows the privatisation of most of its service through the controversial  Veolia Public Realm contract.

Insiders suggest that a new job, Chief Operating Officer, at Hay 2 (the lower the number the higher the salary)will be extremely sought after - perhaps by Cara Davani herself.

Other jobs created are Operational Director (Strategic Commissioing), Head of Procurement, Operational Director (Community Services), Head of Performance and Programme Management, Chief Legal Officer (see above), Head of Partnerships and Transformation, Head of Culture, Head of Digital Services, Head of Brent Customer Services.

As readers will know one of the regular allegations made by Brent Council workers in comments on this blog  is that people are being eased out of their jobs by a variety of methods, often accompanied by gagging clauses, in order to make way for people who formerly worked at Ofsted and Tower Hamlets Council.

Some are asking if this is the most audacious move yet in that strategy.

Mahatma Gandhi House converted to flats?

Prior approval is being sought by IDM (Invest Develop Manage) East London  to convert Mahatma Gandhi House, formerly Brent Council's housing office, to flats. LINK
 

The proposal is for 83 apartments in a mix of unit sizes. The apartments will be all internal alterations to the existing building with no external alteration. 

The accommodation proposed is:

Ground floor 6 apartments

1st floor to 7^th floor  11 apartments each

Total 83 apartments with 33 off street parking spaces

There were rumours some time ago that the building had been ear-marked for the Gateway Free School but was turned down. 

Cheese defection to Labour no surprise

Barry Cheese (blue lapels) with Lib Dem comrades

I am not surprised by former Lib Dem councillor Barry Cheese's defection to Labour.

He was one of those, who also included former councillor Ann Hunter, who joined the Lib Dems in disgust at Blair's war-mongering and was impressed by the Lib Dem, and particularly Sarah Teather's opposition.

He still had many 'Old Labour' and trade unionist views and was vociferous on the closure of Central Middlesex A&E and the impact of the bedroom tax. He loudly applauded the SWP's Sarah Cox on the former and spoke out on the bedroom tax when speaking with a visiting group of Swedish councillors.

In June 2013 he surprised many by voting with Labour to give Christine Gilbert an extension as Chief Executive until after the May 2014 local elections, despite the opposition of the then Liberal Democrat leader. Paul Lorber's opposition to the extension. LINK

He was defeated in his ward in the May election and told me a few months ago he had left the Lib Dems.

I think he will find himself on the left of Brent Labour Party on many issues and I hope he will galvanise his new comrades to act on the current Human Resources scandal at Brent Council.

Brent Council CEO Christine Gilbert Announces ‘Whistle Blowing Hotline’

Christine Gilbert

 

 

                       Confidential hotline for concerned staff’ planned.

Guest Blog by 'Gilbert Harding'

Christine Gilbert, perpetual ‘interim’ CEO of Brent Council which, together with HR lead and interpersonal staff relations role-model Cara Davani, was recently found guilty of racial discrimination, victimisation and workplace bullying,  has announced her plans  to set up ‘a confidential whistle-blower hotline so that any staff who had serious concerns’ could communicate their worries to their bosses.

This would be a great relief to those many Brent Council employees who have, openly on this blog, privately to Martin Francis, and most recently and publicly to Private Eye, expressed their ‘serious concerns’ about bullying, victimisation, threats of dismissal, cronyism, gagging clauses  and corruption at Brent Council’s Civic Centre.  Such a move would be welcomed as an appropriate intervention by a leader wanting to find out what was really going on in her organisation with a view to turning a troubled situation round in an open and transparent way.  

Slightly disappointingly, however, Ms Gilbert made the whistle-blower announcement quoted above not recently but a whole 6 years ago on December 10^th 2008 to a Commons Select Committee and in relation to her then job as Head of Ofsted (the previous employer also of Cara Davani, Clive Heaphy and Ark Academies employee Dame Sally Morgan).    

(Details HERE )

Nevertheless, Brent Council staff will be feeling confident that Ms Gilbert’s passionate desire to let some light into the murkier corners of institutional malpractice will not have faded since her earlier statement and that her principles remain intact.

 Indeed, one hooded and masked Civic Centre employee was relaxed enough yesterday to tell me, in an unsigned encrypted  message smuggled out  past a cordon of G4S security personnel and hidden in a camouflage-pattern green and  brown envelope :  ‘I think I can speak for all my anonymous colleagues when I say that I believe Ms Gilbert’s earlier interest in openness and transparency and her very real and publicly declared desire to tap into the honest, uncensored and unintimidated experience of the people she leads, still burn as  brightly now in 2014 as they did in 2008.’

A statement from Ms Gilbert on plans for a new updated whistle-blower hotline is now expected. But perhaps not for another 6 years.

Alternatively, less patient Civic Centre whistle-blowers may find it more productive to communicate their serious concerns more urgently to Private Eye's 'Rotten Boroughs' contact here:

                                            tim.minogue@private-eye.co.uk.

(Ms Gilbert was unavailable for comment).

FA cap ticket sales for England Women's match at Wembley due to line closures

With ticket sales at 55,000 for England vs Germany on Sunday November 23rd the FA have stopped sales of tickets for what will be the highest attendance ever  for an England  women's football match in the UK, although more than 75,000 watched the Great Britain women's team during the 2012 Olympics.

The cap is a result of both the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines being closed on that weekend and their replacement by buses.

This normally results in confusion on normal weekends with tourists from Wembley's many hotels trying to lug multiple heavy suitcases on to the replacement buses.

Brent Council needs to ensure that TfL is publicising alternative public transport routes well ahead of the match.

One can't but think that the women's game fans are  getting second class treatment from TfL and the FA.

Comments requested on changes to Old Oak/Park Royal Development Corporation area

Message from proposed Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation

The Mayor of London held a public consultation on the proposed establishment of a new Mayoral Development Corporation for Old Oak and Park Royal, which ran from June 18 to September 24, 2014. The proposed Mayoral Development Corporation would support regeneration across the area including delivery of new transport infrastructure, 24,000 new homes, 55,000 new jobs and the protection of Wormwood Scrubs. 

During this public consultation over 300 comments were received and in response two boundary amendments are now proposed.

These proposed boundary amendments include removal of land to the west of the A406 in the London Boroughs of Brent and Ealing, and land to the south of the Wormwood Scrubs in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

More information on the proposed Mayoral Development Corporation and the proposed revisions to the boundary are available on the Greater London Authority website at https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/consultations

You can provide your comments either via email to oldoakmdc@london.gov.uk, or in writing to the proposed Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation, Post Point 18, Greater London Authority, City Hall, Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA. Paper copies are available upon request by contacting either of the addresses above.

This additional consultation will run from November 5 until 5pm on Wednesday November 26, 2014.

Brent Council guilty of unfair dismissal in another Employment Tribunal case

Brent Council, still  facing unprecedented anger over the Cavani racial discrimination, victimisation and  constructive dismissal case involving  Rosemarie Clarke has lost another Employment Tribunal case.

Marion Hofmann has won her case against Brent Council for unfair dismissal.

The Judgment ordered that Marion was to get all rights and pay as if she had never been dismissed on 18th February 2013 and as if she had been in continuous employment. This include contractural and pension rights.

She is to be re-engaged in the role of Sustainability Officer (Communities) from 30th December 2014.

The papers were signed on October 31st and the Council has two weeks to let the court know if it is going to appeal.

Her dismissal caused anger amongst Brent environmentalists  and led to Francis Henry resigning from the post of Chair of Brent Sustainability Forum, a post he had held for 6 years. LINK

In a letter to the Kilburn Times today, Paul Lorber, former leader of Brent Liberal Democrats, claims that Brent is going to abolish the environment department and delete the post of strategic director of environmental services.  This comes just two weeks after Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt appointed George Crane lead member of the environment, after the resignation of Cllr Keith Perrin.

Ongoing speculation about the reason for Perrin's resignation will now centre on the abolition of the department.

Stonebridge Adventure Playground is NOT SAVED yet - fight goes on

Rumours are apparently going around Stonebridge Estate saying that the Adventure Playground has been saved. This is not true. The Council's granting of Asset of Community Value status helps but on its own will not stop the redevelopment.

What will stop it is a determined campaign by the whole community united in protecting this asset and using every peaceful means necessary to bring the message home to councillors:  THIS PLAYGROUND MUST STAY!

Last night amid the fireworks I seemed to be the only person who turned up for the consultation meeting at the Hub. Unsurprisingly for a day when children and their families are busy having fun.

Either the timing was deliberate to discourage attendance or the Communications Team at Brent Council are extremely poor at their job.

We will need a huge turnout of the generations of Stonebridge and Harlesden people who want to keep the playground at the next consultation meeting which is on November 12th 5-7pm at Stonebridge School.

If you are unable to attend fill in the consultation form here: www.brent.gov.uk/stonebridgeconsultation

or email your response to stonebridge.consult@brent.gov.uk
 

The consultation closes on November 17th

I told the consultation team:

• Stonebridge and Harlesden children need a playground in a high density area to provide space to play, experience challenge and develop physical and teamwork skills
• They need a staffed playground so they and their parents know they are safe
• The playground is a place where parents and carers mix and get to know each other
• Children from many different primary and secondary schools mix happily at the Centre
• The staff are known and trusted by the community and have their respect
• In turn the staff know several generations of local people and have seen them grow from children into youth and adulthood
• This makes a unique contribution to the stability of the area
• The Council is in danger of concentrating on the 'accountancy' in housing and school place provision and missing the social value of what Stonebridge Adventure Playground provides
• Increased density of housing with no 'safety valve' such as the Playground provides will build up potential trouble for the future (more flats are to be built on the site of Bridge Park and Wembley Point across the North Circular Road may be turned into flats)
• The kickabout area (see illustration below) is next to the main road posing a danger both from traffic accidents and traffic pollution
• The Playground's holiday and weekend provision for children with special needs and disabilities is unique and its record of integration very positive
• The Playground also contributes to the mental health and well-being of children and young people through the care and support it offers
• Any Equalities Impact Assessment would have to recognise that in closing the Adventure Playground the Council would be depriving an already disadvantaged community further as well as removing support from children with special needs, disabilities and mental health problems

Stonebridge School and Our Lady of Lourdes next door - kickabout area next to main road and NO Adventure Playground

It is worth noting that the Brent Council website  consultation page introduction does not mention the plans involve the closing of the Sdventure Plkayground ad it merits just two sentences on page five of the consultation booklet.

From the Council website:

We are consulting on the redevelopment of Stonebridge Primary School between 6 October and 17 November 2014.

The current proposals are for the redevelopment of the Stonebridge Primary School site and the area around it.  This site is located off Hillside and is bordered by the canal off Johnson Road, Milton Avenue and Our Lady of Lourdes RC School.

The redevelopment includes the site currently being used as the Stonebridge Primary School annexe on Twybridge Way.

Stonebridge is your community, so it’s important that you tell us what you think of these plans.

These are proposals and no decision has as yet been taken.

Not very transparent is it?