The rapacious folk who run Sandwell College are very happy to shaft the taxpayer and the good people of Sandwell in respect of The Public* but they don't seem to like it when they don't get exactly what they want and are clearly upset at not receiving funding they applied for recently from the Education Funding Agency.
They are still desperately trying to keep everything connected with The Public secret (eg still redacting information from the May meeting of the Board of Governors) but the May 2014 minutes do make interesting reading.
The College is acknowledging the need to acquire quality staff - particularly to teach GCSE Maths & English - and acknowledge some recruitment difficulties but this is hardly likely to be helped by this:
"The Deputy Principal informed members....the College was not in a position, at this time, to recommend a staff pay award (ie pay rise) for 2103/2014."
And worse:
"The Director of HR presented a report informing members of issues (eg a formal dispute letter from the unions) that had arisen as a consequence of the non-payment of (pay) increments, which had been withheld on the basis of affordability." In other words they are screwing the staff they have got!
In an effort to "cook the books" they resolved to hold over all money they had actually spent in respect of The Public this year until their next financial year (I have done an FoI request about some of this via WhatDoTheyKnow.com)!
It gets worse! In February it was agreed that the Board's consideration of the purchase of new computers for students and new laptops for staff would be deferred but in May the Board decide to "withdraw" from any further consideration of this. And so the vain College is anxious to acquire its second £70 million building in two years but, in the internet age, can't afford vital new computers for staff and students! Warped priorities?
Happily though, the grasping College has decided that it does not need to accept the lowest quote for the new computers and infrastructure costs at The Public** but can afford (via the taxpayer) something a bit racier to "show off" when it moves in.
And, lest we forget, the College can also afford to pay a net £3,000 per month to Labour Party Properties Limited, the non-taxpaying property company owned by the, er, Labour Party. Of course they say they will be moving out of Terry Duffy House in July (?!) but that they will kindly be leaving Labour brand new carpets which have cost the taxpayer (ex-Vat) £4,300.00p! We shall see.........
* It does appear, despite the secrecy of the College and Labour Sandwell Council, that what we have guessed-at all along is correct. The College are only going to "repay" the conversion costs of The Public to Sandwell Council who have kindly borrowed the money which they would not have been able to borrow themselves and spent it on their behalf. Whilst the lie has been put about that this is rent IT IS NO SUCH THING! When the truth comes out you will see that the Council has given away a massive publically-funded building for 25 years for little - or even no - rent at all. Watch this space. (Note also that the College is involved in the new "technical university" project which will be occupying the proposed "Clap Clinic" building when it eventually rises from the ashes on West Brom High Street and so there will be further pressure on its finances to come).
** Some folk have had a moan about the costs of Sandwell Council et al replying to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests but the problem is that organisations routinely fail to put information in the public domain. Sandwell College have gone to great lengths to keep The Public deal secret even though they and SMBC are both public bodies funded by you and I. Here they have tendered for the equipment costs and awarded the contract to a company which has NOT submitted the lowest tender. There may be perfectly good reasons for this but we, the people, need to know. I formally request the College by this blogpost to make the details public as soon as possible but please rest assured good folk that if the facts are not forthcoming a FoI request will surely follow. No good moaning then Sandwell College!!!
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having looked at the frivilous way that organisations spend or squander their budgets, it comes as no surprise that the 'Finance Director' oops, I meant deputy Principal resigned or was given the push from her post- no evidence of this position being refilled. The top heavy management structure at Sandwell College is questionable and maybe the new Principal is using his finance background to get the college out of deficit. A re-structure of Senior/ Vice people in post would benefit the College, however there is also a misguided expenditure with Part-time hourly paid Lecturing staff that needs to be addressed. The college seems to be stuffed to the gunnels with transient staff who seem to drain the college budget every year. Surely a review and audit would uncover the sheer misuse of funds? The college need permanent trained staff that can contribute to teaching. I'm perplexed and outraged that there is a continuity of employing more hourly paid staff that cost more in the long run than employing a full-time staff member. Surely this needs investigating?
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