We note the new regime of openness and transparency is as well oiled a machine as the previous regime.  Some things never change, and one can only assume the two officers (Nora Loone and Nike Fowla) mentioned in the Freedom of Information request below were paid HUGE amounts of public money to bugger off and keep quiet, and that Wirral Council has something to hide. Why else would they not comply with such a simple request?

Check out the tortuous process concerned members of the public have to go through to see how WBC spend tax payers money.  Are they morons ?  Well yes.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/dass_recent_departure_of_two_sen#outgoing-200932

We’ll be watching

Well when we say “giant” we mean “giant salary.” Solace Associate and Council troubleshooter Michael Fratler has been drafted in to sort out beleaguered Wirral Council on a  monthly salary of  £15,000 - “based on £1,200 per day, three days a week, 4.2 weeks per month.” Nice work if you can get it. Can anyone smell a gravy train pulling into Hamilton Square ?

Michael , who bears more than a passing resemblance to a middle aged Harry Potter , will certainly need a magic wand to defeat the ‘death eaters’ who infest the corridors of power in WBC and his appointment has been greeted with much triumphant harrumphing by readers of the  Wirral Globe. It seems they have found a new hero, although looking for a hero in “Solace” would seem as fatuous as looking for enduring talent in a Simon Cowell TV show. 

Lord and Lady Wirral-Leaks are not ones to burst anyone’s bubble, but maybe, for balance, we should check out Michaels “previous.”  A blog in Nottingham, an authority were MF had been Chief Exec, doesn’t seem particularly enamoured with his particular brand of public service wizardry and states -

“Michael Frater is the 3rd Chief Exec to leave Nottingham in the past 6 years. Pay-offs to the previous Chief Execs were £110,000 and £153,000 bringing the total amount Nottingham City Council has spent on getting rid of disgruntled execs to around half a million pounds. It looks like there’s quite a bit of money to be made in not getting along with your colleagues if you’re a Chief Executive. It’s good to know that our taxes are being well spent.

It’s not the only area in which Frater has been frittering away money. At the start of the month, by which time it is claimed he had already moved his furniture back to Telford, he was enjoying himself at a Nottingham City Council funded £52,000 beach party on the Cote d’Azur. Apparently he was wooing developers to invest in Nottingham at an international property show. It seems that we don’t have enough luxury flats in the city centre, making private profit for their millionaire owners whilst pushing affordable housing further into the periphery.

Frater has also come under fire for his commissioning of a play to improve public services. Rather than engaging in dialogue with Council employees, Frater thought that it would be better if actors presented the issues according a Council-approved script. This propaganda effort was to be directed at 3,500 Council workers and cost £387,000, more than £100 per person. Why the money couldn’t have been spent taking concrete measures to address the problems staff face was never addressed.”

Hmmm, you can read more HERE

So here at  Maison Forte De Wirral- Leaks we will not stringing up the bunting or  popping the Armand de Brignac open just yet.

“wide-scale systematic weaknesses” and “potential fraud”?  Oh dear, what a pickle….

More below

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2012/04/12/wirral-council-investigates-new-whistleblowers-claims-99623-30740243/#sitelife-commentsWidget-bottom

Yesterday we published “The DASS VISION.”  Under the spirit crushing corporate speak and spin it’s easy to miss detail. Eldritch our elderly butler alerted Lord And Lady Wirral-Leaks to the fact that true to form, out of every misfortune DASS management seek to turn it to their advantage. So instead of getting rid of the quite frankly crap managers, the proposal is to ask Councillors for yet more money for “Management.” Yup you couldn’t make it up, and yet again we haven’t.

******************************************************

Check out Point 6.2.2

“Management capacity is strongly linked to the Departments ability to make the level of improvement required. Further discussion will be held with members regarding how additional investment in an improved management structure could contribute to improving policy practice and procedures, performance and business management processes. The Department would also benefit from a clearer focus on strategic commissioning. This would be used to inform members of changing need and aspirations, as well as plans to change the focus of provision to meet those needs”

***********************************************************

So it’s MBA’s all round ? And the gravy train rolls on.  Last time we looked these Management courses cost the tax payer around £ 37,000. Factor in that much of the work is also done in Council time (study days, days to attend college) and the economic cost is arguably far greater and for what exactly?? , Oh and you’ll find managers asking overworked Social Workers to give up part of their working days, and put their cases on hold, to help their managers with their course work.

eg/

Attachments: Interview Questions for Dissertation

Info following the request for social workers to a focus group

From: Tomlin, Peter R.
Sent: 15 November 2010 11:43
To: Woodcock, Maria A.; Burns, Mo; Alldis, Sarah L.; Nicholls, Karen V.
Subject: FW: Peter Tomlin’s dissertation focus group.

Hi all

I should have contacted you before Sheena sent the e mail. This replaces the previous request for managers to attend – I’ve consulted with my course tutor and agreed that a discussion by practitioners over the issues raised by the questions (see attached) is a better way of verifying the evidence through a focus group. If your team members can help at all I’d be very grateful. Each session will not last more than an hour.

Once we have availability Sheena will organize the venue

Thanks

Peter

From: Young, Sheena P.
Sent: 15 November 2010 11:25
To: Woodcock, Maria A.; Burns, Mo; Alldis, Sarah L.; Nicholls, Karen V.
Cc: Tomlin, Peter R.
Subject: Peter Tomlin’s dissertation focus group.

Hi All

Peter has asked if you could please arrange for four social workers to attend his dissertation focus groups to be held on any two of the dates below (two SW’s for each day).

Friday 19^th Nov.              PM

Monday 22^nd Nov.           AM

Tues 23^rd Nov.                AM

Sheena Young

Secretary 

Access and Assessment

Department of Adult Social Services

******************************************************************************

You can have a look at the usual depressing blather about “The Vision” for the Department of Adult Social Services (DASS) for the next 24 months. HERE

After #DELAYGATE point 6.1 -  Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework is perhaps not the most sensitively worded goal.

“Delay and reduce the need for care and support.”

…what actual f**king planet is the incoming Labour leader on?

Why not publicly an announce setting up a hot line (see HERE)  and then not answer it ?  In most places this would be madness, but in Wirral Council, it’s the norm.

From the Wirral Globe

“ASTONISHING parallels have emerged between a highly critical investigation into Wirral Council’s inadequate ethics and governance in 2005 and an equally damaging inquiry conducted six years later.

A review by local government watchdog the Audit Commission published in August of 2005 found Wirral guilty of alarming errors at the most senior level as it sought to transfer its highways administration centre from Bebington to the Cheshire Lines building in Birkenhead”

Here’s the Audit Commission Report (CLICK)

We think his comment on the Wirral Globe web site sums it up best ;)

“I bet they’re Green around the gills in Canning Street.

PS. The “new chief executive Jim Wilkie” was formerly the “deputy chief executive” mentioned in this report, wasn’t he?

The highways director is STILL the highways boss.

The finance boss is STILL the finance boss.

No doubt they will all come rushing forward waving their £100k salary cheques insisting they’re the right men to investigate themselves, in a statement issued by the furious Sultaness of Spin.

And on and on - and on - we go.”

We are imagining an apoplectic Frank Field Mp running toward Town hall rather like Bishop Brennan from Father Ted :)

It would appear Wirral Council are trying to break some sort of a record for appearances in Private Eye’s Rotten Boroughs section. Lord and Lady Wirral-Leaks are huge fans of the Eye, and admire they way it cuts through the spin and bluster to tell it exactly like it is. This week it mentions the 4 week delay aka DELAYGATE, plus some disturbing tales of care providers without contracts on the Wirral run by ex-CID officers. We are of course sure that such a link would never compromise the integrity or veracity of any potential Police investigation. The Eye also quotes the suspected amount of money paid to two employees, lets call them Nora Doone and Pike Growler, totals which FOI requests have thus far failed to reveal  (see HERE)

There is also a brief mention in Social Work bible “Community Care” with regard to “#DELAYGATE”  HERE

Mind you rumour has it that Community Care is on board with Wirral’s Department Of Adult Social Services (DASS) to assist in improving it’s public image, although the feeling is that even Harry Potter’s magical powers would be put to the test in trying to spin DASS in positive light.

This may explain Community Care’s recent “soft focus” interview with new Director Graham Hodkinson, whose grip on the situation could be summed up when he incongruously stated that [within the Department] “morale is good.“  Sorry, but saying it doesn’t make it so Graham old fruit.

We suggest he reads the comments on the Wirral Globe website for a truer picture of what’s really going on in DASS. There he will discover horrific tales of institutionalised bullying were former staff talk of pressure, intimidation and being forbidden to mention the 4 week delay and ultimately being forced out of their jobs. Or perhaps he might like to peruse the emails we have received - which are numerous and shocking - Here is a quote from just one of those emails.

“To be honest I don’t think I have ever worked in a more bullying environment.  I have met bullies in work in other places, but never a culture of nastiness and threat from management at every turn.

I can only presume they must be desperately worried and are doing everything they can to shift the blame for a failing organisation onto newly recruited, overworked and inadequately trained staff - I truly find it depressing that human beings can act like this - remember they are planning all their actions, these are not impulsive actions!”

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So the 4 week care delay that didn’t actually happen, did happen!

Wirral Council have set up a “hotline” in response to DELAYGATE which opened today and will be available until Friday, April 13.

The number to call is 0151 606 2641.

Complaints can also be registered by emailing leader@wirral.gov.uk or in writing to the Customer Resolution and Information Team, Hamilton Building, Conway Street, Birkenhead, CH41 4FD.

Other questions people may like to ask is,

Why was there a delay especially when the Fair Access to care legislation states “Councils should provide services promptly once they have agreed to do so.”

Who decided on this policy, Elected members ? Or Senior Officers ? 

Why are these people still in post and why was this unofficial policy covered up for so long? 

Who are the specialist team of officers independent of Wirral Council.?