“This was an opportunity for the Council
to commission an exhaustive study and
take any action required, in a truly
transparent manner.”
May 18th 2009
Commenting on the recent ‘Independent
Enquiry’, into allegations of bullying
and harassment within Reading Borough
Council’s Children’s Services
Department, Cllr Jamie Chowdhary,
Conservative Lead Spokesman for
Children’s Services , criticised the
Council for trying to “bury the report
by routing it through a ‘Personnel
Committee” and to “suppress comment by
invoking totally unacceptable copyright
and confidentiality clauses”.
He
said: “The whole process is one of
cover-up and unanswered questions. I am
not prepared to support this Report
until a number of key concerns have been
addressed.”
For example:
-
When commenting on the period since
2006, why were only five department
leavers interviewed?
-
Why was it accepted that 55% of
respondents were managers, while 84%
of ‘other staff’ invited to
participate declined?
-
Why was a senior HR manager allowed
to sit in on every interview to
‘take notes’ and how was this
conducive to free and frank comment?
-
Why were no reports from leavers’
exit interviews included and were
they undertaken?
-
Why did the investigation fail to
consider the ‘Shreddergate’ incident
when
Cllr Chowdhary had been assured that
it would do so?
-
Why was this Report channelled
through a Personnel Committee and
not made to Council or subjected to
the Scrutiny process?
Cllr Chowdhary added: “This was an
opportunity for the Council to
commission an exhaustive study and take
any action required, in a truly
transparent manner.”
“Instead, I have seen only a flawed and
partial process and summary information.
As yet, I have no confidence in the
approach adopted or reassurances given.”
Conservatives refuse to
accept findings of Independent
investigation
"Our difficulty at the moment is that we have been gagged. We are not able to discuss this".
May 4th 2009
Following the release of the Whistle
blower
inquiry
undertaken by the Chief Executive of
Reading Borough Council, the
Conservative group are concerned at the
apparent attempt by Reading Borough
Council's to put obstacles in the way of
further investigation by Councillors by
burying the report under a
confidentiality clause.
The Personnel Committee noted and
endorsed the report but the two
Conservative Councillors on the
committee, Councillors Jamie Chowdhary
and Tom Steele, refused to endorse the
report and were out-voted.
Cllr Jamie
Chowdhary, Conservative
spokesman on children's services, said
his party was not prepared to endorse
everything in this report. Our
difficulty at the moment is that we have
been gagged. We are not able to discuss
this. My feeling is that this report is
one-sided. I have put a number of
questions to the chief executive and
until I get those answers, I will not be
able to say more.”
Cllr Steele, deputy leader of
the Conservatives, said: “I have not
seen the more detailed report that Cllr
Chowdhary has but given the questions he
has raised I don't think we can endorse
this report until we get those answers.”
I can't see any shredded
documents here Michael!
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