Brent gears up to register more voters

Daily Mirror NOVOTENOVOICE Campaign 2010

Cllr Neal Nerva presented the report of the Task Group on Electoral Engagement at the Scrutiny Committee this week. LINK The report deals both with the repercussions of Individual Electoral Registration which replaces registration by head of household and the wider issues of lack of  engagement by different communities in the democratic process of registering and voting.

Individual regestration will not impact on the 2015 General Election but will do so at subsequent elections.

The Task Group assessed the extent of registration by matching information from the Department of Work and Pensions with data on the Electoral Register. The highest match was Kenton ward  at 79% and the lowest 56% in Mapesbury and Willesden Green.

The Task Group also looked at the characteristic of each ward which yielded some interesting results:

Cllr Nerva said that there was a particular challenge in the population of 20-30 year olds who were renting privately and perhaps only living in the area for one or two years. There was a need to communicate with these residents and make the case for the wider advantages of registration such as enabling people to get credit ratings and sign up to mobile phone contracts as well as  accessing a range of other 21st century trappings.

He also made the point that if a person was registered it made deciding NOT to vote an 'active' choice.

The context of different wards meant that different stratagies are necessary in each and the report outlines some of the possibilities and different  voluntary groups and organisations that could be involved. LINK

Citing the 97% registration rate in Scotland before the Referendum, Nerva suggested that the percentage of the population registered to vote should be a key council performance indicator.

One suggestion by Nerva that may prove controversial was that elected members should be involved in voter registration through what he called 'supplementary door knocking' and stalls in public places encouraging registration.

He said this would not be party political and there would be no rosettes except perhaps Brent identification. 

In a contribution to the Committee I suggested that in addition to the strategies outlined officers should go into primary schools to address Parent Forums, which often have high attendance,  about registration and suggested this was a good way of spreading the word as those parents would then speak to family and friends.

This is a solid report and well worth looking at in detail. It will be going to Cabinet in January 2015.

High approval rate for Green Party education policy on Leaders Live debate

Natalie Bennett was the first party leader to appear on the Leaders Live YouTube/Social Media debates last night. Here is an extract beginning with Education Policy which achieved 88% of respondents agreeing with Green Party policy:

Scrutiny Committe unconvinced by assurances on Northwick Park A&E

Yesterday the BBC reported that ambulance crews would have to call ahead to the control room before taking patients to A&E at Northwick Park Hospital because of the pressures on the hospital. Local GPs are being asked to refer patients to other hospitals. It also reported that in September 179 patients had to wait for more than 30 minutes for an ambulance and 30 patients have to wait for more than an hour.

Yesterday at Scrutiny Committee councillors put the NW London NHS Trust under pressure regarding these issues.  In often emollient replies to tough questioning councillors were assured that there was no danger to patients.

Problems were ascribed to an increase in acuity of patients arriving at the hospital with a sustained rise in medical emergency admissions. In other words more Brent people are becoming sicker.

Although the planned increased bed capacity at Northwick Park would not take place until Autumn 2015 the Trust were taking steps to increase 'in year' capacity at Northwick Park by 32 beds and 20 at Ealing Hospital. Ealing had not shown a marked rise in admissions but there had been an increased length of stay for patients.

Measures to cope with the problem included quicker discharge and less DTOC (delayed termination of care).

In a rather chilling statement an NHS officer said that there was no evidence  that the problems were having an  impact on mortality rates. 'Yet...' was what I said to myself.

Summing up the Committee's view, last night's Chair, Cllr Reg Colwill,  said they were concerned about the timescale of the implementation of improvements to Northwick Park and the danger this posed to Brent residents.

The discussion of the repercussions of the closure of Ealing Hospital Maternity ward also centred on capacity.

Councillors were told that the facility was no longer viable and an earlier closure than the two years initially planned was necessary to maintain safe services. Northwick Park and Imperial had the capacity to expand maternity provision without infrastructure work and a maternity booking service would be introduced.  41% of Brent mothers already attend Imperial which includes Queen Charlotte's in Hammersmith. Ealing staff would be transferred to other facilities over a transitional period.

Officers said that current activity in the hospitals was less than the previous maximum and the expected rise in numbers would be within that maximum. there was an expectation that 95% of women would get their first choice of maternity care. The only cap was at Queen Charlotte's Hospital.

Cllr Mary Daly challenged this in the light of the area's rising birthrate. In summing up Cllr Colwill said that the Committee was not convinced that the rise in birthrate had been sufficiently taken into account and remained  concerned about whether alternative provision would be in place in time.

The main discussion on the future use of the Central Middlesex Hospital site following the closure of the A&E, was the transfer of rehabilitation beds from the Willesden Centre to Central Middlesex.  This raises the question of the future use of the vacated space at Willesden.

The plans for moving Park Royal mental health facilities to Central Middlesex are not going ahead. This was because the costs arising from the 'enhancements for mental health service would not be economically appropriate'.

Cllr Kalwala attends Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala attended the Scrutiny Committee tonight at Brent Civic Centre. This means he has now satisfied attendance regulations and is not in danger of being disqualified under the 6 months rule.

Natalie Bennett Bites the Ballot LIVE Tonight 6.30pm

Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party, is appearing in the first of @BitetheBallot's #LeadersLive events tonight.

Natalie will be discussing Health, Education, Environment and Jobs from 6.30pm.

Watch HERE

Christine Gilbert's Adventures in Haringey

In addition to her main job with Brent Council, Christine Gilbert also runs her own company, Christine Gilbert Associates which is still listed as 'active' although the company website is currently unavailable. In August 2013 the company had a networth of £75,421. In addition Christine Gilbert is Executive Chair of the Trustees of Future First an organisation that seeks to set up an alumni system for state schools and colleges in which former students can donate to their institutions as happens with public schools and universities.

In June last year, Claire Kober,  the leader of Haringey Council announced the appointment of Gilbert as 'Schools Champion' for Haringey LINK.

The Haringey Independent LINK yesterday reported that Claire Kober was personally involved in seeking action against NUT representative Julie Davies whose suspension has led to strike action in the borough.

The Kilburn Times reported that Christine Gilbert's post would be paid but that Haringey Council would not disclose the amount LINK 

It now appears that Gilbert is not being paid for this work  (at this point, anyway) but as you will see below it is occupying some of her time. I wonder if Brent Council will claim back any monies she is being paid while carrying out work for Haringey.  

Alan Stanton, in a Guest Blog takes up the story:

I thought Wembley Matters readers may be interested in a reply I received (25 November 2014) to a Freedom of Information Act request to Haringey Council about Christine Gilbert's work as "Education Champion" for Cllr Claire Kober, our Dear Leader.

You can find my request on the WhatDoTheyKnow website LINK.

On 11 June 2013 The Dear Leader (Claire Kober) announced that Ms Christine Gilbert (CBE) had been appointed as Haringey’s "first ever Schools' Champion", saying that as a former Head of Ofsted, Ms Gilbert would "help drive improvements in school performance and pupil attainment across the borough".

As a Haringey resident and a former councillor and school governor I was interested to know more about this appointment. Including the terms of the agreement between Claire and Christine; the work Ms Gilbert was doing; and how much (I wrongly assumed) Haringey was paying.

I'm now told that Ms Gilbert has made some visits (number unknown) to schools (unnamed). She has "provided a range of ideas" (unspecified). In addition Ms Gilbert has had a number(unknown) of conversations with senior officers on a number of occasions (unspecified). Unfortunately, they say that: "It is not possible to document the precise outcomes of that work, which has supported schools general improvement activity".

However, further light may soon be shed on these known unknowns. Haringey adds that: "We are expecting a report from Christine at the end of this year".

For known knowns we have their reply on the agreement and the cash. "There is no formal agreement in place between Ms Gilbert and the Council, nor has any payment been made and no council expenses have been incurred".

Which I found a little surprising. Not even coffee and a sandwich at the end of Christine's long bus-rides on the North Circular? I hope that, at the very least, we offered her an Oyster card.

While the exciting job of "Champion" is a new and evolving development in Haringey, in my imagination, I envisaged something slightly more businesslike. Maybe an exchange of letters or emails between Ms Gilbert and our Dear Leader. So that it was clear to both of them - and to the headteachers and senior staff in the Children's Service - when Ms Gilbert was dropping-in and why.

Of course, friendly inter-borough co-operation and contact is always helpful. But we can hardly have local government running on an informal basis, can we?

Do Brent Council websites and Twitter accounts have minds of their own?

Philip Grant, an occasional contributor to this blog, posted a comment on the Brent and Kilburn Times website about the above story. As, for some reason yet to be explained, it has not been published I print it below.

This is not the first time that Cllr. Butt has had difficulties because of ‘website blunders’ by Brent Council, which expose that he can say one thing publicly, but mean something else in practice.

When changes were made to Brent’s Constitution last June, he told the Brent & Kilburn Times what a good idea the new “Deputations” were (on page 2 of the 12 June 2014 edition):

'Cllr Butt said, "New proposals allow the public to speak in council meetings for the first time ever is aimed at bettering how the community engages with the council and allows residents to hold us to account." '

In advance of the next Full Council meeting on 8 September, Brent Council “tweeted” an invitation to more than 8,000 “followers” on 29 August, saying (see image):

'Speak out to the whole council. Ask for a five-min slot (a deputation) @ full council. For 8 Sept. email committee@brent.gov.uk by noon Mon.'

At least one person, Martin Francis (a Brent resident and an active member of its community), did respond to this invitation, and sent a request on Monday morning, 1 September, to speak on the subject of the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive. However, he was told by Brent’s Legal Director that his request had been made after the “five day” time limit, which she calculated meant by midday on Friday 29 August, and that the “tweeted” invitation had been issued in error.

I do not know what Mr Francis intended to say in his five minute Deputation, but as Christine Gilbert was appointed as interim Chief Executive in the autumn of 2012, initially for six months, there was a valid point of concern. Her interim appointment was only extended until the May 2014 local elections because, it was claimed, she had to oversee the Council’s move into the new Civic Centre in 2013, and act as Returning Officer for those elections. Surely it was time for a permanent Chief Executive to be appointed, under the Council’s proper recruitment procedures?

I was one of several people who expressed concern over what appeared to be an unreasonable attempt to stop Mr Francis from speaking to the Full Council under a process which was meant to help residents to “hold the council to account”. I wrote to the Mayor, who as “Chair” of Council meetings has powers over how they are handled, asking him to allow Mr Francis to speak, as he had requested to do so in line with the Council’s own published invitation. He replied that he had to leave the matter in the hands of the Legal Director. At the meeting itself he simply told the councillors that ‘there are no deputations’, even though Mr Francis was there, ready to speak, and there was up to twenty minutes set aside on the agenda for hearing deputations.

I had copied my emails to Cllr. Butt, the Council Leader, and on the day after the Full Council meeting, 9 September, I sent him an email setting out details of what had happened, and saying:

‘I am writing to ask you to explain why you, either individually or in concert with the Council's Director of Legal and Procurement, did not allow Martin Francis to present his Deputation on the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive to the Full Council meeting on 8 September.’

Despite several reminders, I have not received a reply. It seems that he, or Brent’s over-staffed Public Relations team, will reply when they can put a positive “spin” on a story, but when events show that they have acted wrongly, they will either keep quiet or seek to excuse what has happened as an ‘error’, as if websites or tweets have minds of their own.

Is there a star support worker in your school? Nominate them now

From Unison in Schools

https://www.facebook.com/UNISONinSchools

Is there a star in your school?

On Friday 28 November, we are celebrating school support staff, and the work they do, in schools up and down our country.

Enter our special 'Stars in our schools' competition, and you could win a box of chocolates for yourself AND for a support worker in your school, or your children's school!

Just nominate someone who you think makes a real difference to the school, and especially to the children in the school. You must like this post  AND add a comment telling us why they are amazing - so we can contact you, if you win.

The school worker you nominate doesn't have to be on Facebook, but if they are, please feel free to tag them in.

We're giving away a box of chocolates to TEN school support staff AND the person who nominates them. You can nominate more than once.

We'll let winners know by Thursday 4 December. But please make sure you join in us in celebrating the support staff in our schools on Friday 28 November.

http://www.starsinourschools.uk/