Category Archives: Hazel Simmonds

Kerswell finally prepares to publish long withheld #PennReport

Posted on February 15, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s £193,000 per year CEO has descended into the realms of Alice In Blunderland with her latest excuses for ignoring elected councillors and the public. By STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s chief executive, claims that it … Continue reading →

Posted in Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Judge orders CEO Kerswell to face tribunal over racism claims

Posted on October 12, 2022 by insidecroydon

Our Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest development in the increasingly messy aftermath of Croydon’s bankruptcy Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s £192,474 per year chief executive, will have to face up to 11 days in an Employment Tribunal and claims … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

#PennReport: Croydon has been let down by political leaders

Posted on October 5, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The report into the council’s financial collapse that has been withheld for nearly two years includes damning criticisms of some of the council’s most senior staff and political leaders. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s dysfunctional council went … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

#PennReport wanted police probe into possible misconduct

Posted on October 4, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: For nearly two years, the council has withheld a detailed report into ‘possible wrong-doing’ at the Town Hall, together with recommendations for a Met Police investigation and the seeking of a refund on the £437,000 pay-off to … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Crime, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Former council exec drops employment case on technicality

Posted on September 30, 2022 by insidecroydon

Guy van Dichele, the former council exec director who was suspended in February 2021 as part of the “Kerswell Kull” of senior staffers who had run the borough in the lead-up to its financial collapse, has dropped his Employment Tribunal … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The deal is in: council facing another expensive staff pay-off

Posted on September 15, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Late cancellation of an Employment Tribunal hearing this morning avoids the council washing its dirty linen in public. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Jason Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor, could soon be asked to rubber-stamp another expensive “golden handshake” … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

CEO Kerswell could face race discrimination claims at Tribunal

Posted on September 14, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: To be dragged before an Employment Tribunal by one six-figure salaried exec might be seen as unfortunate. To be taken to the ET by two top execs, with one of them accusing the council of being racist, … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Council exec Simmonds quits after 18 months ‘gardening leave’

Posted on September 12, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The final obstacle to the release of the Penn Report into possible wrongdoing in Croydon has finally been removed, just ahead of an Employment Tribunal hearing this week. By STEVEN DOWNES Hazel Simmonds, one of five council … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

4 former council bosses charged by police… as Croydon waits

Posted on August 25, 2022 by insidecroydon

Investigations into wrongdoing in local government can take many years. A meeting at the Town Hall next week could provide a long-awaited chink of public accountability into the mismanagement – possibly worse – that led to Croydon Council’s financial collapse, … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Secret report into wrong-doing at council still kept under wraps

Posted on April 25, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Eighteen months after an investigation into how the council’s finances collapsed, the report into the affair – which prompted the resignation of the council leader and four execs – remains unpublished. And the council CEO intends keeping … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Council names new legal chief as exec churn continues

Posted on April 10, 2022 by insidecroydon

Our council reporter, PEARL LEE, discovers that the new borough solicitor was, until last month, the director of private property companies Croydon has announced a new, permanent appointee to become the council’s senior legal official. They just don’t seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paul Scott, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Suspended director sues Kerswell for ‘race discrimination’

Posted on March 3, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council running one of the country’s most ethnically diverse boroughs could be dragged through the courts, with one of its rare BAME directors accusing it, and its chief executive, of racism. By STEVEN DOWNES Hazel Simmonds, … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ali promises to release report into ‘collusive, unhealthy culture’

Posted on September 1, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Has the council leader made another meaningless promise to the borough’s residents over ‘disciplinary action’ against those responsible for the Town Hall’s financial collapse? By STEVEN DOWNES The potentially dynamite but still unpublished Penn Report into possible … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Improvement Board, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Former health director suing council for constructive dismissal

Posted on July 26, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Kerswell’s cull’ of the council’s executive directors appointed or promoted by her predecessor, Jo Negrini,  is not going as smoothly as might have been hoped. And it appears that most will escape any disciplinary action. By STEVEN … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mystery of £200k council exec points towards BxB’s Lacey

Posted on June 25, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: While the average salary of council employees is a modest £23,000, those at the top of the organisation, even when it was heading for financial collapse, still made sure they awarded themselves cushty pay hikes. By STEVEN … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Kerswell set to depart after completing cull of Negrini execs

Posted on April 16, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Having overseen the removal of almost all of Jo Negrini’s ‘executive leadership team’, it seems that the interim chief exec wants to move on to better things. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council is to begin the … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Heather Cheesbrough, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Robert Henderson, Sarah Hayward, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Exec director resigned week before suspension was announced

Posted on February 20, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Minutes from another council’s meeting shows that Guy Van Dichele was offered a job in Southampton eight days before he was ‘suspended’ from his post as executive director ‘health, well-being and adults’. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Documents … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Robert Henderson, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Two executive directors in shock resignations from council

Posted on February 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Staff were told this afternoon that two of the ‘executive leadership team’ who were suspended from duty last week have quit their jobs. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Guy Van Dichele, Croydon’s executive director “health, well-being and adults”, … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Unintended consequences’: government scraps pay-off cap

Posted on February 15, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Political editor WALTER CRONXITE finds that the era of half-million-pound rewards for failure might not be over at the council just yet Those council exec directors on six-figure salaries who are sweating on the outcome of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Kerswell cull: ‘This is a really difficult situation’ says CEO

Posted on February 10, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the latest bulletin to council staff intended, perhaps, to keep up morale In the vintage (and not very “woke”) BBC sitcom Are You Being Served, the doddering old proprietor of … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Kerswell cull begins: five senior council execs go ‘off-grid’

Posted on February 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Monday night’s constitutional changes at the Town Hall were quickly followed by ‘unprecedented’ action from the interim CEO. By STEVEN DOWNES Almost the whole of the senior leadership team at the council “went off-grid” today. Inside Croydon … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Kerswell’s management savings plan: no change at the top

Posted on December 11, 2020 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Staff, unions and residents expected to react angrily to the council’s £193,000 interim CEO’s plan to make only minor changes to the staff on the biggest salaries at Fisher’s Folly. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell’s plan … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Elaine Jackson, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

CEO Kerswell: council staff ‘are angry, upset and want answers’

Posted on October 30, 2020 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: They say confession is good for the soul, though apologies issued yesterday by several council executives read more like pleas to keep their jobs. By WALTER CRONXITE There were several council staff members who half-expected Katherine Kerswell, … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Heather Cheesbrough, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Staff accuse Negrini of ‘cowardice’ ahead of showdown meet

Posted on August 5, 2020 by insidecroydon

The council chief exec is presiding over mounting anger over her handling of the borough finances and management of hundreds of job cuts. STEVEN DOWNES reports Dozens of council staff, many of them facing the prospect of redundancy as part … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Robert Henderson, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Council appoints Simmonds to £150,000 new ‘strategy’ role

Posted on November 22, 2018 by insidecroydon

Croydon Council has promoted Hazel Simmonds to be the executive director in charge of its “Gateway, Strategy and Engagement division”, which apparently looks after the borough’s housing, strategy (yeah, they’ve got one apparently), policy development, communications, community relations and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Hazel Simmonds, Jo Negrini | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment