The good council test - Rate your council

The Barnet Eye has devised a simple test to ascertain whether your council is open, transparent and run for the good of the people who live in the Borough.

Please Answer the ten questions and then look at the scoring system below.

1 - Does your council consult people affected by major changes to council policy?
a - Always
b - For major decisions only
c - When it suits them
e - As little as legally possible

2 - Does your council consider the effect on local jobs and the local economy when taking major spending? decisions.
a - Always
b - Most of the time
c - When it suits them
e - As little as legally possible

3 - Does your council consider the effect on people with disability and learning difficulties when taking major spending decisions?
a - Always
b - Most of the time
c - When it suits them
e - As little as legally possible

4 - Does your council consider the effect on the environment when taking major spending decisions?
a - Always
b - Most of the time
c - When it suits them
e - As little as legally possible

5 - Does your council consider encourage people to participate in local democracy and use the wealth of talent in the Borough to improve the function of the council?
a - Always
b - Most of the time
c - When it suits them
e - As little as legally possible

6 - Does your council take action to ensure that councillors and senior council executives behave appropriately towards members of the public. Does it have a credible policy of standards of behaviour?
a - Yes
b - In most instances but it is open to improvement
c - There is a policy but it is generally ineffective
e - What policy there is is completely discredited

7 - Has any council policy been deemed illegal by the High Court since the last Council election?
a - It has not been to court over a policy
b - No, there have been cases, but the council won
c -  No, but cases are going through the courts
e - Yes

8 - Has your council featured in local/National press for engaging contractors who have not been CRB checked or have no proper licensing to care for vulnerable people?
a - No
b - No, but there have been major issues with suppliers
c - No, but there have been minor issues with suppliers
e - Yes, it has been involved in a major scandal involving care of vulnerable people

9 - Would you expect your council to take action against a councillor making racist or sexist comments in a public meeting.
a - Always
b - Most of the time
c - When it suits them
e - No

10 - Would you expect your council to re-award a contract to a contractor who it was suing for breaching its duty of care to vulnerable people?
a -No
b - In extreme circumstances
c - Yes but only if they were cheap
d - Yes, full stop.

The marking system is very simple. For every answer a, award three points. For every Answer b, awaard two points, for every answer c, award one point. For every answer d, award no points. If you answered E to any queston, please CLICK THIS LINK for somewhere uniquely suitable for your talents.

Scores

31-40  - Congratulations, you should get a job in the Barnet Council One Barnet Audit team (30 is the maximum possible score) making projections for savings the project will make

21-30  - Congratulations, you live in a well run council, which puts people at the heart of decision making.

11-30 - You live in an area where there is room for a bit of improvement locally. Email your councillor with a link to this blog and your scores and ask him if he's concerned that his organisation didn't do that well.

1-10 - Your council is dangerously out of touch. Email your councillor with a link to this blog and your scores and ask him if he's concerned that his organisation were pretty appalling. I'd suggest you email him your reasons for your mark.

0 - You probably live in Barnet and have been reading the Barnet Eye. Sadly Barnet Council got the worst possible score on every answer.  I find it pretty shameful, but I daresay that members of the administration would totally disagree.
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I thought it may be interesting to email this quiz to all of our local councillors. I will be very interested to see if any have the guts to respond.