It's back to school for Wirral councillors and officers (From Wirral Globe)

Isn't this a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted???

Maybe they should have done this in the first place.

What's not referred to here is the fact that as from last Friday, Anna Klonowski departed Wirral Council. AKA are no longer commissioned by the council and Anna Klonowski is no longer a member of the Improvement Board.

http://tinyurl.com/c
ro8bzd

Anna Klonowski's company was the one which began training Wirral's councillors and senior officers in "corporate governance" starting way back in 2006.

Councillor Jeff Green somehow managed to secure her services as an "independent" investigator - but she was never publicly seen to declare any interest or connection to the council. Can this have been correct and above board?

Because, having a prior connection, whatever the outcome of the AKA investigation, there was an interest, and whatever outcome was reached, she may have stood to gain or lose.

Fast forward 5 or 6 years and the AKA full report found shocking failures in that very area; "corporate governance" - with senior officers though.... and NOT bizarrely with any councillors.

Ian Campbell (suspended) gave an excellent reference to AKA and it appears on the AKA website:

http://tinyurl.com/b
p2d5ff

Now, AKA have cut their ties. Is anybody putting two and two together?

So for over 10 years this council has made a complete and utter mess and has been managed by bumbling incompetent untrained officers overseen by equally deluded elected councillors. We have paid out fortunes for legal expenses, over priced contracts, failures within DASS, bully tactics, arrogance, greed and delusions of grandure topped of with over generous payouts to so many members of staff who basically wanted to leave before it all hit the fan.

Now WE have to pay the costs to train the staff to do the job they have been doing for years and no doubt all expenses paid.

Thanks to all the whistle blowers and the Wirral Globe for exposing these findings and the many comments but one last question. WILL they ever sack any body or will anybody ever face charges! I guess not we will just have to pay our council tax while covering the costs of all the failures.

The duly elected members have let us all down do badly. Sad really. Can't wait to see that new light for the Olympics when do they finish?

So for over 10 years this council has made a complete and utter mess and has been managed by bumbling incompetent untrained officers overseen by equally deluded elected councillors. We have paid out fortunes for legal expenses, over priced contracts, failures within DASS, bully tactics, arrogance, greed and delusions of grandure topped of with over generous payouts to so many members of staff who basically wanted to leave before it all hit the fan.

Now WE have to pay the costs to train the staff to do the job they have been doing for years and no doubt all expenses paid.

Thanks to all the whistle blowers and the Wirral Globe for exposing these findings and the many comments but one last question. WILL they ever sack any body or will anybody ever face charges! I guess not we will just have to pay our council tax while covering the costs of all the failures.

The duly elected members have let us all down do badly. Sad really. Can't wait to see that new light for the Olympics when do they finish?

It really is sinking to the lowest level when mature men and women need to be returned to school for basic lessons on how to behave in public life, and take on board how to behave in a Decent, Honest, Clean, Open and Fair way when dealing with public Finance, Service and Expectations of the electorate living in the Borough.
This is only slightly less shameful that an elected Councilor being unable to oversee, question, and investigate, any concerns or possible discrepancies in providing council services to the highest standard possible.
Again in a completely Open, Honest, Fair, Transparent fully Accountable manner from all levels of the employed staff no exceptions.

I believe the only school that is required for this collective bunch of parasites is an approved one, before leading to some correction system at one of HM institutions.

What has taken place in Wirral for more than a decade is and still remains Illegal, Immoral, and Indefensible, and should be brought to book without any further delay.

If the so called ordinary man or woman in the street is elected as a councillor then I can understand the need for some training in the workings of a large organisation such as the council but I find it beyond belief that there should be a need to train council officers...they must have been employed on the basis that they knew the "in`s and out`s" of council protocol, so what the h*ell where HR doing employing them. Looks to me like Norman and his department are the biggest culprits in this direction.

The only school this gang of liars,cheats and crooks should be going to is an approved one!

PaulCa wrote:
What's not referred to here is the fact that as from last Friday, Anna Klonowski departed Wirral Council. AKA are no longer commissioned by the council and Anna Klonowski is no longer a member of the Improvement Board.

http://tinyurl.com/c

ro8bzd

Anna Klonowski's company was the one which began training Wirral's councillors and senior officers in "corporate governance" starting way back in 2006.

Councillor Jeff Green somehow managed to secure her services as an "independent" investigator - but she was never publicly seen to declare any interest or connection to the council. Can this have been correct and above board?

Because, having a prior connection, whatever the outcome of the AKA investigation, there was an interest, and whatever outcome was reached, she may have stood to gain or lose.

Fast forward 5 or 6 years and the AKA full report found shocking failures in that very area; "corporate governance" - with senior officers though.... and NOT bizarrely with any councillors.

Ian Campbell (suspended) gave an excellent reference to AKA and it appears on the AKA website:

http://tinyurl.com/b

p2d5ff

Now, AKA have cut their ties. Is anybody putting two and two together?

Anna Klonowski's involvement was always time limited, just check the contract between AKA Ltd and the Council for that. I notice you left Cllr Harney (who's on the Improvement Board) off your email and a few other officers on the Improvement Board.

In the world of Wirral Council though Paul, a policy can't be changed without the politicians getting involved or court action.

It's not up to Wirral Council to investigate itself for breaches of the law. Any resulting investigation would be tainted by the conflict of interest. That's up to the police/CPS/courts (if it's criminal) and the interested parties/representati
ves of interested parties involved and the courts if civil.

Disability discrimination is a civil matter. One could argue that overcharging is theft (criminal) if the money isn't returned. If an element of the crime relates to a protected characteristic (as disability is) it only affects sentencing.

However with it being difficult to find out who (councillors and officers) at Wirral Council are responsible for making decisions means that apart from corporate responsibility it'd difficult to pin it on specific individuals (other than the two middle managers that left and a few others). There's also the point that you need evidence (most of which has been kept out of the public domain).

Finally there are time limits, a civil action claim on disability discrimination in the county court has to generally be brought within six months of the decision complained about, outside this time limit it's up to the court whether to accept it or not. A judicial review claim has to be brought promptly and generally only a maximum of three months after the decision. Cases in the Magistrate's Courts also generally have time limits too.

So what I'm trying to point out is it was done, because they could get away with it without consequences. You are wrong that the AKA report cleared councillors, check the list of names of councillors and the annex of the AKA report that has minutes of the meeting where councillors (3) recommended to other councillors (10) to implement the special charging policy on the recommendation of officers.

P.S. It's not Ian Campbell it's Ian Coleman.

This re-writing of history will not wash.

"Mr.Field pursued the issue vigorously" did he?.

I'd suggest that he picks and chooses which issues he pursues "vigorously".

He states :“The Audit Commission report reveals a state of affairs in Wirral Council that I hardly believe possible to exist" he says.

He knew years ago what it was like and stated openly and publicly what a shambles the Council was and called for high profile resignations.

What prompted him to belatedly and (rightly) champion the latest set of whistleblowers is known only to him.

Also whilst there's mention of the 2005 and 2012 Audit Commission reports - why no mention of the 2008 report - when former Chief Executive Steve Maddox was still very much in charge?.

Its extraordinary that a Council would be subject to 1 Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) report let alone 3.

As for Councillors/Council Officers "going back to school".
What are the subjects - ethics,law and morality?.

@MX

"What are the subjects, ethics, law and morality?"

This is meant tongue in cheek...

The answers are:-

For law we consult our legal advisers as we're not elected for our legal background, for ethics we consult the Monitoring Officer or Chair or spokespersons of the Standards Committee and as for morality, well that generally falls outside the scope of politics but maybe the Mayor's Chaplain can help us. After all morals are a very personal subjective thing that vary from person to person.

This way if we may make a decision that turns out to be wrong, or don't do something we should we can blame it and spin it on our advisers (and if the public calls for action sack or suspend them) - simples! If the above doesn't work, then we'll shred any incriminating documents/records and pay off anybody who does know the truth to keep their mouths shut. After all if they speak a different version of what happened to us it would make us look right Charlies and the public would think we're liars or gullible.

Which school are our "Leaders" going to attend?.
Who will provide the training?.
Will they start in kindergarten?.
What will the curriculum look like?.
Will it begin with lessons about honesty,
integrity,moral values,etc.
Will they have to take a "packed lunch"?.
or will they be provided with one paid for by the TAX PAYER?.
Will they have to get a bus to school, or will they have to walk there?
Will they be given detention for poor work / non -attenendance, being disruptive in class?.
Will there be an Anti-bullying policy?.
Should they not meet the standards required at this early stage in their development, will they be " held back" a year in the hope that they can make the grade?.
What action will be taken should they not make the grade?.
Will they be expelled?.
I do hope so!.

PS.
Will they be "TAGGED" with a MORAL COMPASS to assist them in their endeavours to be honest,have integrity, stop bullying, and accept personal responsibility when they fail the public they are paid handsomely to SERVE?.
If they fail in any, or all of these attempts to raise standards, will they be made to sit on the "Naughty Steps"
and forbidden to ever hold office again?.
I think there just may be enough steps behind the Town Hall to accomodate all of them!.

Presumably when these councillors signed up to Nolan, they didn't know what they were signing?

How's this for an idea?

Potential council candidates should first of all sit some kind of test to determine their exact understanding of the workings of the democratic process and and of local government. This must not be a qualification for standing, but their scores could be printed on the ballot paper. They might make interesting reading.

Does anybody else know of a 'job' other than that of councillor where the applicant is:-

a. Not obliged to have any particular qualification or past experience
b. Often very well known to the people on the interview panel
c. Interviewed by a just a handful of people despite having to represent thousands
d. 'Appointed' (i.e. elected) by as few as one in every five potential voters
e. In office for a fixed four-year contract without challenge
f. Only obliged to turn up for a tiny number of meetings during that four year period
g. Is paid more than an old age pensioner gets each year for what can be, if s/he decides, a simple part-time job ?

PaulCa wrote:
What's not referred to here is the fact that as from last Friday, Anna Klonowski departed Wirral Council. AKA are no longer commissioned by the council and Anna Klonowski is no longer a member of the Improvement Board.

http://tinyurl.com/c

ro8bzd

Anna Klonowski's company was the one which began training Wirral's councillors and senior officers in "corporate governance" starting way back in 2006.

Councillor Jeff Green somehow managed to secure her services as an "independent" investigator - but she was never publicly seen to declare any interest or connection to the council. Can this have been correct and above board?

Because, having a prior connection, whatever the outcome of the AKA investigation, there was an interest, and whatever outcome was reached, she may have stood to gain or lose.

Fast forward 5 or 6 years and the AKA full report found shocking failures in that very area; "corporate governance" - with senior officers though.... and NOT bizarrely with any councillors.

Ian Campbell (suspended) gave an excellent reference to AKA and it appears on the AKA website:

http://tinyurl.com/b

p2d5ff

Now, AKA have cut their ties. Is anybody putting two and two together?

Excellent post, PaulCa.

Klonowski, and councillors reaction to it, was a clinical whitewash as far as elected members are concerned (why, incidentally, does Cllr Davies and others insist on referring to his colleagues as 'elected members' as though part of some exclusive club, rather than 'councillors' which is how us plebs know them? Does that make council officers 'unelected members' with all that title implies?)

Officers either walked away with a wheelbarrow-load of money and a convenient gag or remain suspended until yet another enquiry. But what about the guilty councillors? Well that's easy. Don't identify individuals, just lump them all together and send them all back to school. No names, no pack-drill.

Shameful.

Thanks for comment Ben. A whitewash for councillors it certainly was.

And disturbing to think that councillors who brought AKA in to investigate were those who, years before, made the decision to appoint AKA to train them in 2006.... and kept the controlling hand over her £future at Wirral. it's all rather "circular" and incestuous.

I have this image I can't dismiss - of wild monkeys in a barrel, fighting and tearing lumps out of each other over a bunch of green L-shaped bananas (£££).

Scanning these posts, it's interesting to see that a minority of 1 believes there WAS a measure of accountability for councillors via Klonowski :-O !

I suppose it's not a surprising conclusion to arrive at if the person reaching it has repeatedly tried but failed to join their ranks himself.

You wouldn't want to burn ALL of your bridges.

PaulCa wrote:
Thanks for comment Ben. A whitewash for councillors it certainly was.

And disturbing to think that councillors who brought AKA in to investigate were those who, years before, made the decision to appoint AKA to train them in 2006.... and kept the controlling hand over her £future at Wirral. it's all rather "circular" and incestuous.

I have this image I can't dismiss - of wild monkeys in a barrel, fighting and tearing lumps out of each other over a bunch of green L-shaped bananas (£££).

Scanning these posts, it's interesting to see that a minority of 1 believes there WAS a measure of accountability for councillors via Klonowski :-O !

I suppose it's not a surprising conclusion to arrive at if the person reaching it has repeatedly tried but failed to join their ranks himself.

You wouldn't want to burn ALL of your bridges.

82 votes last time, PaulCa. Out of an electorate of 9,817.

I'm not going to dignify this taunting with a response, other than to say you're entitled to your opinions and me to mine.

johnbrace: that's where you fall down, my friend.

You spend endless hours reporting - accurately, I might add - the decision-making of Wirral Borough Council via its various meetings, and occasionally spell out the various legal consequences of the ideas other posters put forward, but you very, very rarely express an opinion on what is going on.

Why not put your head above the parapet a bit more, like wot we do?

Live and let live Ben.
We all have a contribution.
There are many,many people who do their bit and its not always on the Globe website.

MX - You are right, of course. I am just frustrated because I believe JB, with his very deep knowledge of how WBC operates, could make a major contribution to the debates we have had on this site.

There are many people who could contribute but for various reasons choose not to.

That, of course, tells its own story.
It could be complicity or it could be fear.
Its a personal decision and should remain so.

Maybe the answer is for JB to get himself a nom-de-plume. As I have already said, I'm certain his opinions, rather than his reportage, would be of value.

Perhaps the Council could capitaise on this opportunity by setting up a Free School thus attracting government investment in this innovative life long learning intiaitive.

The Wirral Council Academy for Blundering Councillors and Bungling Senior Officers.

Can't wait to see the end of term report for Phil Davies.

A sullen withdrawn boy with an inane grin he is given to talking in banal soundbites. In class he seems unable to frame a straight answer to even the most simple of questions. He has few friends and a tendency to run with the herd in his attempts to win the approval of his peers.He is easily influenced by others and seems to lack any capacity for self directed thought.

Are the Councillors being sent on an expensive course to The Magic Circle to learn a new set of tricks and illusions to mistify the residents of Wirral?

Reports of their progress are eagerly awaited!

Ben Beaconsfield wrote:
johnbrace: that's where you fall down, my friend.

You spend endless hours reporting - accurately, I might add - the decision-making of Wirral Borough Council via its various meetings, and occasionally spell out the various legal consequences of the ideas other posters put forward, but you very, very rarely express an opinion on what is going on.

Why not put your head above the parapet a bit more, like wot we do?

Because when I expressed my opinion here in June 2011, it led to an a campaign of character assassination against me by current (and former) Lib Dem councillors and others egged on by them, an ultra vires suspension from the Lib Dems for three months and a week, my wife being assaulted, myself (and her) being arrested (but both never charged) and TBH I really don't want to go through all that again (it's bad enough once!) So yes, I tried it but sadly I have to live in the real world. However if you want to know my opinion on safe topics such as what the weather was like today, I'm happy to say.

And I thought the Lib Dems were the nice boys (and girls) of British politics.....

Ben Beaconsfield wrote:
Presumably when these councillors signed up to Nolan, they didn't know what they were signing? How's this for an idea? Potential council candidates should first of all sit some kind of test to determine their exact understanding of the workings of the democratic process and and of local government. This must not be a qualification for standing, but their scores could be printed on the ballot paper. They might make interesting reading. Does anybody else know of a 'job' other than that of councillor where the applicant is:- a. Not obliged to have any particular qualification or past experience b. Often very well known to the people on the interview panel c. Interviewed by a just a handful of people despite having to represent thousands d. 'Appointed' (i.e. elected) by as few as one in every five potential voters e. In office for a fixed four-year contract without challenge f. Only obliged to turn up for a tiny number of meetings during that four year period g. Is paid more than an old age pensioner gets each year for what can be, if s/he decides, a simple part-time job ?

Hi Ben,

Well I'd say all but c seem to apply to senior council officers :) I'd love to know how many of them actually have recognised and relevant qualifications for their job (other than the required GCSEs) and how many of them were not well know to the interview panel.

LocaLGovwatcher wrote:
Are the Councillors being sent on an expensive course to The Magic Circle to learn a new set of tricks and illusions to mistify the residents of Wirral?

Reports of their progress are eagerly awaited!

To "mistify" the residents of Wirral - does that mean we're all going to be wandering around in an even deeper fog than we're already in then???

hugo2008 wrote:
It really is sinking to the lowest level when mature men and women need to be returned to school for basic lessons on how to behave in public life, and take on board how to behave in a Decent, Honest, Clean, Open and Fair way when dealing with public Finance, Service and Expectations of the electorate living in the Borough.
This is only slightly less shameful that an elected Councilor being unable to oversee, question, and investigate, any concerns or possible discrepancies in providing council services to the highest standard possible.
Again in a completely Open, Honest, Fair, Transparent fully Accountable manner from all levels of the employed staff no exceptions.

I believe the only school that is required for this collective bunch of parasites is an approved one, before leading to some correction system at one of HM institutions.

What has taken place in Wirral for more than a decade is and still remains Illegal, Immoral, and Indefensible, and should be brought to book without any further delay.

Well said, sad thing is they do not know the meaning of the concepts of decency, honesty, openess and fairness.

Your final paragraphs sets out the behaviour that has been and is rife throughout - why has AKA report been swept under the carpet/ Are the councillors involved in dismissing going to refund the £250,000 that the operation cost?