On the Value of Pledges and Promises

Peterborough’s children’s services cabinet member Sheila Scott has said it became apparent a few weeks after the death of Tyler Whelan that there had been failures in the department charged with looking after vulnerable children in the city.
A Serious Case Review by the Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board has highlighted a series of failures in Peterborough City Council’s children’s services department in the handling of the Tyler case. Interim children’s services director Malcolm Newsam said on Monday that there were two opportunities where more action could have been taken prior to Tyler’s death in March 2011

Peterborough Evening Telegraph

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The Cabinet Member for Childrens Services Sheila Scott is currently unavailable for comment, so here is a BBC interview she attended after an unsatisfactory Ofsted report in May 2010, alongside her then Director, John Richards, subsequently himself sacked after a further damning Ofsted report in September 2011.

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08:35 Monday 24th May 2010
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Parts of Peterborough’s services for children in care have been labelled as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted. The service was voted as good in 21 categories, 9 were judged as adequate, and 3 categories were deemed as inadequate Joining us now is John Richards, Peterborough City Council’s Director of Children’s Services, and Councillor Sheila Scott is the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at the Council. So guys, who’s fault is this? Who shall I start with? Shall I start with you John? Is it your fault? Continue reading “On the Value of Pledges and Promises”

Peterborough Children’s Services in Crisis Appoints £1000 a Day Interim

08:08 Tuesday 22nd November 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: No council employee is worth £1000 a day. That’s according to the Deputy Leader of the Independent councillors on Peterborough City Council. John Fox’s comments came after plans were unveiled to pay the new Interim Director of Peterborough’s Children’s Services over £1000 a day. He’s been billed as the new “super consultant”, and will be in charge of sorting out the Council’s failing Children’s Services, which was labelled so bad by an Ofsted report that the Director of the Department John Richards was forced to resign. Continue reading “Peterborough Children’s Services in Crisis Appoints £1000 a Day Interim”

Council Subsidy for PREL’s Cranfield Link-Up

07:21 Thursday 30th June 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

(Need to know on this story is that the Leader of Peterborough City Council Marco Cereste is also Chairman of the private company Peterborough Renewable Energy Limited.)

ANDY GALL: Should Peterborough City Council give financial support to universities who want to open learning centres in the city? Council chiefs have announced plans to pay Cranfield University a grant of £120,000. The money would be used to employ a Chair in Renewable Energy, who would then work with the Council, Cranfield and Opportunity Peterborough. Let’s find our more by speaking to John Richards, who’s the Executive Director of Children’s Services at Peterborough City Council. Joins us now. Good morning John. So how does this grant work? You’re planning to pay £120,000 to Cranfield University to fund this role and why.
JOHN RICHARDS: Right. Well I’m glad you’re interviewing me actually, because on previous occasions you’ve said to me, how are you going to increase the higher education offer in Peterborough, ie bring universities to Peterborough, and this is one of the ways which we are doing that. Now the Chair in Renewable Energy will be working in Peterborough with not only the City Council but with all the eco-environmental companies, and particularly with PREL. And the idea is that it brings doctorate masters students and they provide continous professional development for staff working in Peterborough. So it’s about upping the skills of Peterborough people. Now the actual cost of the Chair and all the accoutrements of a Chair of Renewable Energy is over £300,000. The City Council is only putting in £120,000, that’s £40,000 over three years, and the rest of the money is being put up by PREL. So this is a real partnership between business, the Council and the university. Continue reading “Council Subsidy for PREL’s Cranfield Link-Up”

Peterborough News 9th December 2010

A summary of the Peterborough Breakfast Show from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire broadcast from 06:00 to 09:00 on Thursday 9th December 2010.

Topics:
Today is the day when MPs vote on whether to raise student fees. The local MP supports the policy.
Peterborough Childrens Services have received a “poor” rating but a Council spokesman says the problems are historic and they will do better next time.
Council have passed plans for a massive housebuilding programme over the next 15 years featuring 21,000 new units.
Continue reading “Peterborough News 9th December 2010”

Peterborough Childrens’ Services Poor

John Richards came on the radio this morning to explain why OFSTED gave Peterborough City Council a “poor” rating for its Childrens Services.

Here are the extracts from the OFSTED report that relate to the failings:
Continue reading “Peterborough Childrens’ Services Poor”

Peterborough News 24th May 2010

A summary of the Peterborough Breakfast Show from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire broadcast from 07:00 to 09:00 on Monday 24th May 2010. News travel weather and interviews.

A summary of the Peterborough Breakfast Show from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire broadcast from 07:00 to 09:00 on Monday 24th May 2010. News travel weather and interviews.

Topics:
The Coalition Government outlines its proposed spending cuts.
Parts of Peterborough Children’s Services have been marked inadequate by OFSTED.
Peterborough Cathedral is seeking £100,000 for drainage works.
A local hairdresser appears in the SUN newspaper’s Mum of the Year contest.
There is a beehive at the top of Cumberland House in St Marks Street Peterborough.
An expatriate Peterborough United fan updates us on South Africa’s progress towards hosting the World Cup.

Interviewees:
Dermot Finch Chief Executive IPPR Centre for Cities.
Angus Ellis PCSU Union.
Lisa Schwarz Spencer’s Hair Salon Peterborough.
Rosemary Robinson Bee Person.
Paul Brown Ex-Pat Peterborough United FC Fan.
Jonathan Williams Solicitor and Cathedral Worshipper.
Marco Cereste Peterborough City Council Leader and Chairman NHS Peterborough.
Canon Richard Cattle Peterborough Cathedral.
John Richards Director of Children’s Services Peterborough City Council.
Sheila Scott Cabinet member for Children’s Services Peterborough City Council.
Toby Earl TV Easy Magazine.

Team:
Presenter: Paul Stainton
Producer: Heather Noble
Sport: Peter Swann
News: Suzi Roberts
Travel: Justin Peterson
Weather: John Gray
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