Barnet Council - Why 'They don't know what they are doing' - The Barnet Council training scandal

Contracts signed but no proper scrutiny

I've been writing this blog for over ten years now. of all the things that I've come across, I can honestly say that what I am writing today is the most alarming. I've long wondered why so many bad decisions are made in Barnet. I've long wondered how Councillors can seem so ill informed and badly briefed when performing tasks of scrutiny. I run a business and I know just how important it is to ensure that people doing important tasks (many far more trivial than what Barnet Council does, which affects peoples lives and livelihoods) are properly trained. I take no delight in writing this, but this is a very serious matter.

Yesterday, I received a long awaited response to a couple of Freedom of information requests. Barnet council seem to have a policy of always responding on the last possible day to such requests. A third request they have apologised for not meeting the deadline and promised a 'prompt response' once they've checked the facts.

The requests concerned the training of councillors to fulfil their roles on the various committees they participate in. Councillors receive an allowance of over £10,000 a year and my assumption is that in return for this, they should be properly trained.

I was surprised to find that only the Planning and Licencing committee require mandatory training.  I would have thought staff dealing with children and money would require training. I used to work in the Financial Services industry, providing IT Services and we had quarterly required training, as it was recognised that we had access to all manner of information. Barnet have no such requirement for their councillors to understand their roles. The initial reason for the enquiry was that before the last Council election, Councillor Hugh Rayner, who was the departing chair suggested that the Audit committee had woefully inadequate training to perform the role. It seemed to me logical that the council would address this issue.  I am a fair minded person, so I thought it only right that I allow a reasonable length of time for the council to ensure all councillors are up to speed. As there are many committees doing important work, I thought I'd ask for all of the training completed. What I found had shocked and disturbed me. This should be a national scandal. 

So lets start with the Audit committee. It's members currently are:

Chairman: Councillor Rohit Grover 

Vice Chairman: Councillor Peter Zinkin 

Councillor Laithe Jajeh Councillor Alison Moore 

Independent Members Geraldine Chadwick Richard Harbord 

Councillor Kathy Levine Councillor Alex Prager Councillor Arjun Mittra 

Substitute Members Councillor Melvin Cohen Councillor Lachhya Gurung Councillor Anne Hutton Councillor Reema Patel Councillor Lisa Rutter Councillor Alan Schneiderman

So how many of these have received training and when according to the FoI request?

4.07.18 Statement of Accounts 

Cllr Levine, Cllr Moore, Geraldine Chadwick [Audit Independent Member] 

17.07.18 Audit 

Cllr Finn, Cllr Zinkin, Cllr Gurung (sub), Cllr Jajeh, Cllr Moore, Cllr Hutton (sub), Cllr Levine, Cllr Rawlings, Cllr Edwards, Cllr Prager, Cllr Mittra

To my amazement, it appears that despite the fact that he chaired the last meeting, the chair has not had the recommended training. Only Councillor Kathy Levine had the training to understand the Statement of Accounts. As you can also see, several of the substitute members have not received the training. Why is this important? Well the Audit committee is the most important committee of all, ensuring that the Council has proper oversight. Given that lack of training was highlighted by Hugh Rayner as a major weakness, surely this should have been addressed? Councillors are supposed to take their role seriously. Although I have no doubt that Councillor Grover is a sensible chap and will work diligently, appointing a chair who wasn't even a member of the committee previously is, in my opinion, a mistake. Audit needs a deep understanding and a background. There are far too many things that require attention to detail, to learn it on the fly. 

When I looked through the list, there were plenty of other rather disturbing things that I noticed.

One item that leapt out at me was this

20.06.19 Government Scrutiny Guidance Symposium

Cllr Hutton

Levels of scrutiny and how it is done in Barnet is a huge issue. One of the reasons myself and the fellow Barnet bloggers have dedicated so much time to our work is because the levels of scrutiny by councillors is appalling. The fact that only one Councillor, who is a member of the opposition, attended the Government Scrutiny Guidance Symposium is highly disturbing. Who within the governing group has responsibility for this?

And what about this? The regeneration of Cricklewood/Brent Cross will have huge implications for the whole of the Borough. The Council organised an 'All members briefing'. How many attended this

3.06.19 All Members briefing - Growth Strategy and Brent Cross Cricklewood 

Cllrs Ryde, Longstaff, Teare, Roberts

Not even all of the councillors in the wards affected bothered to turn up to this. What does this tell you about how much they are interested.

Then we have the Pension Fund Committee. There are some very serious issues with this, as readers of the Barnet blogs will doubtless be aware. So who attended the training?

29.05.18 Pension Fund 

Cllrs E.Simberg, P.Zinkin , A.Hutton, A. Moore, A.Finn, Mark Shooter, J Marshall and Danny Rich

16.10.18 Pension Fund 

Cllrs Shooter, Finn, Marshal, Zinkin, Hutton and Moore

22.1.19 Pension Fund Committee Training

Cllrs Shooter, Finn, Simberg, Hutton and Moore

26.3.19 Pension Fund Committee Training

Cllrs Rich, Moore, Shooter, Marshall, Simberg

30.05.19 Pensions Training: Assessing the performance of illiquid asset mandates

Cllrs Zinkin, Hutton, Moore, Marshall, Finn, Rich

I find this fascinating. There has clearly been a lot of training for the committee. I had a look at the attendence for the last meeting

Chairman: Councillor Mark Shooter 

Vice Chairman: Councillor Elliot Simberg 

Anthony Finn Anne Hutton Danny Rich John Marshall Alison Moore 

Substitute Members Stephen Sowerby Eva Greenspan Peter Zinkin Ross Houston Reema Patel Arjun Mittra 

A few things are immediately obvious. Firstly John Marshall only attended the 'Assessing the performance of illiquid asset mandates'  training. It also appears that none of the substitute members had received any training at all. If you are one of the people who receives a pension from Barnet Council and you want to know why there are problems, I would suggest that you ask your local council why they allow people who don't know what they are doing to be making decisions. While it is clear that some Councillors are taking their duties seriously, some are quite clearly not in the least bit interested.

Now, like me I'm sure you will be a bit surprised by all of this. But there is something that surprised me far more. We all know that Barnet is a commissioning Council. They outsource everything. We all know about the issues with Capita. We all know that Barnet has made a dogs breakfast of monitoring the Contracts. I was absolutely flabbergasted to find that there is no training at all for Councillors in Contract monitoring, supplier management and supplier oversight.  The Council gives no training at all to the Councillors who have the role of oversight and scrutiny in how it's done. This explains to me two things. The first is why Councillors never seem able to concoct even the most obvious and basic questions about the various proble, contracts. The second is that it demonstrates that Barnet Council is not interested in getting Councillors to provide proper oversight and scrutiny of these contracts. If I was a councillor I'd be demanding training in how to discharge my responsibilities to the people who elected me and pay my allowances.

So next time you read that there are problems with Barnet Council, why not write to your local councillor and ask if they've had adequate training to do their job. Whether like me you think Outsourcing is not the way to manage public services or whether you agree with the Uber Thatcherite Barnet Council boss Daniel Thomas that it is the best thing since sliced bread, surely you'd want your councillors to be able to provide proper scrutiny. They do not have the tools, so they can't. It is quite clear that Councillor Thomas and his Conservative regime have failed in their duty of care to the people of Barnet to ensure that our Councillors, who get massive allowances, are fit for purpose and trained to do their job.

And as for the Leader, what training has he undertaken? Am I surprised that the leader of an organisation such as Barnet Council has not had any training to do the job? I would be if I wasn't living in  the London Borough of Barnet.

23.10.18 Treasury Management 

Cllrs R Cornelius, Thomas, D Cohen, Houston, Longstaff, McGuirk, Mittra, Moore, Rawlings, Zinkin, Rozenberg, Hutton,

13.05.19 ARG and Local Plan Members Advisory Group

Cllrs Thomas, Prentice, Rozenberg, Zinkin, Houston, Cooke, Prager, Wardle, Edwards, Smith, Ryde, Roberts

6.06.19 All Members briefing - Growth Strategy and Brent Cross Cricklewood Cllrs Zinkin, Mittra, Thomas, Ryde, Gurung, Hutton, Cooke, Grover, Houston

Here are the complete responses.

----- FoI First response

7 August 2019

Our ref: 5447228 Thank you for your request received on 8 July 2019, for the following information: For various committees at Barnet Council, there is recommended training. Please can you supply the following details

1. Details of current training courses recommended for each committee

2. Details of which current councillors have attended these training courses

3. How many times have councillors not attending training been reminded since the Council election in May 2018 of this requirement

We have processed this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Response The council holds the information requested and it the answers to your questions are below For various committees at Barnet Council, there is recommended training.

Please can you supply the following details

1. Details of current training courses recommended for each committee

Please see table below.

2. Details of which current councillors have attended these training courses

Attendance is listed below for each session .

3. How many times have councillors not attending training been reminded since the Council election in May 2018 of this requirement Zero. Reminders are only sent for Mandatory training session for Planning and Licensing and all Members have attended training.

DATE SESSION ATTENDEES

08.05.18 All Member Induction All except Cllr. Jajeh

21.05.18 Planning

Cllrs A. Clarke, R .Weeden-Sanz, F. Byers, J. Cooper, J. Grocock, L. Gurung, L.Jajeh, J.Teare, G.Bokaei, T.Smith, S.Don, P.Coakley-Webb, G.Cooke. C. Farrier, E. Simberg, and Cllr. Gill Sergeant

23.07.18 Planning - Repeat Session

Cllr Danny Rich, and Cllr Kath McGuirk

24.07.18 Planning - Repeat Session All Planning

Members as of Cllrs H.Richman, W.Prentice, D.Longstaff, L.Rutter, P.Zinkin, B.Gordon, A.Naqvi, V.Duschinsky, M.Shooter, P.Edwards, J.Grocock, R.Patel, N.Fluss, Z.Zubairi, and E Simberg this date trained

24.05.2018 Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Alison Cornelius, Cllr Golnar Bokaei, Cllr Geof Cooke, Cllr Saira Don ,Cllr Paul Edwards, Cllr Linda Freedman, Cllr Anne Hutton, Cllr Alison Moore and Cllr Felix Byers

29.05.18 Area Committee & Resident Forum

Cllr A Cornelius, P Zinkin, R Grover and A Hutton 

29.05.18 Pension Fund 

Cllrs E.Simberg, P.Zinkin , A.Hutton, A. Moore, A.Finn, Mark Shooter, J Marshall and Danny Rich

31.05.18 Corporate Parenting, Children's Safeguarding and the Role of the Ofsted Improvement Plan

Cllrs G.Sargeant, Z.Zubairi, P.Zinkin, L.Freedman, N.Fluss, F.Byers, J.Teare, T.Smith, S.Ryde, A.Prager, D.Longstaff, R.Grover, G.Rozenberg, C.Stock, N.Narenthira, A Naqvi, A.Clarke, G.Cooke, K.Levine, A.Moore, A. Hutton, S.Don, H.Richman, S.Conway, R.Houston, L.Gurung, J.Cooper, D.Cohen, and C.Farrier

04.06.18 Adults & Safeguarding

Cllrs R.Weeden-Sanz, A.Clarke, F.Byers, J.Cooper, J.Grocock, L.Gurung, N.Fluss, G.Bokaei, T.Smith, H.Richman, A.Prager, C.Stock (NEW) Cllrs J.Brayne, M.Cohen, G.Cooke, P.Edwards, A.Hutton, D.Longstaff, N.Narenthira, S.Rajput, B.Rawlings, C.Stock, Z.Zubairi (Returning)

05.06.18 Environment  

Councillor Dean Cohen, Councillor Peter Zinkin, Councillor Elliot Simberg, Councillor Thomas Smith, Councillor Laithe Jajeh, Councillor Alison Cornelius, Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Councillor Jo Cooper, Councillor Geof Cooke, Councillor Sarah Wardle, Councillor Roberto Weeden-Sanz, Councillor Nizza Fluss, Councillor Tim Roberts, Cllr Richard Cornelius, Cllr Don and Cllr Gurung

06.06.18 Early Years

Cllrs A.Hutton, T.Roberts, D.Longstaff, F.Byers, B.Rawlings, A.Cornelius

07.06.18 Licensing (& Sub-Comm)

Cllrs L.Freedman, L.Gurung, A.Cornelius, J.Marshall

19.07.18 Licensing - Repeat Session

Cllrs D.Rich, A.Cornelius, V.Duschinsky, C.Farrier, J.Hart. W.Prentice, B.Rawlings

7.08.18 Licensing - Repeat Session All Licensing Members now trained

Cllr. Zubairi 11.06.18 Resources (P&R) Cllr Zinkin ,Cllr McGuirk, Cllr Longstaff Cllr Moore, Cllr Rawlings, Cllr Finn, Cllr R Cornelius, Cllr Rich, Cllr Mittra, Cllr Rajput

12.06.18 Community Leadership & Libraries Briefing (Community Safety)

Cllrs A.Hutton,,S.Conway, R.Thompstone, L.Gurung, F.Byers, D.Longstaff, B.Rawlings, J.Grocock, N.Narenthira, D.Rich, J.Teare, and G.Sargeant

4.07.18 Statement of Accounts 

Cllr Levine, Cllr Moore, Geraldine Chadwick [Audit Independent Member] 

17.07.18 Audit 

Cllr Finn, Cllr Zinkin, Cllr Gurung (sub), Cllr Jajeh, Cllr Moore, Cllr Hutton (sub), Cllr Levine, Cllr Rawlings, Cllr Edwards, Cllr Prager, Cllr Mittra

06.09.18 Media Training

Cllrs R Cornelius, Cllr Ryde Cllr Longstaff (Note: Cllr Thomas previously received training and Cllr Rozenberg declined)

12.09.18 Education & Skills

Cllrs Anne Clarke, Pauline Coakley Webb, Julian Teare, David Longstaff, Felix Byers, Anne Hutton, Rohit Grover, Linda Freedman, Val Duschinsky, Nagus Narenthira, Reuben Thompstone

20. 9.18 Performance Indicators and Care Act Duties

Cllrs Anne Hutton, Claire Farrier, Sachin Rajput, Anthony Finn, Jo Cooper, Jess Brayne David Longstaff, Caroline Stock, Reema Patel 

16.10.18 Pension Fund 

Cllrs Shooter, Finn, Marshal, Zinkin, Hutton and Moore

16.10.18 Media Training - MediaFirst 

Cllrs Rajput, Stock, Thompstone, D Cohen 

17.10.18 Member Briefing of CCGs Cllr A Cornelius, Duschinsky, Bokaei, Cooke, Don, Freedman, Hutton, Moore, Longstaff, Rawlings, Stock 

23.10.18 Treasury Management 
Cllrs R Cornelius, Thomas, D Cohen, Houston, Longstaff, McGuirk, Mittra, Moore, Rawlings, Zinkin, Rozenberg, Hutton, 

21.11.18 Prevent & Counter Terrorism Cllrs Byers, Freedman, Moore, Rich, Teare, Hutton, Conway, Gurung, Duschinsky, A Cornelius, Cooke, Rawlings, Thompstone, Longstaff, Grocock. 

26.11.18 Adults & Safeguarding (repeat session from June) Cllrs Houston, Edwards, Moore, Rich, Roberts, Farrier, Williams, Naqvi, Stock, J Hart, Wardle, Zinkin, Rozenberg, Teare, Ryde, Longstaff, Weeden-Sanz, A Cornelius

29.11.18 Planning: The nature of Planning Permission

Cllrs M Cohen, Farrier, Ryde, Simberg, Bokaei, Fluss, Freedman, Grocock, Moore 

06.12.18 Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association - Trustee Conference Cllr Anne Hutton 

18.12.18 Adults and Safeguarding Repeat Session Cllrs Patel, Duschisnky, Coakley Webb, Conway, Zubairi, Schneiderman, Mittra, Hutton

22.1.19 Pension Fund Committee Training

Cllrs Shooter, Finn, Simberg, Hutton and Moore

4.2.19 Planning Enforcement

Cllrs Simberg, Hutton, Zubairi, Moore, Rawlings, Gurung, Duschinsky, Roberts, Farrier, Weeden-Sanz, Fluss

12.03.19 Scrutinising Council Performance

Cllr Hutton

26.3.19 Pension Fund Committee Training

Cllrs Rich, Moore, Shooter, Marshall, Simberg

27.3.19 Planning

Cllrs Hutton, R Cornelius, Rawlings, Fluss, Richman

13.05.19 ARG and Local Plan Members Advisory Group

Cllrs Thomas, Prentice, Rozenberg, Zinkin, Houston, Cooke, Prager, Wardle, Edwards, Smith, Ryde, Roberts

30.05.19 Pensions Training: Assessing the performance of illiquid asset mandates

Cllrs Zinkin, Hutton, Moore, Marshall, Finn, Rich

3.06.19 All Members briefing - Growth Strategy and Brent Cross Cricklewood 

Cllrs Ryde, Longstaff, Teare, Roberts

6.06.19 All Members briefing - Growth Strategy and Brent Cross Cricklewood Cllrs Zinkin, Mittra, Thomas, Ryde, Gurung, Hutton, Cooke, Grover, Houston

20.06.19 Government Scrutiny Guidance Symposium

Cllr Hutton

20.06.19 Briefing for Area Committee Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen

Cllrs Don, Prentice, Grocock, Duschinsky

24.06.19 Planning (for new committee Members)

Cllrs Teare, Narenthira Fu

Foi

2nd Response - 

1. Full details of all externally provided courses, paid for by Barnet Council, attended by Barnet Council since May 2018

Date         Councillor             Training session                                                     Cost + VAT
22.11.18   Cllr Tim Roberts   Policy  Forum for London-
                                               The Future for Housing and Planning in London             £276
28.11.18   Cllr Anne Hutton   Tackling Health Inequalities in London                           £294
12.03.19   Cllr Anne Hutton   Scrutinising Council Performance                                   £230
20.06.19   Cllr Anne Hutton   Government Scrutiny Guidance Symposium                    £85