Under new proposals, Job Seeker’s Allowance claimants who haven’t found a job once they have been through a work programme will do a 26 week placement in the community.
Participants will complete 30 hours of compulsory work a week in order to benefit their communities and develop basic employability skills.
Speaking at a Parliamentary Liaison Committee today, the Prime Minister said:
Social workers in a crisis-hit child protection unit are still working in a ‘climate of fear’ – nearly two years after their boss was sacked in the wake of a baby’s death.
That is the conclusion of an independent taskforce drafted in to drive up standards in Salford’s child safeguarding department.
The taskforce – including Claire Kober, leader of Haringey council – said that while improvements had been made, overall quality remained ‘inconsistent’.
It said: “There is a sense of fear linked to repercussions resulting from failure.
“This also includes a fear of cuts and of failing children.”
John Merry, leader of the council, said he was determined to end the council of fear – and said he didn’t blame social workers for the situation.
He said: “It’s the age-old story that they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
“They are either taken to task if they don’t act quickly enough – or if they act too fast.
“They are more prone to being cautious. It’s natural. Quite frankly they have had a very difficult period to go through.”
Nick Page, who replaced Mrs Baker after she was sacked, said he would not rest until the service was rated ‘outstanding’.
He said: “I want people to come to Salford in two or three years time, talk to the leader of the council and say: ‘How on earth have you done that?’”
I have to ask Mr Page something how long as he been in post, what as he done to improve the situation and how much time does he think it will take before we see anything that can be put down as real progress.Again sorry to say this department looks like no change since Mrs Bakers departure.
When i was talking to Residents over the Proposed Asda today one Old lady said to me with a toothless grin,we are expecting Blears down but we don’t expect anything in that department. Sad Really why did people vote for some one who seems so hated across the city?
Mr Berg and his group are turning out to be nothing more than a sham. We to be honest don’t wish to fight any contest unless we feel we can offer the public a choice, something that they want, and something we can provide. What is concerning me is when Mr Berg puts out a statement on Salford online that in all honesty was so full of holes and ridiculous it baffled me who wrote it? who ever cobbled this statement together needs to go back to the drawing board.I suggest to Mr Berg also that if he uses people names on his leaflets he checks to see what he as written is correct.
When i think back to my election to Salford Council one thing always sticks in my mind.I always felt being elected to Council you were on site to represent any one that called you seeking help.That was not the case within my first year of office i was reported for dealing with case work which was not in my area . I suppose it may seem minor to many people reading this but it makes sense,it stops frustration and the,duplication of work already in place . So if you received work that was not in the area you represented you passed it on to that elected representative but i always with any case told the member of public if they were not satisfied to contact me immediately.
Today i went with colleague’s to see the new plans for ASDA in the Swinton South Ward
While looking at the plans i was drawn to Residents who i recognised
they where extremely upset because they are to be evicted from there homes due to the development,one lady asked for advice i promptly told her that i no longer represented the ward but I would put her in touch with an Elected representative for the ward and offered her a free room so residents could meet.To my surprise she thanked me took my contact details and then starts to ask was a still a Liberal Democrat with Councillor Owen getting involved in the issue, I told her i was not.My concerns are this has Cllr Owen made contact with the Two Labour and the one Independent Councillor who were duly elected to serve these people i think not,and in my opinion i would challenge Cllr Owen for what is nothing more than common interference within other wards and
a total lack of Respect to other Councillors. In public office there are guidelines that should be followed and i feel shocked in the way this as developed,could you imagine Cllr Owens response if LABOUR,Tory or Independents started to encroach into Clairmont? there would be uproar.I leave this issue to others to deal with if i was still an elected Councillor i would be taking this issue as far as possible. One should always act
in a professional and courteous many to others this time he as failed to do so.
Part of a Story the star is running does it make you wonder what the hell is going on inside these academies
i remember when these so called places of excellence where put forward under Labour.We raised our concerns at the time but how do you change LABOURS policies they never listen,they are always right,so people have to suffer the consequences.This is what you get when we cannot wield any influence.Mayhem
Meanwhile, the Salford Star has constantly questioned both the `non-faith’ school’s Christian ethos ("we will end up with a church which is also a school…a school that is also a church…" Steve Chalke, head of Oasis Trust) and the new school building on Salford Quays which is forecast to be half empty when it opens next September (for more details see links below).
"The head teacher blamed everyone else but himself – he said the ones before had overspent and left him to deal with it, that there were too many teachers and not enough pupils" said Year 10 protesters "But the school’s spent money on all these ridiculous things like two whiteboards that cost five grand each and are never used.
"There’s also a radio station that cost around £8,000 that’s not used…There’s Apple laptops that have been there for three years and never been used – they’ve got all this high tech equipment and no teachers!" they added "And now they’re moving to a school that’s three times as big as this one and no pupils to go in it. It’s getting ridiculous."
You could argue that it’s been allowed to get like this, with the school being a law unto itself, because Academies are outside local authority control. However, Salford Council has encouraged the growth of Oasis in the city through its constantly faltering Building School For The Future programme.
The information that the Salford Star has obtained on the disturbances from Oasis pupils cannot be verified because the no-one from the school would comment – which in itself is very strange because the Oasis Academy has major links with Salford’s Media City and prides itself on its media teaching.
However, we have found a job description for the Deputy Principal from March this year which stated that the successful candidate "will have the ability to excite and enthuse students and staff, empowering them to maximise their potential and share our deeply held belief that all students can succeed given the right opportunity and support…"
It seems that when students become `empowered’ they are excluded. And that the school’s `deeply held belief that all students can succeed given the right opportunity and support’ means sacking their teachers half way through GCSEs…
Meanwhile, the result of the teachers’ strike ballot will be known tomorrow…
