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	<title>Councilbust &#187; Council</title>
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		<title>Exclusive: Cllr lifts lid on ‘psychopathic’ attacks</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/12/16/exclusive-cllr-lifts-lid-on-%e2%80%98psychopathic%e2%80%99-attacks/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/12/16/exclusive-cllr-lifts-lid-on-%e2%80%98psychopathic%e2%80%99-attacks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:13:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservatives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Labour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberal Democrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public spending cuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend Council]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1870</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In an exclusive insider column, an anonymous Southend councillor lifts the lid on the fractures within the council and the administration’s effort to steer the town through the austerity cuts. It&#8217;s totally frustrating that we are getting well recognised as a council, shortlisted for Council of the Year and deferred to by other local authorities and top &#8220;excellent&#8221; recognition for aspects of our Adult Social Care, but it is not enough for some. The critics are out and continue to treat the council as some sort of board game, with the aim of undermining it at every turn.   The abuse meted out on many websites to current cabinet members is simply unacceptable and the ‘pushing until someone falls’ philosophy is not just undemocratic but psychopathic in its obsessive nature.   The cuts are undoubtedly harmful, but so is the £155bn deficit which won&#8217;t be found anytime soon. The working parties have involved all members; nobody should blame Labour members of the council, at least not personally, for what has occurred. However, Labour has so far declined to take part, and this should be regretted by everyone else. The community wants things to happen but a minority are split among crusades to [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Cllr Roger Hadley urges parents to keep babies cool</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/08/cllr-roger-hadley-urges-parents-to-keep-babies-cool/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/08/cllr-roger-hadley-urges-parents-to-keep-babies-cool/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:05:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cllr Roger Hadley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Summer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1820</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the summer heatwave continues, Roger Hadley, Executive Councillor for Children and Learning has urged parents to be wary of health risks to babies. Cllr Hadley (left) said: “It is so important to protect babies and young children in this warm weather, I urge all parents to take note of this advice.” Southend Council and the Local Safeguarding Children Board have issued the following pointers to parents, taken from the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths: The room the baby sleeps in will be cooler by bedtime if you make sure to open all the windows and close the curtains in the day. You should use as few clothes or bedclothes as possible and it is important to know the coolest area in your house to take the baby to ‘cool off’ if necessary. When you are outside ALWAYS use a high-factor sunblock on babies and make sure they do not directly face the sun. This can mean covering them with a parasol or dressing them in a sun-hat. Loose fitting cotton clothes are also recommended to reduce heat intake. NEVER leave a baby in the car even if you’re ‘popping into the shop for five minutes’. It is [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Cllr Anna Waite welcomes positive results in elderly people’s survey</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/08/cllr-anna-waite-welcomes-positive-results-in-elderly-people%e2%80%99s-survey/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/08/cllr-anna-waite-welcomes-positive-results-in-elderly-people%e2%80%99s-survey/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:53:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cllr Anna Waite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elderly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Transport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A survey carried out between December 2009 and January 2010 by Southend Council has revealed that the town’s elderly feel safer, more mobile and better off financially than they did in 2007. According to the survey, 72% of people aged 55 and over feel that they can travel when and where they like. 81% of people aged 55 and over said that they feel very or fairly safe living in Southend. One respondent commented that “Southend is well-policed, well-lit at night and most people are friendly and helpful.” Amongst the older cohort of over-65s, safety is still an issue, with just 19% saying that they felt very safe. This, however, is still an improvement on 2007’s results, in which only 14% of people in this category said they felt very safe. 80% of residents aged over 65 either strongly agreed or agreed that they had enough income to meet daily needs, which represents a 10% increase on 2007’s figures. 77% of people aged over 55 said the same. 92% of people aged over 65 said that their quality of life was very good or good, compared to 86% in 2007. 90% of the over-55s responded this way. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Amess re-elected to 1922 committee</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/06/amess-re-elected-to-1922-committee/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/06/amess-re-elected-to-1922-committee/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:55:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1922 Committee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conservative Party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Amess MP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parliament]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1806</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Southend West Conservative MP David Amess has been re-elected to the Executive Committee of the party’s influential 1922 Committee. The 1922 Committee has an 18-member executive committee. The chairman of this executive oversees the election of new party leaders or votes of confidence in current leaders. The 1922 Committee was the subject of heated debate within the Conservative Party earlier this year. Traditionally, the membership of the committee was limited to backbench MPs, giving backbenchers the opportunity to decide their position independently from the frontbench. On 20th May this year, however, after the formation of the Con-Dem Coalition, the Conservatives voted to change the makeup of the committee, allowing ministers to be involved in its decision-making process. Several backbenchers opposed the change. It was revealed after the change was brought in, however, that frontbenchers would be able to attend the committee’s meetings, but only backbenchers would be able to vote for its officers and executive. David Amess, MP for Southend West, has been re-elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee. Mr Amess said: “I feel very honoured to have won the support of my colleagues to continue as a member of the Executive [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Southend Council obtains Investors in People accolade</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/06/southend-council-obtains-investors-in-people-accolade/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/07/06/southend-council-obtains-investors-in-people-accolade/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:36:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investors in People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rob Tinlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend Council]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1803</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Southend Council’s chief executive Rob Tinlin will be presented with an Investors in People certificate at the Civic Centre on 15th July. Investors in People (IIP) is a nationally recognised standard that is awarded to organisations that show excellent people management leading to improved business performance. It is awarded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. IIP assessors said that Southend Council had met its criteria “over and beyond” the recognition level by providing several examples of best practice. The IIP framework judges organisations on fair and equal access to training and development, strategic planning and the communication of policies, procedures, aims, values and objectives to staff. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Corporate Support Services, Andrew Moring, said: “The Council has always taken staff training and development very seriously. “We are proud to have gained national recognition for the exacting standards we set ourselves and we are committed to continuous improvement. “We’ve worked very hard for this award to improve performance overall in the organisation. “The residents of Southend will continue to benefit from the Council delivering excellent services.”]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Southend Council meeting targets on education and planning</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/28/southend-council-meeting-targets-on-education-and-planning/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/28/southend-council-meeting-targets-on-education-and-planning/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:05:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cllr Nigel Holdcroft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Performance Targets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend Council]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1779</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Southend Borough Council has released figures that show that the authority is meeting or exceeding many of its corporate priority targets. The targets were set internally as part of the Council’s Corporate Plan for 2009-2012, and the organisation has reached or exceeded 85% of those targets so far. Targets met or exceeded include reducing the numbers of young people who are not in education, training or employment, dealing with planning applications, and reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation. Council leader Nigel Holdcroft said: “We set ourselves very stretching targets and have worked very hard to meet these. “The figures show beyond doubt that the Council has made tangible and measurable progress across all service areas. “However we must continue to strive to keep up this very commendable rate of change. “The added pressures of the current economic climate have moved the goalposts, so we will need to work even harder to keep improving at this same level.”]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Cllr Collins gives first report of term to RAW</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/21/cllr-collins-gives-first-report-of-term-to-raw/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/21/cllr-collins-gives-first-report-of-term-to-raw/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:49:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cllr Paul Collins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberal Democrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Residents Association of Westborough]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Westborough]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1760</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Paul Collins, Liberal Democrat councillor for Westborough, gave his first report to the Residents Association of Westborough last week. Cllr Collins won the seat in Westborough from Independent Tania Painton in this year’s local election. Cllr Collins used his report to set out his views on Southend Airport, graffiti, council staffing methods and education. Cllr Collins said: “Town-wide issues to bring to your attention are recently announced plans by the new Government to allow the possibility of ‘free schools’ to be opened by Charity groups, faith groups and Parents. “In addition, the encouragement by Government of ‘Outstanding’ Schools to leave local authority control and become directly funded by Government. “The effect that this will have on the Schools left behind, their children and the staff at the Local Authority is of great concern to me. “The Airport remains on the radar and there is a very active group that strongly opposes the runway extension which has been in contact with all councillors about the proposed ban on night time flights. “The decision about this point is not yet ready for review as the Council are still negotiating these terms with the Airport. From my point of view, I do remain [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lib Dem leader attacks Council interim staffing</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/15/lib-dem-leader-attacks-council-interim-staffing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/15/lib-dem-leader-attacks-council-interim-staffing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:56:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cllr Graham Longley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberal Democrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Staff]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Graham Longley has hit out at Southend Council’s practice of using interim staff members for extended periods of time. Cllr Longley said that using “long term interims” is “unnacceptable, unwarranted and unsustainable.” Cllr Longley went on to say: “It is accepted that there is a role for interim appointments to the authority, but as their name suggests, interim means in-between and therefore should be used as short term appointments used in specific circumstances. “Clearly in the case of resignations, whilst positions are filled, longer-term illness which require cover until a short term contract can be appointed, and specifically identified projects where interim costs are factored into the price&#8230; interim appointments are acceptable. “However it can never be acceptable that interim appointments ‘linger’ without action being taken to release the authority of having, in many cases to pay twice: once for the employee and once for the agency. “In these cases the authority should be looking to issue short term contracts, which may be renewable, but reduce the cost to them as soon as possible. “Where there is a gap due to resignation, subject to there being no-one able to ‘act up’ then interims may be [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Southend Council staff get integrated mobile and PC technology</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/10/southend-council-staff-get-integrated-mobile-and-pc-technology/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/10/southend-council-staff-get-integrated-mobile-and-pc-technology/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:56:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Council Tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend Council]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1670</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Southend Council staff will receive new technology from Vodafone One which a spokesman says will lead to better customer service and greater efficiency. Council employees are having a unified communications service implemented, which will mean that fixed, mobile and PC-based communications are integrated and ‘work seamlessly together.’ The Council claims that this will benefit Southend residents, as the new technology will speed up operations in the customer service centre and improve access to services such as Council Tax advice over the phone. The Council will now be able to automatically route calls to staff in other buildings if the customer service centre is experiencing high call volumes, reducing waiting times for callers. Nick Corrigan, the Council’s head of customer services, said: “The new systems will enable us to give our staff the flexibility to work where it suits them, while achieving the cost-savings and efficiency improvements we were hoping for.”]]></description>
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		<title>Carers Week Roadshow coming to Southend</title>
		<link>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/08/carers-week-roadshow-coming-to-southend/</link>
		<comments>http://www.councilbust.com/2010/06/08/carers-week-roadshow-coming-to-southend/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:14:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rachel Charman, Editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rachel Riley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southend]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.councilbust.com/?p=1663</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Next week (Monday 14th to Sunday 20th June) is Carers Week, which highlights the work carried out by carers for the ill and disabled. To mark the occasion, the Carers Week Roadshow trailer will be visiting various places in Southend. Carers and others can come and find out more about services available, and meet other carers. On 14th and 15th June, the Roadshow will be outside the Odeon cinema in Southed High Street. On 15th June, Southend residents will have the chance to meet Countdown’s Rachel Riley at 11am at the Roadshow. On Wednesday 16th June, the Roadshow will be at ASDA in Shoeburyness; on Thursday and Friday, it will be at Southend Hospital; on Saturday 19th, it will be at the Shoebury Fair at Shoeburyness High School; and on Sunday 20th June, the Roadshow will be present at the Community In Harmony event at Southend High School for Boys. The Roadshow is in partnership  with Southend Borough Council and Southend Together. For more information contact Michael Mann: michaelmann@southend.gov.uk or tel: 01702 (53)4619]]></description>
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