Bent Sandwell Council is an incestuous hole with many employees related to, or friends with, Labour Councillors, or related to each other. We have seen in the past that staff have been employed despite a pathetic reputation elsewhere - seemingly because they needed the job and status and were therefore seen by the likes of Cooper and Eling as pliant and unlikely to speak out if they spot the fraud, cronyism, incompetence and corruption that has bedevilled Jan Britton's bent paid service (of which Britton himself says, like Manuel in Fawlty Towers, "I know nothing!") One classic example was the employment of Solicitor Neeraj Sharma as Head of Legal despite her involvement in scandal at Walsall Council. Of course, she had to leave in disgrace - but with pay-off and gagging clause natch!
We also have returnees who must be aware of the desperate reputation of the corrupt Council. A top Director is now "Dr" Alison Knight who worked at Sadders previously but left after being one of those involved in a f*ck-up of epic proportions called "Click Sandwell". (It is said that she is a personal friend of Squealing Steve Eling's wife - and not many claim that - but no doubt got the job through her own talent and despite her previous disastrous SMBC record!)
Then of course there is the most dangerous man in Sandwell Council - Surjit Tour -the Head of Legal and the statutory Monitoring Officer. Another returnee from a stellar time at Wirral Council "lol"! In the infamous Eling/Marshall Whatsapp disclosures the pair said they wanted to employ "a bastard" in his position. Time will tell whether he lives up to that expectation but he is off to a flying start - most notably in the case of his secret briefing of the standards committee (including new leader Steve Trow) which led to the unlawful suspension of seven secretaries (and more on that coming soon in The Skidder!).
You wonder why the Council re-employs these people. It is like a dog returning to its own sick. And why - apart from the very high wages - do these people want to work for a bent authority and for a spanner like Jan Britton (picture courtesy of The Gooseman)?
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| "I know nothing!" |
Funnily enough "Adult Social Care" has become the topic of the moment with a number of callers and writers to The Skidder (I am particularly interested in the allegation of a VERY senior employee taking a brown envelope for the award of an adult social care contract - more info welcome!) And Mr Stuart Lackenby's name keeps cropping up in respect of Jan Britton's specially-favoured employee, Liz O'Nions, and the debacle that ensued following her transfer to Waterfall Lane. Lackenby is another who left the corrupt Council but has now come back - but the twist in his story is that he "stayed in touch" for a number of years whilst working in high-powered positions at Dudley MBC.
Here is Lackenby's LinkedIn page:
He left Sadders in 2010 and went to Walsall but then started at Dudley Council in October, 2012 where he "worked" until June, 2016 before returning to the Heart of Darkness. But our Stuart has been a little coy about his work history since he has also been the director of three limited companies. The first two were LLP Resourcing Limited and Lackenby Associates Limited. It is the third company that concerns us today - Star Support Limited (07728344).
Now senior Council employees are generally well paid and some sign contracts that they will give the whole of their non-leisure time to their employment. If they wish to take a second job or run a business (like Paul Reeves at Sandwell with his gardening business) you are usually expected to get permission. Clearly, despite his grandiose job titles, it appears that Lackenby's jobs were p*ss easy since he was also able to run his own company dealing with "social work activities" at the same time.
Lackenby set up Star Support on 3rd November, 2011 and ran it as the sole shareholder and director until 24th May, 2016. This was significant enterprise and Dudley must have been very satisfied that he was doing his day job so well he could run a sizeable business "on the side".
Because he is only obliged by law to file "small company accounts" it is difficult to even get a view on the size of his turnover. But dear readers, I will give you just one guess who gave him a lot of work! Yes folks, his old pals at Sandwell MBC!
Each Municipal year runs from 1st April to 31st March. Whilst the figures below no doubt include VAT this was still a considerable business to be running as well as senior managerial council jobs. These are the minimum amounts Sandwell paid him (any payments under £500 are excluded):
Addendum 27/02/20 in bold - orignal figures UNDERSTATED:
2011/12 £43,350.00 (whilst working for Walsall Council)
2012/13 £152,571.00 (whilst working for Walsall and Dudley Councils)
2013/14 £110,898.75 (whilst working for Dudley Council)
2014/15 £127,547.71 (whilst working for Dudley Council)
2015/16 £17,329.28 (whilst working for Dudley Council)
That is a minimum from Sandwell alone of just over £451,000 on top of his publicly-funded salary and pension contributions from us taxpayers! As above, the abbreviated accounts at Companies House tell us very little save that at one point Lackenby had a cool ££73,089 sitting in the company bank account!
Well done Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell for supporting such entrepreneurial flair!
I suppose the question is why Lackenby gave this all up to return to the sh*thole Sadders in 2016?Was it perhaps something to do with a new Chief Exec at Dudley in 2015? Surely there was no financial inducement that could have persuaded him to return noting the operation he had going at Dudley? No doubt Stuart will tell us all in the near future!
And I am sure the interview for his return must have been fun when the applicant was a significant supplier of services to the very department he was seeking to re-join. Funny old world ain't it?
HELP PLEASE
1. In response to my blog yesterday:
http://thesandwellskidder.blogspot.com/2019/03/urgent-who-is-thug.html
a number of you have contacted me all saying the same name for the thug who is still employed by the forgiving Council. It would be helpful if anyone has any concrete details eg the people on the disciplinary panels that "let him off".
2. Someone called about those being made redundant in the "One Stop Shops" being encouraged by the GMB to sign gagging clauses. Any further info welcome plus generally on the GMB and gagging clauses for other leavers.
[Thank you so much anon for the generous cash donation today!]
AND FINALLY....
We know that a significant number of Labour Councillors at corrupt Sandwell are as thick as mince but it looks like another star is about to join their ranks. Because the moronic prats in Sandwell keep voting this lot in one prospective candidate in West Bromwich seems to have become confused and thinks she will definitely be a Labour Councillor come May by simple dint of being chosen as a candidate. It may be a formality Ms Stojek but first you have to "Beata" the opposition!
THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - COMMUNITY NEWS - READ THE SKIDDER, KIDDER!
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PROUD TO HAVE BEEN TROLLED BY DICKHEAD DARREN COOPER DECEASED!
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