gdj Posted January 29, 2014 Report Posted January 29, 2014 I've been reading the debate in various places about the council's `Adult Wellbeing` directorate using an agency to find a couple of people who will accept a mere £500 a day to help them change to meet new challenges This is defended by the director (interim director since September?) Helen Coombes on the HCC website. Bobby 47 and others have already slaughtered the idea on the HT website. Leaving aside the need for savings etc; the question that slowly formed in the depths of my brain was: "What the **** does the (Interim) director do for her money if she doesn't herself have the skills and ability to organise and deliver the changes needed? She was appointed in September at a time when the need for change was obvious - so why did they not appoint someone who could do the job without needing an extra £1000 a day spending on others to tell her what to do? I suspect that the biggest cars in the Brockington car park are owned by people who are highly promoted admistrators, not leaders, and the current challenges are way beyond their competence. Another one I saw on the HCC vacancies was "Head of Learning and Achievement" for £64k plus extras. (again, B47 was please to see that this would at least result in a passionate person in place). This education job is to oversee a team (massively reduced over the last few years) and work with schools (massively reduced numbers due to academisation) - so as Cllr Johnson is always saying people have no suggestions, here are two: Merge this job with the same person in another county - both will have a lot less to do in their own counties: or: get an outside education consultancy in to do the job - there are lots of companies with the ability and capacity to do it. Of course these options will be binned if there is someone already in the building who wants the job. gdj
Biomech Posted January 29, 2014 Report Posted January 29, 2014 I was thinking the same, but I guess if they are only working 1 day a month, then £500 a day isn't too expensive :P
Glenda Powell Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 At the adult wellbeing briefing Tuesday last week I asked the cabinet member for adult social care about these two positions and to justify paying £500 and £425 a day he said: " you would want us to employ the best people for the job", not being satisfied with his answer I wrote to both the leader and cabinet member when I arrived home. At cabinet last Thursday the cabinet member said "thank you for your email" I have forward it onto the chief executive to answer your questions, the leader sent an email Monday this week saying " I will wait for the cabinet members response" I again wrote to the leader of the council advising him the cabinet member was not going to respond but sent my email to the chief executive. I received a reply from CE on Tuesday telling me the same thing as what the cabinet member originally said, therefore he has not answer my questions. Now you know how frustrating it is for councillors for the oposition when you get this type of response from a Conservative led council and its officers. Yet the general public tar us all with the same brush which is unfair in my opinion!!!
gdj Posted January 30, 2014 Author Report Posted January 30, 2014 At the adult wellbeing briefing Tuesday last week I asked the cabinet member for adult social care about these two positions and to justify paying £500 and £425 a day he said: " you would want us to employ the best people for the job", not being satisfied with his answer I wrote to both the leader and cabinet member when I arrived home. At cabinet last Thursday the cabinet member said "thank you for your email" I have forward it onto the chief executive to answer your questions, the leader sent an email Monday this week saying " I will wait for the cabinet members response" I again wrote to the leader of the council advising him the cabinet member was not going to respond but sent my email to the chief executive. I received a reply from CE on Tuesday telling me the same thing as what the cabinet member originally said, therefore he has not answer my questions. Now you know how frustrating it is for councillors for the oposition when you get this type of response from a Conservative led council and its officers. Yet the general public tar us all with the same brush which is unfair in my opinion!!! Thank you for this It is reassuring to know that someone is doing their best to hold people to account - I appreciate your efforts and the frustration you must experience in getting answers. From what you say it sounds like a decision was made to do this recruitment without proper justification and the buck is being rapidly passed around the cabinet and directors now that there is some degree of questioning. The old argument about "getting the best people" is a red herring - you could pay me £1000 a day to do the job and I still wouldn't be the best person for it (but I could pretend to be for a while until my bank balance filled up and then you would have to quietly let me go rather than acknowledge any mistake). I suppose the other question that should be formally asked before and after any recruitment like this is "how will success be measured and what is the recourse if it isn't achieved?" - that is in addition to my main question as to why they appointed a director who herself didn't have the capability to lead the department through changing times. Any comment on the education job which is on the same high salary as before most secondary and many primary schools detached themselves from the council? So why not redesign the structure to take account of changed requirements rather than doggedly stick to the old structure and all its expenses? Thanks again for the update on your activities Cllr Vaughan - Powell. gdj
twowheelsgood Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 The council have commented on their facebook site that in fact these two positions are short term contracts, with holiday entitlement! So, in fact, the real cost will be considerably more, as the council will be paying employers contributions as well as holiday pay and all the other little perks. I'm sick of hearing ' the best people for the job' mantra - if we had them, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in. They're just taking the money and taking the ...
Biomech Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 By "short term", they mean until October 2014 But like I said, £500 a day is shocking if it's 5 days a week. If it's 1 or 2 days a month, then it's a non-issue
silent bull Posted January 30, 2014 Report Posted January 30, 2014 Sorry to say this Glenda but more and more people are turning off politics and believing that politicians only think about themselves being driven by greed & money, and this 'so called' job for over £500 A DAY?? proves my point I take home just over half that A WEEK??? and I feel 'lucky'!!, lucky I'm healthy, lucky I've got a loving family and 'LUCKY' I've got a job!! I get really mad that when I get home from work all I hear and see is politicians going on and on about We are here to serve you we are going to make this country/county better. More and more people are now starting to wake up to the fact that 95% of them are talking 'Boll####'!!!! Sorry Glenda for being 'sharp' its not aimed at you, you come across as a very caring councillor but it is part of what I feel towards the other 95% whether they are conservative, labour or even the other 'Apologies' but I had to let it out
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