I’ve received a couple of phone calls from local residents about signs that the Children’s Services directorate have erected on the playing fields behind Ash Grove.
I must say I’m more than a little bemused at why they have appeared. I assume that given the current financial situation, the Council has better things to do than employ officers to chase dog-walkers and kids playing football off an open playing field. Sure, there is sometimes a problem with fly-tipping but that is unlikely to be resolved with a sternly-worded sign!
In fact, other than to either bemuse or annoy some local residents, I don’t see any merit in these signs whatsoever. The Children’s Services directorate has more than enough on it’s plate without attempting to ban football and dog-walking from our green spaces!
The last few days have been quite busy – and that’s aside from the large (and ever increasing) stack of Christmas cards I’ve written recently!
Continue reading ‘Busy Few Days’
At the end of November, OFSTED published their Annual Performance Assessment of Children’s Services provided by Salford City Council.
It did not make particularly pleasant reading. OFSTED operates a grading policy with grades from 1 (inadequate) to 4 (outstanding). Salford’s Children’s Services did not achieve the top ranking of 4 in any category, and only 2 of the 8 areas were considered to be “good”. 5 areas were considered “adequate”, and most worryingly in the “staying safe” category the Council were considered to be inadequate.
This is a very disappointing report and even more so as it concerns services provided to some of our most vulnerable residents. These services clearly require urgent scrutiny, and it is therefore doubly disappointing that yesterday’s Childrens Services Scrutiny Committee was cancelled due to – unbelievably – a “lack of substantial issues for consideration”.
The story has been picked up in this week’s Advertiser – you can read their report online here. If you’d like to read the OFSTED report in full it is available on their website here (in pdf format).
The New Prospect tenancy management officer has arranged a “multi-agency walkabout” for the Birch Road area tomorrow (Thursday 13th) in the morning. In reality this means that housing officers, police community support officers, Councillors and representatives from the Council walk around the area talking to residents and looking to identify any potential issues that may be of concern.
We are starting at the Environmental Services depot on Chestnut Avenue at 10am. If you live in the area and feel there are local issues that need to be resolved, feel free to flag us down for a chat!
I’ve managed to find a copy of the document comparing this year’s revenue support grant award to last year’s – click here to read it.
Salford’s RSG has increased by 3.6%, which is lower than all the other Greater Manchester Councils with the exception of Bury, Trafford and Stockport, which (and I’m sure this is a complete coincidence) happen to be the three Greater Manchester local authorities that are not run by the Labour Party.
There’s a fantastic must-read article in this week’s Advertiser by Year 11 student Heather Ennis, writing on behalf of a group of St George’s students campaigning as “JUSTICE4GEORGES”. It’s well worth reading in full (click here), but here’s an important extract:
So where are the right people to ask? Where is Councillor Merry? Where is Councillor Warmisham? They should be meeting with us. Come into our school. What are you afraid of? A bunch of kids? The demolition of your arguments? Every Child Matters?
This is absolutely 100% correct. The right people to ask are Councillor Warmisham and Councillor Merry, but they have refused to even visit the school, and have stayed as far away from the consultation meetings as has been physically possible. The buck and the political responsibility stops with them, but they have hidden behind council officers (who are not responsible for the decision) at every turn.
So John and John, what are you afraid of?
Conservative leader David Cameron has tasked Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps MP, along with property experts Kirstie Allsopp (pictured left) and Owen Inskip to lead a review into the process of home buying.
Driver Error
I’ve not yet learned to drive – it’s on my to-do list. However given today’s announcement I’m rather glad I haven’t been a bit more proactive in taking lessons!
Unbelieable. Perhaps I should start a Christmas sweepstake on what data the Government will lose next…