Not Fit For Purpose
Rotherham Council's Labour Cabinet has resigned en masse following a damning report which concluded that the Council is 'not fit for purpose'.
Now it's amazing if you ask me that there haven't been resignations at the top long before now, but all too often local government operates by 'herd instinct' in which the ruling party sticks together through thick and thin - instead of standing up and doing the right thing.
North Lanarkshire Council is a very different example of the same thing because we are witnessing a scandal of major proportions over the way NLC has behaved in relation to equal pay over the past 12 years or so, yet no one has taken responsibility for the mess or apologised over the way the Council has conducted itself.
And throughout that entire period, by and large the same core group of senior councillors and chief officials have remained in place.
Rotherham Council cabinet to resign over child abuse report
The inspection team reviewed approximately 7,000 documents and met with more than 200 people
Rotherham Council's cabinet is to resign in the wake of a damning report which found it was "not fit for purpose" after a child abuse scandal.
The National Crime Agency said Louise Casey's report identified "a number of potentially criminal matters".
The inquiry found a culture of bullying, sexism, suppression and misplaced "political correctness".
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said he planned to give control of the council to five commissioners.
He also plans to impose early elections in 2016.
He said: "In the immediate term, I am minded to appoint commissioners who will provide new leadership taking over the roles of the currently wholly dysfunctional cabinet.
"I am proposing they will therefore initially exercise all the functions currently exercised by the cabinet - that is all the council's executive functions."
He said the 2016 elections would give people a chance to "renew the membership of their council and elect those they have confidence in".
Rotherham Council's cabinet is to resign in the wake of a damning report which found it was "not fit for purpose" after a child abuse scandal.
The National Crime Agency said Louise Casey's report identified "a number of potentially criminal matters".
The inquiry found a culture of bullying, sexism, suppression and misplaced "political correctness".
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said he planned to give control of the council to five commissioners.
He also plans to impose early elections in 2016.
He said: "In the immediate term, I am minded to appoint commissioners who will provide new leadership taking over the roles of the currently wholly dysfunctional cabinet.
"I am proposing they will therefore initially exercise all the functions currently exercised by the cabinet - that is all the council's executive functions."
He said the 2016 elections would give people a chance to "renew the membership of their council and elect those they have confidence in".
'Take responsibility'
The council has 14 days to respond to his "wholly exceptional" proposals, he said. If his plans were enacted, he said he hoped control would be returned to Rotherham Council as "rapidly as possible".
A statement announcing the resignation of Rotherham's cabinet was released shortly before Mr Pickles outlined his plans.
It said: "[Louise Casey] clearly has no confidence in the current political leadership of Rotherham Borough Council.
"As a cabinet, whatever the details, as the political leadership of the council we must take responsibility. We therefore announce our intention to resign our positions as soon as transitional arrangements can be put in place."
Ms Casey was asked by Mr Pickles to inspect the council in the wake of the Jay Report in August 2014.
The report found the council has a "deep-rooted" culture of cover-ups and silencing whistleblowers, she said.
It also found the child sexual exploitation (CSE) team was poorly directed, suffered from excessive case loads, and did not share information between agencies.
Ms Casey said: "This inspection revealed past and present failures to accept, understand and combat the issue of child sexual exploitation, resulting in a lack of support for victims and insufficient action against known perpetrators."
The council has 14 days to respond to his "wholly exceptional" proposals, he said. If his plans were enacted, he said he hoped control would be returned to Rotherham Council as "rapidly as possible".
A statement announcing the resignation of Rotherham's cabinet was released shortly before Mr Pickles outlined his plans.
It said: "[Louise Casey] clearly has no confidence in the current political leadership of Rotherham Borough Council.
"As a cabinet, whatever the details, as the political leadership of the council we must take responsibility. We therefore announce our intention to resign our positions as soon as transitional arrangements can be put in place."
Ms Casey was asked by Mr Pickles to inspect the council in the wake of the Jay Report in August 2014.
The report found the council has a "deep-rooted" culture of cover-ups and silencing whistleblowers, she said.
It also found the child sexual exploitation (CSE) team was poorly directed, suffered from excessive case loads, and did not share information between agencies.
Ms Casey said: "This inspection revealed past and present failures to accept, understand and combat the issue of child sexual exploitation, resulting in a lack of support for victims and insufficient action against known perpetrators."
Council leader 'a bully'
Report author Louise Casey: "Rotherham council needs a fresh start"
The inspection team reviewed approximately 7,000 documents, looked in detail at case files and met with more than 200 people, including current and former staff, council members, partners, victims and parents.
According to the report child abusers in Rotherham are identified but "little or no action is taken to stop or even disrupt their activities".
Rotherham Council demonstrated a "resolute denial" of the child abuse that was taking place, the report found.
Ms Casey said the local authority was "repeatedly told" by its own youth service what was happening.
It chose, she said "not only to not act, but to close that service down."
Attitudes within the council include dismissal of Professor Jay's findings, denial of knowledge of the "scale and scope" of CSE, blaming others and denial that CSE remains a serious problem in present day Rotherham.
The council also had an "excessive deference" to South Yorkshire Police, something which prevented the use of council powers to tackle perpetrators, and a lack of scrutiny over the police's actions.
Report author Louise Casey: "Rotherham council needs a fresh start"
The inspection team reviewed approximately 7,000 documents, looked in detail at case files and met with more than 200 people, including current and former staff, council members, partners, victims and parents.
According to the report child abusers in Rotherham are identified but "little or no action is taken to stop or even disrupt their activities".
Rotherham Council demonstrated a "resolute denial" of the child abuse that was taking place, the report found.
Ms Casey said the local authority was "repeatedly told" by its own youth service what was happening.
It chose, she said "not only to not act, but to close that service down."
Attitudes within the council include dismissal of Professor Jay's findings, denial of knowledge of the "scale and scope" of CSE, blaming others and denial that CSE remains a serious problem in present day Rotherham.
The council also had an "excessive deference" to South Yorkshire Police, something which prevented the use of council powers to tackle perpetrators, and a lack of scrutiny over the police's actions.
Former council leader Roger Stone was labelled "a bully" in the report
Investigators were told that former council leader Roger Stone had been "a bully".
"What Stone said, went," a senior officer told the investigation. "Everyone was terrified of Stone."
A councillor said: "He is a bully in my opinion. In Labour group he would impress himself on people, male or female. A lot of women have felt a sense of suppression and macho culture."
Mr Stone declined to be interviewed by investigators but sent a statement instead.
Ms Casey, who is director-general for troubled families at the Communities Department, was asked to inspect the council in September.
Investigators were told that former council leader Roger Stone had been "a bully".
"What Stone said, went," a senior officer told the investigation. "Everyone was terrified of Stone."
A councillor said: "He is a bully in my opinion. In Labour group he would impress himself on people, male or female. A lot of women have felt a sense of suppression and macho culture."
Mr Stone declined to be interviewed by investigators but sent a statement instead.
Ms Casey, who is director-general for troubled families at the Communities Department, was asked to inspect the council in September.
1,400 children abused
Her report is the latest in a series of investigations following the publication of the Jay Report in August 2014.
Prof Alexis Jay found an estimated 1,400 children had been sexually abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
Children as young as 11 were raped by multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other cities in England, beaten and intimidated.
Staff at the council did not report issues for fear of appearing racist, Ms Casey's report found.
But the investigators said that by failing to take action against the abusers of Pakistani heritage, the council had "inadvertently fuelled the far right and allowed racial tensions to grow".
The report added that the lack of action had done a great disservice to the Pakistani community.
Two investigations by Commons committees have been launched since the Jay Report was published and a number of high-profile figures have resigned including Shaun Wright, South Yorkshire's police and crime commissioner, who had been a councillor in the town and responsible for children's services.
"There were various meetings...they were saying if there was anyone found to be dead if would be me"
Mr Wright also refused to be interviewed for Ms Casey's report and sent a statement saying he had been unaware of the extent of the abuse.
The National Crime Agency has taken over the investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham and is in the preliminary stage of its inquiry.
Last month, Ofsted admitted to the Communities and Local Government Committee that its inspections of children's services in the town had been "not good enough".
Inspectors from the regulator failed to spot the extent of child sexual exploitation in the town over several years, rating the council as adequate.
Meanwhile, police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating 10 South Yorkshire Police officers over their handling of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.
Her report is the latest in a series of investigations following the publication of the Jay Report in August 2014.
Prof Alexis Jay found an estimated 1,400 children had been sexually abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
Children as young as 11 were raped by multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other cities in England, beaten and intimidated.
Staff at the council did not report issues for fear of appearing racist, Ms Casey's report found.
But the investigators said that by failing to take action against the abusers of Pakistani heritage, the council had "inadvertently fuelled the far right and allowed racial tensions to grow".
The report added that the lack of action had done a great disservice to the Pakistani community.
Two investigations by Commons committees have been launched since the Jay Report was published and a number of high-profile figures have resigned including Shaun Wright, South Yorkshire's police and crime commissioner, who had been a councillor in the town and responsible for children's services.
"There were various meetings...they were saying if there was anyone found to be dead if would be me"
Mr Wright also refused to be interviewed for Ms Casey's report and sent a statement saying he had been unaware of the extent of the abuse.
The National Crime Agency has taken over the investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham and is in the preliminary stage of its inquiry.
Last month, Ofsted admitted to the Communities and Local Government Committee that its inspections of children's services in the town had been "not good enough".
Inspectors from the regulator failed to spot the extent of child sexual exploitation in the town over several years, rating the council as adequate.
Meanwhile, police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating 10 South Yorkshire Police officers over their handling of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.
