Right-thinking people in Sandwell were worried when the Rotherham child sexual exploitation (CSE) scandal hit the headlines and not just for the unfortunate victims up there. Rotherham and Sandwell Councils have so much in common - apart from Cllr Steve Eling who works for one and f*cks things up at the other (like the Sandwell Labour Council Tax Benefit disaster) - with their anachronistic "tribal" politics and refusal to accept any facts that do not correspond to their perverted view of the world. These unscrupulous and unscrutinised dictatorships of the hard-left will brook no opposition of any kind. In Sandwell they are ably assisted by their propagandists at The Express and Star and a pliant local police force.
Many of us thought that Sandwell had a similar demographic to Rotherham and a very large, and perhaps more importantly, politically-powerful taxi industry which Sandwell Police seem very anxious to protect. Thanks to a Freedom of Information request by The Birmingham Mail the warning signs are flashing as brightly as ever:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/child-sexual-exploitation-force-west-9151006
In the meantime, what of the disaster-zone that is Sandwell's Children's Services since the departure of the previous "leader" of Sandwell Labour, the thief Bill Thomas, who was curiously also known as "Bangkok Bill". Here is a short recent history:
April, 2013 - following yet another scathing Ofsted report and "inadequate" rating (after the one as far back as 2010), the Director of Children's Services resigns and shortly afterwards, the brilliant intellectual who now "leads" the Labour dictatorship, "Professor" Darren Cooper, and his cronies force the cabinet member in charge of this shambles, Cllr Bob Badham, to walk the plank. "Two Brains" Cooper declares that he is "devastated" at the inadequate rating. Labour take the only action they know and throw money at the problem - ironically bringing in a private contractor "to improve the service" [sic]. Their fees are, obviously, on top of SMBC's own budget for Children's Services. The private contractor, iMPower Consulting Limited have had some connection with the comrades previously. We know that laughable "Chief Executive" Jan Britton's team have a disastrous record on procurement (BT being the most spectacular multi-million pound f*ck-up) but this time Britton & Co had previous dealings with iMPower and were obviously mightily impressed with their abilities. I am not sure if the contract was put out to tender or not but Britton awarded them a new deal. The mainstream media has reported only what Labour have told them and have variously reported that the contract was worth "£1m over 3 years" to "£1.15m over 30 months" though they have never bothered to investigate this propaganda. Then the fees to iMPower start to escalate dramatically as their new contract in November, 2012 kicked in from, it seems, January, 2013. Cheekily, on their own website, iMPower draw the public's attention to the habit of Cooper & Co to piss down your leg and tell you it's raining although they quaintly describe it as Sandwell Labour's history of "over-promising and under-delivering". "Lol"
Don't worry say Labour, all will be well and they "pledge" improvements. Cllr Simon "Two Homes" Hackett is handed the poisoned chalice. A snap Ofsted report still brands Labour's service "inadequate".
Central Government serve an official improvement notice on the failing socialists and force Professor Ray Jones on them to help clean up the mess.
Autumn, 2014 - Professor Jones produces reasonably favourable comments and the Local Government Association (with whom Deputy Leader Cllr "The Talking Corpse" Eling has had close links) also produce a reasonably favourable "review" The Labour bullsh*tters go into overdrive with their pathetic boasting. On 15th October, 2014 in a vomit-inducing propaganda display that would have made Josef Stalin blush with shame, two kids are brought in to the full Council meeting and tell the comrades how much things have improved. The comrades cheer them to the roof (I was there) and then masturbate themselves into a positive frenzy of delight as the ludicrous Cooper and the "Chief Executive" of the scandal-ridden cowboy/girl outfit step down from their dias to dramatically sign yet another meaningless, er, "pledge" to improve Children's Services.
Such is the hubris of these Labour w*nkers that they even started boasting to the press about their achievements and iMPower joined in claiming that, thanks to their very highly-paid efforts,"byword for failure" Sandwell was being transformed into a centre of "innovation". They quoted "xxx xxxxx xxxxxxx" [comedic reference temporarily removed] Britton as saying, "The work iMPower did [in remodelling services] was exceptional" as was their motivation of social workers. Indeed, so wonderful were they that the laughable Britton was copying their business model to other parts of the failing Council: "Children's services has become the exemplar for what we are doing elsewhere". "Lol" again!
Simon White, the new Director of Children's Services, boasted, "Our approach has been to improve the service in a completely different way to the path taken by Councils when they fail an Ofsted"......
Needless to say, Sandwell's ubiquitous spokesperson on all matters was also gloating. Smethwick's answer to Jean Paul Sartre opined, "We have broken a vicious circle of failure, improvement then failure again" (though his full quote was likely to have been written for him by the half a million pound a year "press office"). Cooper (for it is he) also boasted, "We are ready for [Ofsted] inspection".
Early 2015 - As ever, the only media organisation in the area who actually bother to do any investigative journalism and reportage had their finger on the pulse when Ofsted inspected in January and as early as 25th February, 2015 The Halesowen News called the outcome ie that there would be yet another "inadequate" rating.
They had the inside track and said this:
"As the latest inspection started in January, Cllr Cooper trumpeted the 'vast improvements' he claimed had been made.
"But the source, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that Cllr Cooper "had set himself up for a fall".
"The source said: "It shows the Council Leader does not have his finger on the pulse of children's services" "
 |
| ROFLMAO |
Insiders at SMBC say that the Labour dictatorship were also very anxious that the report should not see the light of day until AFTER the May elections and I have a Freedom of Information Act request in with Ofsted about this. The fact is that when the "purdah" period kicked-in (ie the period before the election when Council's have to stop publicising anything that is politically sensitive) both Ofsted and Sandwell Labour said that the Report could not then be disclosed. This is an absolute outrage when vulnerable kids are at risk and gives the lie to Labour and Ofsted spouting out the standard b*llocks that "the best interests of the child are paramount".
Although this is morally shocking is it right legally? The truth is that the Ofsted report is NOT party political. The fact that it may be embarrassing to a political party who have f*cked up yet again should be neither here nor there. Here are the official guidelines:
"Legal basis and official guidance
The pre-election restrictions are governed by Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986 , as amended in 1988 . Essentially councils should “not publish any material which, in whole or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party.”
(Clearly the Ofsted report is apolitical and the result of the findings on an independent inspection and is not "designed" to affect a political party even though that might be a consequence of publication.)
"You are allowed to:
• Continue to discharge normal council business (including determining planning applications, even if they are controversial)."
(Dealing with the Ofsted report as a matter of urgency where vulnerable kids are at risk should, in anywhere but Sandwell, surely be "normal council business"?)
Clearly there is absolutely no point in writing to Watson, Spellar or Bailey, the local Labour MP's, about this appalling misinterpretation of the rules but please consider writing direct to the Cabinet Office:
publiccorrespondence@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
The learned Cooper tweeted this about the pre-election cover-up to one of the Twitter trolls he was "using" at the time:
@OdgenW Latest tripe politically motivated. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows ofsted or SMBC can't report in Purdah.
(This troll account is one of the 16 - sixteen - associated with Cooper that Twitter have now suspended).
(This troll account is one of the 16 - sixteen - associated with Cooper that Twitter have now suspended).
And it all worked a treat. F*ck the vulnerable kids (which is what might have literally happened to some of them during this period of gross delay), the report must await the election.
5th June, 2015 - as called back in February by the Halesowen News the report comes out with another shocking "inadequate" rating. Instead of being "devastated" this time, and SMBC losing their appeal against the rating, Cooper simply denies the veracity of the report and claims it is "wrong"! The news was embargoed until 3pm and was out a few minutes later than that but, within minutes, Cooper's aforementioned pet troll @OdgenW was putting forward SMBC's detailed "rebuttal" of the report's findings so that there had clearly been some collaboration between Cooper and the troll prior to the public announcement. There was no humility nor apology to the kids who have suffered thanks to Labour's shocking ineptitude and no positive plan as to how SMBC was going to move forward and rectify this dreadful situation. Neither Cooper nor Hackett resigned as a private deal between the two had been sorted out with Tom Watson beforehand (needless to say the Nonce-Finder General himself continues to gob off about historic child sex abuse but has had nothing whatsoever to say about the appalling record of Labour on CSE in his own constituency!!!!)
And what of iMPower is an all this? As above, they so impressed "xxx xxxxx xxxxxxx" [comedic reference to Chief Executive, Jan Britton, temporarily removed] that he dished out a massive contract to them. On their website they set out three core targets for the contract. One was "saving money" - see below - but the number one goal (couched in the usual b*llock-speak) was:
"establishing an effective service, meeting OFSTED requirements and staying 'ahead of the curve' in terms of nationally acceptable standards".
Clearly given the inadequate Ofsted rating they have spectacularly FAILED in their number one objective despite handsome payment. Take a look at this link wherein they trumpet the positive reviews of last Autumn but COMPLETELY FAIL to mention the disastrous Ofsted result!!!! What a surprise!
Staff at SMBC have also contacted The Skidder to express their concern about Labour's claim that iMPower have only cost £1m or £1.15m. In SMBC's financial year 2011/2012 (before the current contract) Britton was so impressed by them that they still scored a minimum of £72,015.18p. The next financial year, which includes the start of the current contract sees fees start to sky-rocket to a minimum figure of £379,697.39. Now for the big one! According to SMBC's "payments over £500 list" (which obviously excludes any further payments made under £500) in one year alone, 2013-2014, Labour paid them £910,540.72p!!!!!
In 2014-2015 Labour paid a minimum further £659,560.70 and in the first four months of the current financial year - and despite the dramatic Ofsted failure - iMPower have had another minimum £205,784.84.
If we leave out the initial figure of £72,015.18 then since 1st April, 2012 SMBC's records show they have paid iMPower a minimum figure of £2,155,583.65. Assuming that all the invoices include 20% VAT the net figure is still £1,796,319.71 - way above what Labour have told the mainstream press. My informants are right as usual and I salute their bravery in exposing the Labour lies.
(Incidentally, in a rare show of dissent against the Politburo, Cllr Steven Jones - whose own family is mired in the Wednesbury Celebrates/Sport Wednesbury scandal - has criticised the "leadership" for throwing money at the problem and wasting it! But see below....!)
In the meantime, Labour have borrowed approximately £20m+ for a new HQ in West Bromwich; borrowed the thick end of £10m for yet another new bloody leisure centre, and borrowed getting on for £6m to lend to the College (who they specifically do NOT have to fund) - although they will get this back if the College does not go bust over, er, 25 years! This is nothing to do with the Government but the loony lefties just have to keep on borrowing and spending.
On a smaller scale - while vulnerable Sandwell kids are in a terrible predicament and at great risk of sexual exploitation, Baggies-mad Cooper continues to plough money into his vanity projects like the Club's own [sic] charity, The Albion Foundation where, happily, "Two Homes" Hackett is on the charity's board. (The taxpayer is putting in huge sums thanks to Labour and in the last accounts the Club put in, er, ZERO - a nice, round figure). I think this is what is called getting your priorities right....
But hang on a minute, what is this? The "Talking Corpse" Eling now says that, in fact, Children's Services - despite failing so spectacularly - "performed a significant [financial] SURPLUS - last year" ie the sick "socialists" did NOT use up their allocated budget for the most vulnerable kids in the Borough! The Leadership [sic] reject Ofsted's findings (!) and insist that everything is hunky dory so that they are now going to CUT £7.16m from the Children's Services budget!!!! (Hopefully the exceptional iMPower won't miss out though!) Honestly, I am NOT making this up....
Surely the time has come again for the sake of the kids that the Government should intervene again and, as per James Morris MP, "step in and sort out" this disgraceful situation once and for all? Further, this joke Labour outfit must stop wasting money on crap and concentrate on delivering essential services in a proper manner to vulnerable people - young and old.
Unfortunately, the voters of Sandwell (or at least the low percentage who bother to vote) seem to like all this sort of thing and keep voting to keep the shambolic Labour dictatorship in power over them.
There is none so blind as those who will not see.......
In 2014-2015 Labour paid a minimum further £659,560.70 and in the first four months of the current financial year - and despite the dramatic Ofsted failure - iMPower have had another minimum £205,784.84.
If we leave out the initial figure of £72,015.18 then since 1st April, 2012 SMBC's records show they have paid iMPower a minimum figure of £2,155,583.65. Assuming that all the invoices include 20% VAT the net figure is still £1,796,319.71 - way above what Labour have told the mainstream press. My informants are right as usual and I salute their bravery in exposing the Labour lies.
(Incidentally, in a rare show of dissent against the Politburo, Cllr Steven Jones - whose own family is mired in the Wednesbury Celebrates/Sport Wednesbury scandal - has criticised the "leadership" for throwing money at the problem and wasting it! But see below....!)
In the meantime, Labour have borrowed approximately £20m+ for a new HQ in West Bromwich; borrowed the thick end of £10m for yet another new bloody leisure centre, and borrowed getting on for £6m to lend to the College (who they specifically do NOT have to fund) - although they will get this back if the College does not go bust over, er, 25 years! This is nothing to do with the Government but the loony lefties just have to keep on borrowing and spending.
On a smaller scale - while vulnerable Sandwell kids are in a terrible predicament and at great risk of sexual exploitation, Baggies-mad Cooper continues to plough money into his vanity projects like the Club's own [sic] charity, The Albion Foundation where, happily, "Two Homes" Hackett is on the charity's board. (The taxpayer is putting in huge sums thanks to Labour and in the last accounts the Club put in, er, ZERO - a nice, round figure). I think this is what is called getting your priorities right....
But hang on a minute, what is this? The "Talking Corpse" Eling now says that, in fact, Children's Services - despite failing so spectacularly - "performed a significant [financial] SURPLUS - last year" ie the sick "socialists" did NOT use up their allocated budget for the most vulnerable kids in the Borough! The Leadership [sic] reject Ofsted's findings (!) and insist that everything is hunky dory so that they are now going to CUT £7.16m from the Children's Services budget!!!! (Hopefully the exceptional iMPower won't miss out though!) Honestly, I am NOT making this up....
Surely the time has come again for the sake of the kids that the Government should intervene again and, as per James Morris MP, "step in and sort out" this disgraceful situation once and for all? Further, this joke Labour outfit must stop wasting money on crap and concentrate on delivering essential services in a proper manner to vulnerable people - young and old.
Unfortunately, the voters of Sandwell (or at least the low percentage who bother to vote) seem to like all this sort of thing and keep voting to keep the shambolic Labour dictatorship in power over them.
There is none so blind as those who will not see.......
To finish with some good news - though not for Sandwell - many of you will remember ex-Councillor Mick Davies. Now Mick is a dear old leftie but, that nothwithstanding (!), is a thoroughly decent man of considerable integrity who felt compelled to leave the Labour Party locally due to the antics of the likes of Cooper. Mick runs an excellent team at the SureStart Palfrey Children's Centre in Walsall. In 2010 the Centre was rated "outstanding" in all categories by Ofsted and they have just done it again with another "outstanding" grading across the board in 2015 - the only Children's Centre in the whole country to currently have achieved this remarkable feat. What a shame he now lives outside the Borough since his principled approach to politics and his understanding of difficult issues is very much needed in the stinking cesspit controlled by Cooper and the rest of Sandwell Labour.
Remember the police fraud team investigating Sandwell Council still want to hear from you if you have evidence of possible wrongdoing - 0121 251 2175 - DS Wayne Haynes & Team.
THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - A COMMUNITY BLOG - READ THE SKIDDER, KIDDER!
E-mail: thesandwellskider@gmail.com Twitter: @bcrover (Vernon Grant)
Confidential phone no: 07599 983737
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