Top Posts & Pages
-
Recent Comments
Category Archives: Children’s Services
Brick by Brick under ‘review’ in council emergency budget
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports on the publication of a 24-page document which is an admission of six years of failure, and which comes ahead of ‘the most difficult few months the council has seen’ Brick … Continue reading
Advertisements
Posted in Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Emergency Budget, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Tory
1 Comment
Children’s services suffers 30% cut in social workers
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Concerns are growing at Fisher’s Folly that cutbacks on hiring agency workers, implemented since January this year, could adversely impact some of the borough’s most vulnerable. KEN LEE reports Croydon Council’s children’s services department, which was given … Continue reading
Unison: ‘irresponsible’ job cuts will have ‘devastating impact’
Trade union officials have strongly criticised Croydon Council’s plans to axe more than 400 jobs, saying that the on-going review is being rushed through “with little thought” and without proper consultation, and describing the job cuts at the Labour-run local … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Labour, Tony Newman, Unison, Yvonne Green
4 Comments
SEND campaigners fight on after Panorama revelations
A worried mum who has been fighting for her young son to receive the education he needs, and to which he is entitled, says that despite an 18-month battle with her local council, the situation for families of children with … Continue reading
Henderson leaves Croydon and ‘legacy of love and hope’
The executive director of the borough’s children’s and education services left the council on Friday with an emotional message to colleagues, saying it was “the best job I ever had”. By STEVEN DOWNES Eleventh-hour efforts to persuade Robert Henderson to … Continue reading
Borough’s schools are left to implement own covid safety plans
Croydon Council has left it to the individual boards of governors of the borough’s schools to decide on what measures they and their headteachers need to take to ensure that their schools are “covid-safe” for a return to the classroom … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Schools
Tagged coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon Council, schools, Tony Newman
2 Comments
Negrini must not receive any reward for failures, says MP
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the immediate reactions to the departure of the council’s chief executive Any pay-off to Jo Negrini, Croydon Council’s departing chief executive, would be “morally wrong at this time of financial … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Jo Negrini, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Brick by Brick, Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Tony Newman, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
5 Comments
Negrini reshuffles executive pack to cope with Henderson exit
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest changes in the executive suites at Fisher’s Folly The council could be looking to shave £150,000 or more per year from its on-going costs by not replacing Robert Henderson as the exec … Continue reading
‘Strong and stable’? Henderson is third to leave department
It was 2.43pm when the publish button was pressed yesterday at Inside Croydon Towers for our exclusive report of the imminent departure from the council of Rob Henderson, executive director of children, families and education. Two hours later, the council … Continue reading
Croydon in crisis: Children’s services chief opts to leave
EXCLUSIVE: Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the shock decision of one of the more respected executives at Fisher’s Folly to quit his council job Robert Henderson, Croydon’s executive director for children, families and education, is to leave the … Continue reading
Croydon in crisis: Council staff in frontline posts lose their jobs
The council’s hard-pressed children’s services department is among the first to lay-off staff, despite assurances from the council leader, while exec directors, on six-figure salaries, have escaped redundancy. STEVEN DOWNES reports Council staff, some of whom have been given notice … Continue reading
Parents crowdfund for Judicial Review of SEND services
There’s another group of angry parents who are preparing to take the authorities to court – Sutton EHCP Crisis. Sutton EHCP Crisis was formed by parents of children with SEND – special educational needs and disabilities – because of the … Continue reading
Posted in Community associations, Education, SEND, Sutton Council
Tagged Sutton, Sutton EHCP Crisis Campaign Group
Leave a comment
Croydon in crisis: 500 jobs to go in council ‘reorganisation’
EXCLUSIVE: Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the unhappy consequences of the council’s poor management that has created ‘the perfect financial storm’ Croydon Council is to launch wide-ranging consultations tomorrow, July 1, as it begins what in councilspeak they … Continue reading
After covid suspension, Ombudsman reopens for business
Council CEO Jo Negrini’s three-month amnesty from having complaints submitted about her authority to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is over. The Ombudsman is pretty much the only recourse that remains to residents of the borough if they … Continue reading
Council welcomes extra £4m for asylum seeker care costs
The government has agreed to pay an additional £4million per year to Croydon towards the costs the council incurs in caring for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, or UASCs. Over the past decade, Croydon has looked after more than 5,000 unaccompanied asylum-seeking … Continue reading
Troubleshooter’s report may give Negrini no choice of action
STEVEN DOWNES on a crucial couple of days for the borough At some point today, Ian O’Donnell will deliver his report on the state of the borough’s finances and what he recommends that needs to be done to get the … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Richard Simpson, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Ian O'Donnell, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Tony Newman
5 Comments
Government broken promises over ‘coronavirus black hole’
Croydon North MP Steve Reed OBE has warned the government that local councils across the country face catastrophe due to a £10billion coronavirus “black hole”. Reed, Labour’s front bench spokesman on local government, reckons that councils may need to cut … Continue reading
Council starts its recruitment drive for more foster carers
Foster Care Fortnight started today and runs until May 24, and the council is hoping to use the occasion, even in these unusual times, to recruit new foster carers who might transform children and young people’s lives by offering them … Continue reading
Head quits as ‘high risk’ Virgo Fidelis struggles with budget
Education correspondent GENE BRODIE reports on the latest setback suffered by one of the borough’s oldest schools Virgo Fidelis girls’ convent school in Upper Norwood will start the new school term in September with its fifth headteacher in barely three … Continue reading
Croydon now has three employees paid £200,000+ per year
Our political correspondent, WALTER CRONXITE, reports on the latest startling figures coming out of the council Croydon Council had three members of staff who took home more than £200,000 in the last financial year for which figures are available. That’s … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Services, Colm Lacey, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Eleni Ioannides, Guy van Dichele, Heather Cheesbrough, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Richard Simpson, Robert Henderson, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Heather Cheesbrough, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, London Borough of Croydon, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa
4 Comments
Ofsted inspection rates Croydon children’s services ‘Good’
It has taken two and a half years, and an extra £25million spent on recruiting staff and providing new equipment, but Croydon Council’s children’s services department has finally been rated as “Good” by Ofsted following its latest inspection. The borough’s … Continue reading
Council worker stole £128,000 in a year from fostering funds
A council employee has been caught swindling Council Tax-payers of tens of thousands of pounds, this time depriving fostered children of the care they needed so that she could fuel her drug habit. Stephanie Standen, from South Croydon, stole more … Continue reading
Oh calamity! Negrini’s not worried about 6/11 high risk ratings
The council’s finances have gone into the red zone, according to CIPFA, and Croydon now has £1.4bn debt, the third-highest of any council in the country. But the Town Hall CEO says it is nothing to be concerned about. By … Continue reading
