Fair Funding – consultation in next few weeks – hopefully

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Tony Brockman, of Haringey NUT, had convened a meeting of education stakeholders last night – to prepare for the consultation that will finally arrive in the next few weeks on funding our children in our Haringey Schools.

I started the ‘fair funding’ campaign several years ago, when I discovered from Parliamentary figures obtained – that our children got around £750.00 per head less than each child in Islington, Camden or Hackney. Hence the campaign title – fair funding!

Since that discovery and the full on campaign – I am pleased to say that the Labour MP and Minister, David Lammy, the Labour Council Leader, teachers, governors, parents and all – are all campaigning together to get the funding formula which delivers this disparity – changed – so that our children have a fair education.

The gap is still widening – and currently our children are getting over £1100 less per head – that is equivalent to £35 million per year and could deliver over 1000 extra teachers. That would be 15 teachers more for each of our Haringey schools.

And whilst our teachers do an excellent job – and we are improving – we are not improving as fast as other comparable areas. Obviously – a thousand more teachers would enable us to zoom ahead!

So – having secured a debate in Parliament specifically on Haringey’s unfair funding, having met with Schools Minister, Vernon Coaker (and twice with predecessor Jim Knight), having raised it at Prime Minister’s Questions and several other times in the House as well as tabling countless written questions – we are now at the point of possibility.

The Government has been conducting a review into their funding formula with the help of Price Waterhouse Cooper – and they are about to go out to consultation on the options for a changed funding formula. It is complex – really complex- so complex that Haringey have had to employ KPMG to interpret the new options – and they were there last night to explain to the stakeholders what will be next.

In brief – it looks like the recommended option in the Review will deliver a 6.6% increase to Haringey schools (if the consultation supports the recommended option). That won’t deliver parity – but it will deliver another £10million per year to our schools – and is probably for the time being – the best we are going to get out of this Government.

So – assuming this is the case and the consultation goes ahead – we all have to make sure that everyone – from stakeholders, to parents, to everyone – responds to the consultation. And we need to respond early and with personal experiences – what it will mean to our children and our school.

I also suggested that all our Haringey children might like to respond to – to make sure the Government hears directly from those most affected. I’m sure our children telling the Government what they could do with an extra £1000 would clinch the case!

I am hopeful, that after what has been a huge campaign as MP for this area, we will see a narrowing of the funding gap. Set to widen even further this year to around £1200 – it is the biggest ‘cliff edge’ between neighbouring boroughs for funding disparity.

I will come back and publicise the consultation as soon as the Government puts it out for us to respond to. It is thought that will be in the next three weeks – but track record on this would indicate that it could slip. But time is of the essence.

Victoria Climbie – have lessons been learned?

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Today is 10 years since Victoria Climbie died. As Leader of the Opposition in Haringey  I remember the beating of breasts by the then Labour leader of the Council about how lessons would be learned and how this must never happen again. And then it did. Eight years later – Baby Peter died another dreadful death – with over sixty visits to the home by Haringey Children’s Services and other agencies.

And again the phrase ‘lessons must be learned’ were uttered.

It is clear to me that when Victoria died – lessons were not learned. Only the social worker at the end of the food chain took the punishment – everyone else walked away free – and nothing much changed. That is why it did all happen again eight years later.

But this time – the law had changed as a result of Victoria’s death. For the first time in legislation, two positions were named as accountable for what happened in Children’s Services – the Director and the Executive Member. That was a direct result of Victoria’s death and Lord Laming (who conducted a public inquiry) recommendations.

That is why when Baby Peter died it was so important that the two people in those two positions – now accountable in law – lost their jobs. If no one, now the law had changed, lost their jobs – then again – nothing would have changed.

But this time – changes have been brought in. Scrutinised closely every month and under new Director and Senior Management – the latest Ofsted report this week – found that Haringey is finally improving. It has a long way to go – but nevertheless – let’s hope that this is a real sign of progress and that, thanks to Victoria Climbie and the changes to the law that have now had effect – we really have learned the lessons this time.

Local Liberal Democrats welcome easy access to battery recycling in shops

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Bob Hare and Lynne Featherstone recycling batteriesLocal Liberal Democrats Lynne Featherstone MP and Environment spokesperson Cllr Bob Hare have recently visited a local shop to test out new battery recycling facilities. From February 2010 new rules passed by the European Union mean that shops must have battery recycling bins for residents to use if they sell the equivalent of 1 pack a day.

Haringey Liberal Democrats are also proposing to install 100 new battery recycling sites throughout the borough as an amendment to the Council’s budget to be discussed on Monday. The sites will be in libraries, schools and other community space and will make it easier for local residents to find a convenient battery recycling site near to them.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“It’s great news that from this month, residents will be able to pop down to their local shop to recycle their batteries.

“Until now, people who wanted to do the right thing had to make their way to one of Haringey’s two recycling centres – and that’s not the best way to encourage recycling of some of our most hazardous waste.”

Councillor Bob Hare, Environment spokesperson for Haringey Liberal Democrats, adds:

“I very much welcome the fact that this will make it easier for people to recycle their batteries, but it can be made even easier. That’s why we are proposing to install 100 new battery recycling sites throughout the borough.

“Batteries are so bad for the environment, and most people do want to do their bit for our planet – it’s only right to make it as easy as possible for people to do just that!”

Liberal Democrat pressure pays off on Haringey digital aerials scheme

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Lynne Featherstone with a digital aerialHaringey leaseholders will soon pay less than half of the originally proposed cost to get digital TV, after a successful campaign by local Liberal Democrats and leaseholders.

Reports published recently detail a u-turn by Haringey Council and a notable victory for leaseholder groups and local Liberal Democrats on a change to the scheme which charged up to £1,000 for the installation of new TV aerials in housing owned by the Council.

Haringey Council’s Cabinet should agree to a new plan this week which will see full consultation, a cap on costs to leaseholders of £400 and a retrospective payment to leaseholders who have already had to pay up to £1000.

Liberal Democrats launched a campaign against the extortionate costs in June last year after it emerged that Haringey’s leaseholders had to pay up to ten times more than leaseholders in neighbouring boroughs.

After the decision was made by the Labour Cabinet to go ahead with the aerials scheme in July, Liberal Democrats forced a rethink of the scheme through Hraingey Council’s watchdog committee.

Local Liberal Democrats have today expressed concern at the fact that leaseholders and tenants still have to pay four times as much as some neighbouring boroughs to watch TV, and are now calling for the cost to be cut further.

Cllr Matt Davies, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, comments:

“I’m glad that finally the signal from local leaseholders and Liberal Democrats has got through to Labour loud and clear. Leaseholders did not want to have expensive, diamond encrusted aerial systems imposed upon them without any say.

“Unfortunately it took action by the Liberal Democrats and local leaseholder groups in July last year for Labour to realise their error. I am glad that our pressure will mean leaseholders get to pay less but it’s still quite a bit to fork out to watch TV. I know that leaseholders are still worried about the excessive cost, and the battle continues.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“The digital aerial scheme fiasco is a prime example of how badly Labour runs Haringey Council. It fails to consult, it imposes an expensive system without considering the implications and only after intervention from Liberal Democrats and residents does it change its mind.

“I’m glad they have dropped the price but it’s still four times the price leaseholders in neighbouring boroughs pay  and we’re making that concern clear to the Council.”

Whittington A&E: LibDems would give Power to the People

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The Ham & High just organised a photo-op outside the Whittington in advance of the march on Saturday (Highbury & Islington corner at noon) so that they can give it advance publicity. Well – done Ham & High!

The key in all of this – is where the power and the decisions lie – and sadly – it isn’t with the people. If it was – we wouldn’t be in this postion to start with. We are at the mercy of high paid, managers and bureaucrats moving around services on paper – without any understanding of our wishes or our needs – nor any mandate from us.

As for the Labour Government – they say it’s a local matter. There is nowhere for us to hold the decision makers to account that has real teeth. Whatever they decide – they won’t lose their jobs and they don’t have to face an electorate.

If Liberal Democrats were in charge (and after the election we may be) we would put power back in the hands of the people. No longer would we be in this untenable and unacceptable and position – where we petition and beg for what we want to unaccountable quangos.

Everyone I talk to says the same thing: this is madness – but how do we stop it? We fight, we march, we meet and we protest – but in the end – if we the people had the power, if our health boards were elected and accountable as they will be under a LibDem administration – the Whittington would be perfectly safe in our hands!

Power to the people!

Reaction to Ofsted report into Haringey's Children's Services

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Commenting on the Ofsted update report on safeguarding in Haringey Council’s Children’s Service,  Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, says:

“Clearly, a lot of people have been working hard, so that Haringey can achieve the basic service of protecting children.

“I tentatively welcome progress, but stuck in my mind is the fact that Ofsted gave this Children’s Service three stars weeks after Baby Peter died.

“There are clearly, still, significant shortcomings in key front-line services and I will continue to press for more openness and transparency, so we can have lasting confidence that they are getting it right.”

Councillor Robert Gorrie, Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, adds:

“I can only thank the committed efforts of the staff who are desperately trying to get this service up to scratch.

“However, I remain deeply concerned that only one in three vital checks of children at risk are happening on time.  To me, this is deeply unsatisfactory and not of a high enough standard to prevent another child falling through the safety net.”

Gordon Brown's temper

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On my last post ‘Gordon, Temper Temper’ a comment came in which I publish below. Having vaguely defended Gordon Brown to the extent of asking in that last post whether the passion of caring makes you a good boss or a bully – this comment continues the dichotomy – as to where truth lies. I remind readers this is a comment posted on a previous blog post.

Jon says:

About 15 years ago, Mr Brown when he was Shadow Chancellor, used to be one on my regular clients, I worked as a telesales operator at a tour operators and he used to regularly fly to Nice (S.France) for whatever reason.

On one occasion he reduced me to tears when I was unable to find a flight for him. He turned up at Heathrow (last minute) and demanded me to get him onto a flight immediately to Nice. When I was unable to do so, due to it being a Friday and flights being completely full, he launched into the most unbelievable tirade of abuse I had ever experienced. This was not controlled anger and I saw first hand the terror he can cause, let me assure anyone he can be very scary – what I experienced was rage fuelled by not getting his own way yet it was not bullying in my opinion as it was an isolated incident – his rage is not malicious, it is passionate rage as I also found him to be warm and courteous prior to this incident and typically Scottish.

So 15 years on and he is my Prime Minister and remember this episode like it was yesterday, apart from nearly losing my job for putting the phone down on him and my language back to him – I was called in to the MDs office but cleared of misconduct due to the nature of his call and the abuse I received.

I always wondered if this was an isolated incident and perhaps I caught him on a bad day – should I have apologised for my language, should he have to me, for the way he spoke?

All things aside I would far rather have a strong personality running the country than a shrinking violet and assume he uses the fear factor as a tool in what must be a fairly stressful job – I am sure that a lot of this story is pre election banter and if it were not this then it would be a n other story.

I also now have the ultimate dinner party story of having told the PM to FO!

Haringey – New Ofsted report

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The second inspection of Haringey’s Children’s Service has now reported. Last time they found that Haringey was not improving fast enough. This time – the report finds that they have done better. Given the staff are working very hard to improve things and there is a new Director – I would hope that this is the case.

The only question mark is really over how much confidence we can have in Ofsted. This is the inspectorate that gave Haringey 3 stars during the period that Baby Peter was falling through the Haringey net – and when it went public – gave them 1 star.

Hopefully – Ofsted too have improved their inspections and would not be fooled again by doing a desk inspection where Haringey provide (as they say happened last time) false information.

But I am very glad if, at last, things are getting better – both for any children at risk in Haringey – but also for those staff who have had to come through one of the most demoralising and difficult work situations that can be faced.

Liberal Democrat ‘green’ budget proposals success

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Haringey Council agreed last night to implement Liberal Democrats plans that will provide new green incentives and better recycling in the borough.

Liberal Democrats proposed that Haringey Council provides new battery recycling services in libraries, community buildings and schools, and new green incentives for local traders and residents to move to ‘greener’ vehicles by reducing parking fees for the least polluting cars.

The new measures will be paid for by freezing allowances for councillors.

Cllr Ed Butcher (Stroud Green), Liberal Democrat Finance Spokesperson, comments:

“I am glad that Labour have, once again, taken the lead from Liberal Democrats. They followed our lead on the Council Tax freeze and now on new green incentives and recycling.

“It shows that even in opposition Liberal Democrats lead on the green agenda and recognise, in these tough economic times, that councillors should not take more of taxpayers’ money.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“My colleagues on Haringey Council continue to hold Labour to account and provide new ideas that move Haringey forward. If they can do this in opposition imagine what could be done in a Liberal Democrat-run Haringey Council.”

Child 'Y'

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I was asked by London Tonight which was more shocking – the fact that there was another child, who experienced similar failures by Haringey Children’s Services as Baby Peter – albeit this time thank goodness not ending in a death – or the fact this had only just come to light – four years after the event.

The first I heard of it was when Andrew Gilligan (Telegraph) ‘phoned me to ask my view. My only view – was why was I only now hearing about this case – and from a journalist rather than being briefed by the Labour Leader of the Council or CEO?

Child ‘Y’ happened at approximately the same period as Baby Peter – yet when the furore over Peter broke – there was no mention to me of another case.

It is not hugely surprising that there was another child being let down by Children’s Services at that time. Given the litany of casualness that came to light  surrounding the care of Baby Peter – if those same fault lines were undermining the department – in fact it was inevitable.

So – the shocking thing to me is that, despite all the work going on by a staff who are working their socks off to turn Haringey Child protection around, the leadership still displays an unchanged culture in terms of secrecy and cover up. Why was there no statement, no explanation – only the Executive Summary of the Serious Case Review on Child ‘Y’ sneaked onto an obscure website?

How many times have I heard the leadership in Haringey say ‘lessons must be learned’? Sadly – the leadership has not learned one key lesson – that hiding things just makes it worse.