However, closer to home Cllr Black and his LibDem contingent on Swansea Council are happy to elect as Presiding Officer of the Council the former Cabinet Member for Social Services who presided over such a failure in that department that Swansea's Children's Services are now being run by an outside body.
In 2004, Swansea's Children's Services were judged to be amongst the best in Wales, by 2005 a child died of abuse even after the Council was alerted by concerned neighbours and family members and the Serious Case Review singled out Swansea Council for some woeful practices in child protection and in 2007 a damning report said that urgent reforms needed to take place within the department. By the end of 2008, WAG concluded, on the advice of the independent Social Services Inspectorate, that the service had not improved anywhere near enough for Ministers and officials to be satisfied that everything possible was being done to protect vulnerable children in Swansea. Now an "Intervention Board" was set up under the Children's Act 1989 - the first time such powers have been used in pre or post-devolution Wales - to shadow the children's services section of the Social Services Department.
The Cabinet Member who presided from 2004 until her enforced resignation in March 2009 was Councillor Wendy Fitzgerald, elected as an "Independents@Swansea" Candidate (yes, it is a registered political party!), but has since her election in 2004 sat as a "Swansea Administration" Group Councillor, the Group which is made up of those Councillors elected as LibDem, Independents@Swansea, Plaid Cymru and various other "independent" and unaligned banners. By forming one single Group under the Local Government Act, it means that the disparate collection of hacks, wannabes, student politicians-yet-to-grow-up and other figures from Swansea's political diaspora and dispossessed, can get more seats on the Committees and more easily control Council. It also means that thee generous allowances they get for chairing and vice-chairing committees are safer, too.
Now, in a bizarre move, the powers-that-be in the "Swansea Administration" have seen fit to push through the nomination of Cllr Wendy Fitzgerald as the Council's Presiding Officer, Swansea's very own "Speaker" and third in line in terms of the City's civic seniority behind the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor. The LibDem Councillor, who was the previous Presiding Officer was appointed in Cllr Fitzgerald's place when she was removed from her position as Cabinet Member for Social Services. The Deputy Presiding Officer, another LibDem Councillor (and former Tory) Huw Rees, was seen as the natural successor to the Presiding Officer position, being well-liked and respected across the Chamber - something which is a prerequisite for the position of chair for any democratic forum, as Cllr Black would agree.
However, in true LibDem form, the difference between preaching and practice is as wide as ever and the reward for failing to protect the most vulnerable children in Swansea seems to be appointment to a prestigious and well-remunerated position as the City's very own Madam Speaker.
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So much for the cross party agreement not to immerse children's services in party politics. It is true that Swansea Council was identified as being at fault in the death of Aaron Gilbert but it is also the case that he was not a social services client at the time of his death, that the call alerting social workers to his plight only came a few days before his death (though that does not excuse the failure of the social worker to act) but the report also identified Police and the NHS as at fault for not taking action too. It is also the case that the Aaron Gilbert case is completely separate from and unrelated to the inspection report that led to the present intervention so your linking of the two is disingenuous.
ReplyDeleteThe intervention board has not taken over the running of social services as you claim. It is also the case that the last inspection report praised Wendy Fitzgerald for her role in trying to improve the performance of her department and indicated that she had been partially successful.One of the reasons given for the present intervention was weak scrutiny and the failure to get cross party consensus on a way forward. You are culpable in that René.
But the basic question is this. If you object to Wendy Fitzgerald becoming Presiding Officer so much why did you not show up to speak and vote against her and why did half of the Tory group members present at that meeting vote for her?
The fact is that Wendy was an obvious contender to be the next PO and the suggestion that there is any comparison with Michael Martin is just nonsense.
"One of the reasons given for the present intervention was weak scrutiny and the failure to get cross party consensus on a way forward. You are culpable in that René."
ReplyDeleteFascinating stuff, Peter. It has been your position throughout this sorry affair to blame ANYONE other than the Administration you support - police, NHS and even Opposition Parties.
My Party was only invited to take part in the process to secure a cross-party consensus on a way forward in DECEMBER 2008. The Minister's Statement alluded to the fact that it took the Leader of YOUR Administration over 5 MONTHS to even set a date for the cross-party talks after promising the Minister it would be done.
It remains the case that in 2004 Children's Services in Swansea was rated as amongst the best in Wales and by 2007 a CSSIW Report found serious concerns about the quality of the service. No one can take the blame for that other than YOUR Administration and the Cabinet Member responsible for the Social Services Department.
Cllr Fitzgerald's appointment (which I could have done nothing about due to the way your side follows the whip in such a supine manner, unlike the Conservatives who can make their own minds up on issues) is a slap in the face to the citizens of Swansea and owes more to your shabby tactics in holding the "Administration Group" of opportunists and money-grabbers in place.
I am just quoting what the reports say René. You seem intent on pinning the blame entirely on one party but that is not the case and you know it.
ReplyDeleteYour party was invited to take part in cross party consensus prior to December 2008 as were Labour but could not agree on a way forward. There is evidence to back that up. The Minister's statement said no such thing.
I accept that Social Services has fallen since 2004 though not by as much as you state. There are many reasons for that and not all of them to do with Wendy Fitzgerald.
As it happens I made up my own mind on Presiding Officer too and did not vote for Wendy because of a group decision. The Independents even say that they do not take a whip which is a source of much frustration sometimes. The question remains though that if you felt so strongly why were you not there?
Peter, the CSSIW made specific point about the length of time it took to set up a form of cross-party working AND my Group was NOT invited to take part in any form of cross-party forum until December 2008. The only other meeting prior to that was to discuss the 2007 CSSIW report 18 MONTHS previously!
ReplyDeleteIt was raised a number of times in the Constitution Working Group but neither Labour or the Tories were interested in co-operating.
ReplyDeleteI take serious issue with the misleading comments from, two jobs, Councillor Peter Black AM. He says that "the last inspection report praised Wendy Fitzgerald for her role in trying to improve the performance of her department" Point (1) - fact - it was Councillor Wendy Fitzgerald who was responsible for decimating Swansea's Childrens Services even though she repeatedly tried to blame others within her department. Point (2) Where within the CSSIW report is the statement "praising Councillor Fitzgerald". Perhaps Councillor Black would be kind enough to direct to the page and paragraph where this highly unlikely statement is written.
ReplyDeleteI have read the CSSIW report and listened to the presentation given at the Council meeting and in both cases there was no praise coming forward for Councillor Fitzgerald just condemnation of her failure to protect the children to whom she had a duty of care.
Councillor Kinzett is correct in stating that Councillor Wendy Fitzgerald appointment was a slap in the face for the people of Swansea.
However, the major issue of concern here is the damage Councillor Chris Holley and his cohorts have caused to local residents belief in democracy.
Well, well, here we have Rene Kinzett of London, the so called Leader of a tiny rump group of four Tories on Swansea Council. He and one other cannot be bothered to turn up for the all important AGM. The remaining two Tories are split - one is a Labour supporter and the other is an Independent supporter. So that leaves no Tory Group on Swansea Council. Time to cheer HOORAY!
ReplyDeleteFrom the nasty terminology used I believe "Anonymous 16.05" is Councillor Ioan Richard the Mawr Mouth.
ReplyDeleteI unintentionally deleted another comment from an "anonymous" contributor, who made mention of another member of my family. In the interests of openness and balance, I invite them to make the comment again and this time I will ensure that it is published.
ReplyDeleteAh, Swansea, that graveyard of ambition now has it's own ruddy great skyscraper tombstone on the foreshore. Will the LibDems make sure it's finished and occupied? Or will they lay it down on it's side as a tourist attraction like the old bridge that once graced the Mumbles Road?
ReplyDelete