Pressure secures public access to Baby P meeting

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Haringey Council has finally agreed that local residents can take part in next week’s meeting to discuss Haringey Council’s response to the damning report from Ofsted.

After pressure from local Liberal Democrats on Haringey Council’s ‘watchdog’ committee residents will now be allowed to table questions at the meeting to take place on Tuesday 17th February which will examine Haringey Council’s response to the Joint Area Review that investigated the borough’s Children and Young People’s Service following the death of Baby P.

Initially Haringey Council had repeatedly refused to allow members of the public to table questions but, following protests by Liberal Democrat councillors on the Overview and Scrutiny committee, Labour bosses changed their decision. However, Liberal Democrats have criticised the short timescale for the public to submit questions.

Liberal Democrat Children and Young People Spokesperson, Cllr Gail Engert, comments:

“Haringey seem to follow one PR disaster after another. The tragic Baby P case engendered massive public interest and sympathy. By refusing to allow people to comment on Haringey’s plans to resolve deep rooted institutional problems, they were simply demonstrating their contempt for the electorate.

“Liberal Democrats on the scrutiny committee have repeatedly asked that a special portion of the meeting be dedicated to the public. This concession is better than nothing but the fact that it gives the public only two days to read the report and submit questions shows how far away the ruling part are from understanding the needs of their residents.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, adds:

“The public have a right to debate this issue and be involved in Haringey Council’s response to the damning government report. For too long Labour in Haringey have hidden in the shadows – now we need full open debate to move the borough’s services forward.”

Budget 2009: Labour reject plans to bring Haringey Council closer to residents

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Labour councillors have rejected plans to give Haringey residents a greater say in local services. At Monday’s Full Council meeting they voted down Liberal Democrats budget amendments to devolve Haringey Council’s planning functions to four area planning committees and take formal council meetings ‘on the road’.

Liberal Democrats say that the rejection is a clear example of Labour talking the talk but failing to act, wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, and shying away from greater accountability.

Labour councillors also failed to meet the Liberal Democrat challenge of a Council Tax freeze in the next financial year to help residents deal with the effects of the recession.

Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Robert Gorrie, comments:

“We provided proposals to empower residents by devolving planning decisions and services and by taking council and its business out around the Borough – all paid for by reductions in Council waste and excessive allowances to councillors.

“The rejection of these plans is another example of Labour shying away from accountability. Like Labour nationally they continue to centralise power and decision-making and would rather keep residents at arms length than trust local people by giving them a greater say in their local services.

“Last night Labour rejected an opportunity to avoid £6.8 million of expenditure. They continue, ostrich-like, with their heads buried in the sand hoping that the effects of the economic downturn do not affect Haringey.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP, adds:

“It is disappointing that Labour failed to respond the financial crisis affecting the lives of hundreds of local residents.Residents have to tighten their belts and it is only right that Haringey Council should do the same.”

Families Need Fathers

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Families Need Fathers meets the Liberal Democrats this afternoon. I am pretty sympathetic to some of the arguments – particularly the issues around engagement of fathers in their children’s schools and the dreadful time the Child Support Agency gives to the ‘good’ dads who try and pay their way only to find that the most incompetent agency in the world lands them with retrospective charges which can be horrendous.

Autism

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Met a contingent from Haringey here to lobby MPs about the Private Members’ Bill on Friday 27th on autism. Have had loads of emails and letters as well asking me to be at the debate. So have cancelled everything to attend.

Just a word on process re Private Members’ Bills (PMBs) – they are always on a Friday when MPs have gone back to their constituencies to work there. Most MPs, for example, do surgery on Fridays (as do I). But these Bills need 100 MPs to pass on to next stage and so almost never get that kind of attendance. Just occasionally there will be a Bill whose intent is so compelling that MPs will stay. It may seem strange to those outside of Parliament who may very well be asking – what is the point of winning the ballot and getting a Bill if it has virtually zero chance of 100 MPs being there to vote for it (let alone the Government attending to defeat it)?

Well – it’s just another bit of Westminster lunacy really. I think PMBs should be in normal time and not on Fridays – after all all MPs are elected to raise issues in Parliament and democracy would be better served if more Private Bills had more backing.

But we are where we are. I am very glad that this important issue is to be debated. The people who lobbied me raised a number of issues but the one that really (in my view and theirs) needs attention is what do you do with your autistic child in terms of planning for their future. There is no provision locally or nationally when they finish at school and parents need and deserve a transition planning service – and then the facilities for autistic young adults to spend their days.

This must be such a worry for parents as no-one at Haringey Council really listens or takes this on board. We have a special school for autistic children in Haringey called the Treehouse Trust which is doing fantastic work and wants to become (in fact it is already) a centre for excellence and learning and training in the field. I wonder if they could be persuaded to pursue the ‘what happens after’ path – as not knowing and not being able to get any sort of real transition and facilities is untenable. Seems the Government and Haringey Council just think it is OK for these young people to have no proper future, housing or care.

So – be very interested to hear the Government response to the debate and if I get a chance – will intervene on these specific provision points.

Your pressure has made the difference – good news for Jacksons Lane

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Hurrah! Good news for Jacksons Lane Arts Centre.

It has been under threat of closure since last year when Cllr Neil Williams and I went personally to beg the Arts Council to carry on with its grant – and got a one year reprieve. The year is up – and on Wednesday the Arts Council will decide its future. Haringey Council has been the absolute sticking point – unwilling to commit any extra money at all – which is the price the Arts Council has been demanding as they want to see council commitment if they are going to put in their money too.

We (myself and the Highgate councillors) sent out an email asking people to email Matt Cooke (Labour Exec Member in charge of this) to give more money and save the centre. Cllr Cooke by the looks of it is not happy to have had pressure applied and is trying to say Haringey was always going to find some money. And pigs might have flown. People power has really made the difference. Thanks to all those who responded.

Here’s Neil’s email update on the issue:

In a letter sent from Haringey to the Arts Council on Friday – after your huge response – Haringey has now relented, and finally upped its offer of funding! This is very encouraging, and the ball is now back in the court of the Arts Council.

Claims from Haringey Council that it was always prepared to meet the Arts Council’s demands are totally untrue.

The Arts Council has long since insisted that Haringey take more responsibility for the funding of the centre – something that Haringey Council has persistently refused to do. Over the past year, Haringey has refused to up the centre’s core grant of £55,000, as the Arts Council has urged. In their own report to their decision-making body due next week, the Arts Council states:

Haringey has consistently stated that it is not in a position to offer additional capital and revenue funding to Jacksons Lane.

When we asked again for the the extra £50,000 on 22 December, the lead councillor didn’t even reply. As recently as last week, Haringey Council was refusing to help, offering only to provide half a day in officer time – nowhere near enough to help Jacksons Lane.

It really is your pressure that has made the difference – so many may thanks! We will keep you updated on progress.

Story time at Big Green Bookshop

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To mark National Story Telling Week, Lynne Featherstone MP on Friday hosted a special storytelling session at the Big Green Bookshop for kids from Alexandra Primary School.

The Liberal Democrat MP, who is supporting the Society for Storytelling in a drive to get more people into reading, interpreted some traditional stories with modern twists to a year three class from the Wood Green primary school.

Lynne Featherstone commented:

“With so many computer games and TV shows on offer today, it’s sometimes easy for parents to forget just what a joy it is to sit down and read a really good book to your kids.

“But most of the kids here today seem to have a real hunger for reading, with long lists of favourite books.

“I’ve certainly had a fantastic time here today, and I hope these kids have has just as much fun.”

Jacksons Lane – Labour relents to pressure

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A two-year campaign by local Liberal Democrats and residents has resulted in Haringey Council finally giving in to demands for an additional £50,000 of funding for Jacksons Lane.

The future of the popular arts centre is in danger, after the Arts Council has threatened to withdraw funding, often citing the Labour-run Haringey Council’s lack of financial commitment.

In their own report to their decision-making body due next week, the Arts Council states:

“Haringey has consistently stated that it is not in a position to offer additional capital and revenue funding to Jackson’s Lane.”

In January 2008 Lynne Featherstone MP and local councillors took a petition to the Arts Council which helped to win a year long funding extension until March this year.

Last week, local Liberal Democrats re-launched their campaign to save Jacksons Lane, saying that only 20p per resident in Highgate was needed from Haringey Council to save the centre from closure.

Cllr Neil Williams, Highgate, comments:

“Finally Haringey Council has put its money where its mouth is over the future of Jackson’s Lane. However, claims that Haringey Council was always prepared to meet the Arts Council’s demands are totally untrue.

“The Arts Council have long since insisted that Haringey take more responsibility for the funding of the centre – something that Haringey Council has persistently refused to do.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“The future of this fantastic arts centre has been left in the balance for too long. I am glad that Haringey Council has finally seen sense to help out further. Now the ball his in the Arts Council’s court – they now need to stump up the funding so Jacksons Lane does not close.”

Sharon Shoesmith in The Guardian

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Sharon Shoesmith pleads her side of the story in today’s Guardian. Her account sheds adds very little to what has already been aired in public – so rather than go over the ground I’ve blogged about at some length previously I’ll just make three brief points this time:

1. It’s a journalistic scoop for The Guardian – so I’ve no complaints over the front page lead and three full inside pages they’ve given it. But what a contrast with the way that so many people who had concerns about how Haringey services were being run under Sharon Shoesmith were side-lined, ignore or had legal injunctions banning them from speaking out. That’s one reason why we need a public inquiry – so that we can hear (and learn from) all those other stories too.

2. One point Sharon Shoesmith tries to argue in the article is one I have heard before in relation to this case – that all of this episode puts off social workers from coming to Haringey or indeed people going into the profession at all. That misses the point of the real problem – well-run services and departments attract staff. Failing to deal with concerns – as was Haringey’s way – is what lies at the root of the problems. Run services well and respond properly when concerns are raised – that’s the answer – not wishing the public and media don’t notice problems.

3. It’s a shame the coverage doesn’t address not only the question about how Haringey did (or rather didn’t) respond to concerns raised repeatedly with it over the running of Children’s Services – but also didn’t address the question of the way all the senior staff and councillors closed ranks after the death of Victoria Climbie, with only the most junior person in the food chain being disciplined. Complaints about interventions by Ed Balls or the media need to face up to that reality – last time, those other people responsible for blunders got away with it because there wasn’t this pressure. Would letting more senior people duck responsibility and blame everything on the most junior person they could find really have been the right outcome yet again?

I've been telling tall tales!

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Lynne Featherstone reading at the Big Green BookshopWent through snow and ice to be there on time – at the Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green – to read to some children from Alexandra Primary School. I don’t know about them – but I hugely enjoyed myself.

I read a few poems from Roald Dahl and got quite carried away with over-acting. We had a good chat too! National Storytelling Week was the reason. Three cheers for the Big Green Bookshop – the best community bookshop there is. (And you can read their blog post about it here.)

Later met with the Rabbi at Muswell Hill Synogogue and visited with the Shabat nursery class – which is clearly a huge success with local families and looked great fun.; visited doctors concerned about how to influence patient care at the new Hornsey Hospital if you are one of the practices not moving in (which is the vast majority); met with a journalist and then did an interview with Art Attack – a new radio station / program based at Camden’s Roundhouse.