Incompetence: CCBC (and other Public Bodies and Statutory Undertakers...)

[SteveH]

A councillor will face no action after being accused of voting in a meeting while driving his car.

A complaint against Conwy councillor Andrew Wood was made in December, accusing him of raising his hand while the car was moving, which he denied.

Public services ombudsman for Wales Michelle Morris has decided no sanctions will be taken against him.

The decision was made on the grounds that the incident was a "one-off" and police were not investigating.

During the meeting, which was being held remotely, Mr Wood's car appeared to be stationary but later, when he raised his hand to vote, it was moving.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66875384

[SteveH]

Outrageous disgrace............ 

A mental health trust that was named the worst in the country has spent over ?800,000 on a public relations firm, the BBC can reveal.

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) agreed a contract while it was working to improve its rating by inspectors from "inadequate".

After hiring the company the trust subsequently saw its rating raised to "requires improvement".

NSFT said the firm provided it with support at "a time of great need".

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-67307312

[Ian]

This isn't an unusual outcome from an organisation in the public sector when the Tories are in power. Many Tories don't like funding 'working class' excuses - which is how they see mental health issues.

[Dave]

This isn't an unusual outcome from an organisation in the public sector when the Tories are in power. Many Tories don't like funding 'working class' excuses - which is how they see mental health issues.

Anyone heard if any one has found the missing ?800k from Betsi Cadwaladr yet? Is it still in special measures? I guess the PR companies will be lining up to restore their image and our Welsh Government will probably want to help them out too.

[SteveH]

A massively overbudget car park costing ?870,000 has been built by a council currently making ?8.4m in cuts.        

It means each of the 37 spaces at the pay and display site on Monmouth's Wyebridge Street has cost the taxpayer more than ?23,500.

The original estimated cost is unclear but it was expected last year that it would be just over ?500,000.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67948249

[Hugo]

At least CCBC is not the only Council in Wales  making massive mistakes.          I wonder which Council in Wales is the worst for making howlers?

[SteveH]

Contractors are digging up a Conwy tennis court surface that was only laid in October.

The tennis courts at Bodlondeb Park in Conwy are currently undergoing a ?108,000 transformation.

The work was scheduled to be completed in August 2023, but the contractors are already removing the new surface laid in October 2023 with diggers now on site.

While Conwy County Council says the cost of the remedial work is being covered by the Lawn Tennis Association, Conwy has admitted it will now charge tennis players ?4 at most times of the day.

This is despite the often-busy courts previously being free.

When asked if the remedial work would cost taxpayers and, if so, how much, the council spokeswoman said Conwy didn?t know.

?We don?t hold these figures as this is being completed at no cost to CCBC,? 

?The project is funded and overseen by the Lawn Tennis Association. We are grateful for the very significant investment that they are making into our tennis courts.?

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24073532.contractors-dig-conwy-tennis-courts-laid-three-months-ago/

[Hugo]

It's a similar scenario to what I posted recently.     Rhos promenade should be completed soon and now CCBC has put an application in for two new kiosks on the promenade so the promenade will be dug up in certain places after it has just been completed         

[SteveH]

A COUNCIL has been slammed for spending ?160,000 on new public toilets in Llanrwst, and about ?21,000 of that was on the hire of portable toilets.

Conwy County Borough Council is facing funding pressures in 2024/25 including pay awards for teachers and local government staff, general inflation, higher cost of borrowing as well as significant demand led pressures in social care and homelessness, which total around ?29m.

After a settlement of ?4m, they face a resource shortfall of ?25m.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24107139.160k-public-toilet-project-llanrwst-met-criticism/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Welsh Government is to reopen an Anglesey lorry whose closure was described as an "advancement into chaos". The government created the park on Parc Cybi to meet demand for additional checks at Holyhead after Brexit and after the loss of another truck site.

It had proved a much-needed facility, particularly as the previous Road King site was closed when HMRC took on their site for a ?45m customs post. The Welsh Government is building a separate border post for sanitary and phytosanitary checks on plant and animal products ? all part of the additional red tape after the UK left the EU.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/welsh-government-reopen-island-lorry-29141887

[SteveH]

Red Tape at its worst............ Someone who follows the rules, but ends up being penalised.

'I've lived in the UK for 18 years and work in the NHS and am now being forced to leave'
NHS worker Marie's application will cost around ?5,000 in total - money she simply does not have

An NHS worker who has lived in the UK for 18 years cannot afford to renew her visa after learning she must pay a ?2,600 fee to access the health service she now helps provide and fears she could be asked to leave the country. Marie Madrid, 33, an NHS care navigator, has spent around ?12,000 renewing her visa to remain in the UK over the past 10 years, but this time cannot afford the healthcare surcharge, a fee levied on most applicants for them to access public health services.

Read full article https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/real-life/mum-fears-being-split-husband-29156838?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

These directors are supposed to save us money................they are definitely not in the private sector.

BETSI Cadwaladr University Health Board has been found to have overpaid one of its directors by more than £40,000 in the last financial year.

It is the second successive financial year in which the North Wales health board has made such an error, after Gaynor Thomason was paid the equivalent of a £469,500 annual salary as interim director of nursing and midwifery in 2022-23.

A report compiled by Adrian Crompton, auditor general for Wales, found that Betsi’s remuneration committee “retrospectively approved payments to an interim executive director that exceeded the maximum pay point of £170,919 for the role as set out by Welsh Government”.

In 2023-24, this unnamed director was paid £114,000, plus oncosts.

Mr Crompton wrote in his report: “The interim executive director was remunerated at a rate of pay which was equivalent to a fulltime annual salary of £292,236 (excluding oncosts) during their tenure.

“Welsh Government approval was not obtained, contrary to the requirements of the health board’s standing financial instructions.

“Therefore, I consider payment of £39,259.32 plus oncosts to be irregular, being the difference between the actual amount paid and the amount that would have been earned at the maximum payable for the relevant pay point.”

Mr Crompton’s report on the health board’s 2022-23 financial statements highlighted irregular payments of £105,648 plus oncosts to Ms Thomason.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24438375.betsi-cadwaladr-overpaid-interim-director-second-successive-year/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Hugo]

It's unbelievable and immoral too.      As to those people who have been overpaid, I'm sure that they would have had a contract stating how much their income would be, so wouldn't the Powers that be able to reclaim the overpayment back?

[SteveH]

Sorry above story in wrong thread, have re posted correctly, .......Ian can you please delete above Ta.

[Ian]

All done.