A message to all Barnet Council senior staff (& everyone else who cares about the Borough)

Let me explain to all of you who hold important jobs within the Council why you should start updating your CV and looking for a new job as a matter of urgency.

It's been a really grim week here in sunny Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet. For those of you who follow this blog, you will know that this is the week which surely proved beyond all doubt that the council just doesn't care about it's most vulnerable people. That is why the BBC ran the Sheltered warden story as their lead item on the news. If a single Barnet council cabinet member thought the BBC were there because they thought the council were doing a good job, then it really does prove that we are run by crackpots.

Before you head off to drown your sorrows, I thought I'd give you a little food for thought. If, for example, you are the Council officer in charge of Sheltered accomodation, or you work for them and wish to progress in the field, ask yourself this. How much coverage are Barnet Council getting with this policy? I saw the story on BBC TV News, heard it on BBC London Radio, the Evening Standard covered the story, the local papers covered the story. Local blogs covered the Story. Dave Hill at the Guardian regularly links to this blog, so most of his readers will have seen the story. I've had about 4 times as many hits since Monday as a normal week.

What has all of this got to do with the price of fish? Well, it's all about credibility. Barnet Council is becoming a laughing stock. The leader of the Council, Mike Freer was yet again lampooned in Private Eye. If and when you decide that you want to get another job and you are up against candidates who don't work for basket case councils, who do you think will get the plumb roles? Ah, you may say, Barnet Council is a job for life! Well, actually it's not. The Council want to privatise everything, under the Future Shape scheme. You may think that you are safe, but if that consultant sitting next to you decides otherwise, off you will go. They may have told you that you are Ok, but do you believe them? From what I've seen of the cabinet in action, I'd be rather wary.

As it's Friday night, if I were you I'd spend the weekend doing the following.

1) Updating your CV
2) Looking for a new job, whilst your still employable

Check some of these out http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/jobs/government/local-government/

As you may or may not know, the tenants in Sheltered Housing have engaged lawyers to call for a judicial review of the Sheltered Housing policy. Should Barnet lose that, then you really will be stuck. The Council has developed a bit of a reputation for sacrificing Officers when things go wrong. Booted out, with a dodgy CV is not a good place to be. I'd jump first if I were you !