tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post8355174664580102913..comments2024-01-30T07:41:20.885+00:00Comments on Broken Barnet: The curious case of the £16.1 million payout to Capita: a joint statement from the Barnet bloggersMrs Angryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-5420570952734473782013-11-10T18:44:20.053+00:002013-11-10T18:44:20.053+00:00The problem with Barnet is that they made all the ...The problem with Barnet is that they made all the most experienced governance staff redundant, and decided to share legal services with another borough. This inevitably has led to a deficiency in professional knowledge and skills and mistakes are bound to occur.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-15763479986259550192013-11-10T14:12:25.317+00:002013-11-10T14:12:25.317+00:00Thanks for that response, regulation 8 defines wha...Thanks for that response, <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2089/regulation/8/made" rel="nofollow">regulation 8</a> defines what a key decision is, so there really shouldn't be any variation between local authorities. <br /><br />I'm glad my arcane knowledge of obscure legislation is coming in useful for something. <br /><br />You'd think these people on inflated salaries would have capable personal assistants or secretaries to draft responses on their behalf (at my own local authority the target used to be 15 days from a chief officer and a 10 day response to a letter or email from a councillor). Possibly in these days of cutbacks administration staff have been the first for the chop or job sharing!John Bracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15068175156565343146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-72576050802222506392013-11-10T12:16:35.317+00:002013-11-10T12:16:35.317+00:00Incidentally the formal complaint sent to the Sect...Incidentally the formal complaint sent to the Section 151 officer a week ago has not even been acknowledged yet.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-70349984027721052462013-11-10T12:04:27.978+00:002013-11-10T12:04:27.978+00:00Thanks, Anonymous: how very interesting. The first...Thanks, Anonymous: how very interesting. The first post sounds like it is at my old school, which would jump at the chance to use Capita, I am sure. As for the second ... just when we had reduced the tax dodging posts at the Town Hall to one, now we have Capita encouraging 'tax efficient payment methods' ... that would be, presumably, in order to dodge the taxes that pay for, say, SEN schools. Hmm.<br /><br />And John: thank you so much for this information. I think Cllr Hugh Rayner will be very grateful that you brought this to my attention, as he is such a dedicated Chair of the scrutiny committee in question.<br /><br />Regarding Reg 9: again, interesting point - a mistake to assume that Barnet is the only authority to apply an unusual definition of key decisions, I suppose, but predictable here.<br /><br />Reg 19 - in this case I don't think urgency was the offical reason, as the signing off from legal etc was done in April ...Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-4711792320044080232013-11-10T08:44:16.399+00:002013-11-10T08:44:16.399+00:00Hi and greetings from "Up North",
A ye...Hi and greetings from "Up North", <br /><br />A year and a few months ago Eric Pickles introduced a new piece of legislation called <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2089/contents/made" rel="nofollow">The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012</a> . You may well wonder why I'm pointing this out! Well, <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2089/regulation/18/made" rel="nofollow">regulation 18</a> of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 gives an overview and scrutiny committee the right to request the executive to report to the full Council if the overview and scrutiny committee feels the key decision procedure hasn't been followed. <br /><br />You know better than I how likely an overview and scrutiny committee in Barnet would be to do this. <br /><br />Secondly you quote from Barnet's constitution about the notice requirements for key decisions. <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2089/regulation/9/made" rel="nofollow">Regulation 9 deals with this</a>. The twenty-eight days prior notice includes publishing the report/s the Cabinet Member is basing his/her decision on. This would allow those affected by the upcoming decision time to lobby the Cabinet Member with their views. Sadly many local authorities aren't doing this and are publishing the reports only after the decision is made! Perhaps someone should advise Pickles that his legislation is being widely flouted?<br /><br />On a slightly related point <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2089/regulation/19/made" rel="nofollow">Regulation 19</a> requires the executive leader to submit an annual report to Council detailing each executive decision made where the urgency provisions were used, in fact the legislation states that they "must submit" a report. Has this happened since in Barnet since the legislation came into effect in September 2012?<br />John Bracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15068175156565343146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-34229299337385379302013-11-09T23:59:45.150+00:002013-11-09T23:59:45.150+00:00And this one:
http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/sen-ta-n...And this one:<br /><br />http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/sen-ta-needed-in-barnet/23892496<br /><br />with this interesting paragraph:<br /><br />Keep more of your hard earned pay by using Capita Education Resourcing's approved payroll partner. We can help you keep more of your earnings through tax-efficient payment methods. Details provided upon application. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-64899383854784364332013-11-09T23:56:49.513+00:002013-11-09T23:56:49.513+00:00Check this out including the appalling grammar!
ht...Check this out including the appalling grammar!<br />http://ijobs.independent.co.uk/job/43009/teacher-of-business-studies-and-ict-barnet/?TrackID=7#sc=rss&me=feed&cm=general<br /><br />A taste of things to come!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6371203489316363738.post-72654228460724934372013-11-08T23:08:05.192+00:002013-11-08T23:08:05.192+00:00Just to explain that the fifth Barnet blogger, Cit...Just to explain that the fifth Barnet blogger, Citizen Barnet, ie Vicki Morris, has gone to a better place, that is to say Nottingham. And serves her right. <br /><br />But we miss her fighting spirit, her ceaseless campaigning,her brilliantly targeted heckling, and an untiring commitment to radical politics. Oh, and her editing skills, being the only Barnet blogger who can spell. <br /><br />And who can forget her finest moment, standing on a chair in the committee room, declaring the people's takeover of the Cabinet meeting that signed our council services to Capita - but making sure she took off her shoes first, so as not to leave a mark on the chair. <br /><br />Sadly missed, especially as now Mrs Angry is stuck with a load of blokes and no one to moan about cleaning behind the fridge,men,knitting and other womanly interests.Mrs Angryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586223909475832791noreply@blogger.com