Guest Blog - Report on the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding committee of Barnet Council on 18 July by Keith Martin

Mr Keith Martin

By Keith Martin,

Ed note : The Barnet Eye is always keen to receive guest blogs from Barnet Residents. One of our most long standing and best friends is Keith Martin of Chaville Press. On Wednesday night, Barnet Council held a meeting of the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding committee. A key item of discussion was the damning OFSTED report into Childrens services. Unfortunately, we couldn't attend due to a long standing commitment, however Keith kindly stepped up and gave us his report on the meeting. Here are his observations :-

Attendance at council meetings often opens the lid on how our Councils are run. The Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding committee of Barnet Council on 18 July was no exception.

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1                     The order paper ran to 260 pages (Ed - This is the report pack under discussion). Clearly this committee is overburdened with responsibilities. It needs to be subdivided. “Children” included a damning indictment by an Ofsted report of Barnet’s acknowledgedly inadequate children’s services. Pages 240/241 described the council’s aim to deliver quality services, the statutory duties of the Council and the risk management necessary. Thus councillors are informed of the appalling risks being taken by pursuing ideologically motivated and damaging policies. Yet they have been doing this as part of a mistaken library strategy since 2002, unchecked by either the Secretary of State for Culture or by rumblings from opposition councillors, the media or the Four Barnet Bloggers who, in response to the Ofsted revelations, have called upon the Chair Reuben Thompstone to resign.

2                     The meeting dwelt at length on the Ofsted report. Chris Munday, the Strategic Director for Children and young People, was questioned by members of the committee on current plans to improve services.

3                     The imminent time bomb was left ticking of how library services, arguably in breach of the council’s statutory duty under the 1964 Act to provide a comprehensive and efficient public library service, are currently the subject of a report by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), to the Secretary of State for Culture Karen Bradley. Watch this space.

4                     Clearly lots to do. Islington in contrast to Barnet received an Ofsted report on its outstanding leadership, so good models are at hand.

5                     The CELS committee has four co-opted members. It would benefit hugely by co-opting more pillars of the community with local experience rather than employing expensive consultants without such local knowledge. They have done something right by co-opting Kevin McSharry of the One Stop Shop in Graham Park.

Keith Martin

www.chavillepress.co.uk