Ask any RMBC worker, if they are being bullied into submission to the Commissioners way or the highway. If whistle blowing was ever needed, I think about know would be a good time.
Mmm…Rotherham’s old guard were bullies, so the government sent us bullies to replace our elected bullies.
In fact bullies with experience.
Mary Ney was CEO of Greenwich council.
The (Jay) report damned “a pervading culture of sexism, bullying and silencing debate” in Rotherham – A DESCRIPTION THAT RAISED EYEBROWS IN GREENWICH.
“Ney blocked an attempt by this website to obtain a document detailing allegations of bullying in the council”.
Greenwich Council bullying: Ex-town hall boss pitches up at scandal-hit Rotherham | 853
https://853blog.com/2015/03/09/greenwich-council-bullying-ex-town-hall-boss-pitches-up-at-scandal-hit-rotherham/
Alex Grant cllr (Greenwich I believe resides in France now)
“the tip of an iceberg”.
He wrote: “Councillors and council staff were routinely shouted at, threatened with disciplinary action for speaking their minds at internal meetings, or quite literally airbrushed out of [the council’s weekly paper] Greenwich Time like victims of a Stalinist purge.
You just couldn’t make this up if you tried.
The select committee and the LGA should be ashamed of themselves, anything is only open for scrutiny, providing someone shows them the way.
Can anyone explain the difference between ex leader cllr Roger Stone and commissioner Mary Ney?
Yes… you’re right one was elected!
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Mary Ney worked at Greenwich Borough Council, which used Common Purpose in 2009.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/greenwich_borough_council_common
Mary Ney was a Member on the Capital Ambition Programme Board
Also, an example:
Meeting to be held on Monday 14 April 2008
Page 128:
“The initiative will be led by the
Young Foundation, working in partnership
with OPM and Common Purpose.”
Page 129
“Common Purpose will lead on
developing an overview of the key
managers in London, and will be central
to the leadership development initiatives
after the initial formative stages are
complete.”
With reference to bullying, here’s a snippet from Julia Middleton, advising Common Purpose people:
Always worth repeating this quote from Middleton:
‘You start with clear and defined objectives … Then you establish what the obstacles are … they are usually people. So you have to establish what motivates them, and then decide if you can win them over by the power of the idea …Sometimes, if it gets messy, you might have to run over them, undermine them, go around them or discredit them. As a last resort, you consider bullying them, or buying them off.’
Beyond Authority by Julia Middleton, Common Purpose
So, any surprises that there is a culture of bullying?
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Allegedly word had it that Manzies was no different shouting at people ringing people late at night and at weekends one thing is for sure she is not missed
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Sir Derek Myres…what have you got to hide.
The perpetual wheels on the LGA’s bus go round and round, round and round.
FTHN: From the Hornets Nest: MYERS PICKS UP A K FOR TRI-BOROUGH BALLS UP
http://fromthehornetsnest.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/myers-picks-up-k-for-tri-borough-balls.html?m=1
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The government’s Communities and Local Government Committee, led by Sheffield MP Clive Betts, is to investigative how effective the Commissioner takeover of Rotherham MBC has been.
Well here’s a bit of info for Mr Betts – last year, Bramley Parish Council complained to Commissioner Manzie about the culture and conduct of senior RMBC officers. Included within the letter of complaint were many examples, that demonstrated how there is indeed a prevailing negative attitude toward the Parish on the part of those officers.
And what did the very expensive Ms Manzie do with the complaint? Well, she back-heeled it across to those same officers and they dutifully compiled a diversionary letter of response for her.
The response simply dealt with each example, with the usual contrived excuses and evasiveness and waffles on with the inevitable self-indulgent platitudes – “keen to work closely with all of the council’s key stakeholders”, “fresh start”, “work to change and move forward” yawn! and made no effort whatsoever to address the core issue i.e. the culture and conduct of senior RMBC officers.
These commissioners are classic ‘independent’ advisers, or seagulls as many of us refer to them – swoop in, crap all over the place and swoop back out again, to crap all over the next town.
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A couple of letters that readers may wish to view, first is a letter from The Secretary of Bramley Parish Council sent to Commissioner Manzie and her response. Finally the whole sorry saga showing the way their subsequent FOI was handled in one .pdf.
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So nothing has changed
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The final piece of information.
Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information 1017
Thank you for your request for information received on the 27th January 2016, please find detailed below the response from Rotherham MBC.
Request
Last year, 17th July, Bramley Parish Council wrote to Commissioner Manzie, by email, advising her of its concerns about the conduct and culture of senior management at Rotherham MBC. A response was received by the Parish Council, by email, from Ms Manzie, 4th Sept.
In that regard then and under the Freedom of Information Act, would you please arrange to provide me with copies of all internal communications between her and any RMBC staff, which relate to the issue raised by the Parish Council.
If you feel there may be an interpretation of Data Protection whereby the Parish Council letter and internal communications refer to the Clerk to the PC by name i.e. Robert Foulds, well that of course is me and I hereby grant waver to any such confidentiality.
Response
While there are no records of items of internal communication between Commissioner Manzie directly and RMBC staff with regard to the letter from Bramley Parish Council dated 17th July 2015, in the spirit of responding positively to this request please find enclosed copies of internal emails between RMBC staff and Commissioner Manzie’s office regarding the letter and the Commissioner’s subsequent response of 4th September 2015.
These emails relate to the request on receipt of the Parish Council’s letter (via email) for a draft response to be prepared by officers for the Commissioner’s consideration, and subsequent emails that relate to the Commissioner’s request, on sight of an initial draft provided by officers, for it to be amended, on the basis that it was not sufficiently comprehensive and was in need of further work.
The Commissioner’s intervention led to a revised draft being prepared that aimed to address more fully each of the specific matters listed in the Parish Council’s letter of 17th July 2015. This was finalised by the Commissioner and submitted to the Parish Council via email on 4th September 2015.
Please note that certain officer names in the attached document have been redacted, Rotherham MBC only discloses individual names in respect of its senior management officers. The exemption we are relying on is Section 40(2) – personal information, the disclosure of which would breach the first data protection principle as outlined in Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 1998.
This exemption applies because we consider that disclosure of this information without the consent of the individuals concerned would not constitute fair processing and we consider that the individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to an internal review by the Council. Please contact us via the above email address or by post to Gary Walsh, Information Governance Manager, Legal Services, Riverside House, Main Street, Rotherham, S60 1AE.
If you are not satisfied with the internal review, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. Contact details are: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF. Telephone 01625 545700. Alternatively go to http://www.ico.org.uk/
Yours sincerely,
Wayne Singleton
Records & Information Management Officer
Information Governance Unit
Legal Services
Resources Directorate
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
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I would say the commissioners are as much use as chocolate fireguards.
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All they do is a tick box exercise laid down by the Secretary of State go through the motions for the next 4 years it will then be all forgot and same old same old
All they have done is replaced local government directors with another local government director at a increase in salary
They have allowed the labour group to install unfit for purpose councillors in decision making positions and councillors who were part of the cover up to remain in post
This an establishment run control and full of common purpose
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One question why has Newsom bailed out maybe he realises that it is a lost cause now they have returned the same unfit for purpose councillors same old same old nothing has changed who is controlling reed just look who’s constituency the main players are from ????
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There was me thinking it might have something to do with a few ill-judged appointments?
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In a still pending case, an 86 years old was Persued by a council office with demands leading to a court summons, despite council officers knowing the case and advising of no need to pay. The ” other office ” were sending out bills at any given opportunity This was bullying even intimidation and caused great distress.
Where does the line of bullying start and end..?
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The Councillors we have now we’re chosen by the people of the town they don’t care what went on in the past . They want a labour council no matter how bad they are . I have a very good relationship with Chris Read. I pay my. Council tax he wastes it . After that I don’t give a s**t. Because I can’t change it
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So difficult to argue with that.
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So do we all just roll over or try to do something ?. Do we give up or keep trying, I know it is not an easy task but if we do not try we let down ALL the people who have tried before. TRUTH must out.
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