Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors want to see ‘rolling’ criminal records checks introduced for all elected members as part of an ongoing campaign to improve safeguarding and reassure the public.

The Liberal Democrats have previously called on the government to bar Councillors from office, or standing for office, if they are convicted of an offence requiring them to sign the Sex Offenders Register.  They have also asked the government to tighten up existing legislation to ensure that all persons in a ‘position of trust’ who are currently exempted, such as sports coaches, cannot lawfully engage in sexual activity with a young person in their care.

At present, all Oldham Councillors must apply for an enhanced criminal record check at the start of every four-year term of office.  This is vetted by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).  The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, recently suggested to Council senior managers that ‘rolling’ DBS checks be introduced for all elected members, as happens with teachers, but he was told this was not possible under the law.  He has now taken his case further by writing to the Chair and Chief Executive of the DBS itself for an explanation of the legal position.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “Elected members are rightly expected by their electorates to be law-abiding, upright citizens who are sincere in their commitment to serve their community.  Contrary to what you might read online, the vast majority of councillors of all parties, and none, fit this description, but regrettably there are rare occasions, when elected members do break the law whilst in office and are also sometimes convicted of offences that outrage both their peers and public decency.” 

Councillor Sykes added: “If we had ‘rolling’ DBS checks for all councillors, we would discover any offending behaviour, and be able to act upon it, more quickly.  This would enable us to better safeguard young people and vulnerable people placed at risk because of the behaviour of offenders, but also take other appropriate action as a Council against that offender, such as excluding them from inappropriate posts.”

He concluded:  “I hope that the Chair and Chief Executive of the Disclosure and Barring Service will respond to my letter by confirming that we can in fact introduce these checks and where in the legislation it is permissible, so we can get on with it.  If the government also did as we have asked, instead of continuing to sit on their hands, and changed the law to exclude from office councillors who are convicted and forced to sign the Sex Offenders Register, then that would also aid us immensely.”

Transport bosses confirmed today (22 January) they have decided to scrap free wi-fi on Metrolink permanently as a cost-saving option, despite the objections of Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE.

The issue was discussed on Friday 22 January at a meeting of the Rail and Metrolink Committee of the Transport for Greater Manchester Board at the request of Councillor Sykes, who sits on the Committee and Board as an Oldham representative.

Councillor Sykes also represents Shaw Ward, which is located on the busiest Metrolink tram service and has the most used stop – Shaw and Crompton – on the Rochdale – Oldham line.

In July 2020, in response to complaints from constituents who use the tram, he raised that the Wi-fi service had not been available on trams on the line since the onset of the Coronavirus Lockdown.  Councillor Sykes wrote to Metrolink bosses asking them to turn it back on.  He was informed that during the travel restrictions which accompanied the Covid Lockdown, the service had been switched off and was under long-term ‘review’.

Today’s Committee meeting confirmed the switch off of the Wi-fi service permanently citing cost pressures.

Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “Unfortunately, no Wi-fi on trams and the Manchester City Centre free buses is now a reality.  This done deal was a decision that was only exposed because I raised it, and there are no plans to reintroduce it.  I think this is short-sighted.”

“Like passengers on buses and trains, Wi-fi is a service that Metrolink passengers will expect because as passenger usage does start to increase after the pandemic, and as we look to expand the network, there will be an increased demand for free Wi-fi from passengers.  The fact this was done ‘on the quiet’ is typical how the GM Mayor makes such ‘bad news’ decisions.”

A new campaign to encourage older people in Greater Manchester to top up their weekly income by claiming Pension Credit launched last week.

It is estimated that 43,000 people across the region could be eligible to benefit from £76 million of unclaimed Pension Credit.

Greater Manchester’s housing providers – who between them provide more than 250,000 affordable homes for more than half a million people – will lead the campaign to support residents to “top up”.

They will use their money advice services and other strong relationships with their customers to encourage tenants to take up the benefit. Pension Credit also unlocks other financial benefits including a free TV licence for over 75s, housing benefit and council tax support, and money towards home insulation.

Find out more here.

Service 182 (Rochdale – Milnrow – Shaw – Manchester) – First Manchester (hourly)

Curtailed to run between between Shaw Wrens Nest and Manchester. Replaced by service 408 between Shaw, Milnrow and Rochdale. This change is introduced to improve punctuality of the service.

Service 408 (Oldham – Royton – Shaw – Buckstones) – First Manchester (hourly)

Extended beyond Buckstones to Milnrow and Rochdale (replacing service 182).

This change is introduced to improve punctuality of the service (increased recovery time at each end of the route) and provides a new daytime link from Milnrow to Royal Oldham Hospital as well as reintroducing the bus link from Milnrow to Oldham which was removed when service 58 was replaced by service 182 in Summer 2020.

A section of Milnrow Road (520 metres end to end) becomes unserved. We continue to work to address this. I have also asked officers to ask First if it is possible to include a diversion via Grains Road and Hannerton Road (see map).

MAP BELOW SHOW CHANGES

No change to the following services:

57 Oldham – Shaw – Rushcroft

403 Oldham – Shaw – Rushcroft & High Crompton

435 Rochdale – Shaw – Buckstones

181 Shaw Wrens Nest – Royton – Manchester (peak only)

BE THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Be the light in the darkness is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021.

We will continue to do our bit for as long as we can, secure in the knowledge that others will continue to light a candle long after us.

– Gena Turgel MBE, survivor of the Holocaust (1923-2018)

For further information please follow the link below:

https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme/

The Conservative Government will only reimburse less than one-third of the overall costs incurred by English schools in making their premises ‘Covid-safe’ according to a publication published last month by a leading education think-tank.

A report issued by the Education Policy Institute claims that government money made available through its exceptional costs fund will only cover 31% of overall costs, and in a survey covering 700 schools conducted in November, over half (57%) reported that they are using reserves to cover the shortfall, jeopardising their ability to achieve a balanced budget by the end of the current financial year.

The EPI estimates that, since the first national lockdown in March 2020, primary schools have had to meet additional non-staff costs averaging almost £13,000. These amounted to almost £18,000 for special schools and for secondary schools a whopping £43,000.  Much of this was spent on cleaning supplies, personal protection equipment, improving hand-washing facilities, installing new signage, and acquiring digital equipment.

Commenting Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said:  “It is scandalous that whilst this Government told pupils and staff to return to the classroom, meanwhile they were short-changing schools by not meeting their full costs to make their establishments ‘Covid-safe’.  Schools are already struggling for finance, especially in areas of economic and social deprivation which have been hardest hit by Covid-19 like Oldham, and this is an additional burden they can do without.”

“The Oldham Liberal Democrats will continue to press the government to ensure that enough cash is forthcoming for schools to ensure that when our pupils and staff return to the classroom from virtual learning which can keep them safe.”

The report from the Education Policy Institute can be sourced here

Assessing Covid-19 cost pressures on England’s schools

THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD, IF YOU KNOW DIFFERENT PLEASE EMAIL ME.

Residents of all care homes in Oldham will have received the Coronavirus vaccine by the end of this week.

The news comes as rollout of the vaccine progresses well across the borough, with more than 14,000 vaccines delivered to Oldham’s most elderly and vulnerable residents, as well as to front-line workers.

In addition to care home residents and staff, all other priority groups are on track to be vaccinated by mid-February. These are those aged over 70; frontline health and social care workers, and clinically extremely vulnerable people.

Having the vaccine is the best way to protect the most vulnerable people from Coronavirus and has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives.

Vaccination centres

Six vaccination centres are now operational across Oldham, in addition to the Greater Manchester-wide vaccination centre at the Etihad campus.

Those registered with a GP in Oldham will be contacted directly from their practice or by an NHS representative when it is their turn to be vaccinated.

The caller will not ask for money and will not ask for any personal details other than for the name to be confirmed.

People may also receive another invitation from the NHS, offering the option of attending the mass vaccination centre at the Etihad, or a local pharmacy. This regional offer is in addition to the vaccine rollout programme here in Oldham and gives more choice to people in terms of when and where they take up the vaccine, as well as providing extra capacity overall.

If people have already booked an appointment for a vaccine through their GP, they can ignore the additional letter from the NHS.

Questions over the operation of the new Crime Support Line, established by the Greater Manchester Labour Mayor after the damning revelation that 80,000 crimes reported by the public had gone unrecorded by Police in a year, have led to the Leader of Oldham’s Liberal Democrats, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, to write to Andy Burnham seeking answers.

In his letter, Councillor Sykes refers to the ‘calumny’ of the 80,000 unrecorded crimes, and explores the support offered to victims who ring the helpline, and clarification about how the information will be used by Greater Manchester Police to improve their future performance, and, most importantly, secure justice for the victim.

Councillor Sykes said:  “I welcome the establishment of this telephone service as a small step in the right direction to address the terrible wrong that has been done by the victims of this injustice.  The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police may have gone, but this does not absolve the Greater Manchester Mayor and his Deputy, who were also elected to serve as Commissioners of Police, of their share of the responsibility.“

“The unrecording scandal and the iOPs police computer debacle has caused serious reputational damage to Greater Manchester Police and the Greater Manchester Mayor and his Deputy.  I hope that the Crime Support Line is a genuine first step in a series of much-needed changes in our Police Service to bring offenders to justice, restore public confidence and improve police efficiency.  I am now seeking some reassurance from the Mayor that this is so, and I very much look forward to receiving his answers to my questions”.

Councillor Sykes’ letter to Mayor Andy Burnham reads:

20 January 2021

Mr Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner

Dear Mayor Burnham,

I welcome the establishment of the Crime Support Line telephone service before Christmas and the assignment of its operation to Victim Support, rather than GMP, staff.  This is a small step forward towards rectifying the calumny of 80,000 reported crimes going unrecorded as per the findings of the recent damning Inspectorate of Constabulary report.

Now that the Crime Support Line has been in operation for a month or so, I would like to ask you a number of questions please about its early experience:

1. Could you tell me how many people have rung the helpline and how many unrecorded crimes have been complained/reported about?

• Can you tell me how long on average it takes Victim Support staff to pick up a call?

• Can you tell me if Victim Support have appropriate training to respond to callers distressed by their experience of crime or dealing with GMP in the past?

• Is information being recorded about the demographics (age, ethnic and social background etc) of each caller to record whether particular groups or communities are especially represented amongst complainants?

• I understand that phones are being staffed 9am-7pm weekdays and 9am-5pm Saturdays.  How many calls have been received out of those hours and messages left with the answer machine?  Is consideration being given to expanding the hours of operation?

• For how long has Victim Support received funding to staff the help line?

• Finally, please can I ask how the information received from calls will be used in a practical way to improve the performance of the Police and ensure that the complainants receive justice?

I keenly await your response. 

Best wishes and stay safe.

Howard Sykes