Serving our children well (From Harrow Times)

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Serving our children well

9:35am Thursday 17th April 2008

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I would like to respond to comments made by local MP Gareth Thomas in his column (Harrow Times, April 10) regarding the performance of Harrow children's services.

His comment regarding children's services is incorrect and I would like to confirm the following: Over the last three years we have balanced our budget, as well as making savings.

Over the last three years our performance has improved and children's services in Harrow is now rated as a three-star service, which is good.

Performance in our schools continues to be very good with above average results at every key stage. In the summer of 2007 Harrow children achieved the highest ever results at GCSE, meeting a very demanding Government target.

The number of young people in education, employment and training is amongst the best in the country.

Indicators of performance in children's social care and safeguarding show a significant and continuing improvement and Harrow leads on a number of national developments to safeguard children.

We have developed nationally recognised innovation in our partnership work with adoption services and residential children's homes, and lead on work to help young children manage risk in their lives with the Miss Dorrothy.com work in schools.

We have been commended for our work with partner organisations by central Government and the Office of Public Management.

I am not complacent; children's services staff and our partners will continue to work to improve services for the benefit of all young people in Harrow.

Paul Clark
Corporate Director Children's Services, Harrow Council

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Cllr Jeremy Zeid, Kenton-West, Harrow says...
4:13pm Thu 17 Apr 08

I would suggest that if Gareth "sour puss" Thomas the hopefully soon to be ex-MP for Harrow-West has got nothing better to do than talk down Harrow's achievements and his own constituency, that he keeps quiet.

The Labour culture of wastage and lack of communication with officers is what did the damage.

While he talks about how things are gonna get better, the new Council under the Conservatives is starting to deliver.

Labour virtually bankrupted the borough and their previous Chief Executive was an unmitigated disaster.

If Mr Thomas is so brilliant what would he have done differently that his inept group carried out until they wer thankfully booted out in may 2006?

When he was on Council, it was already falling apart and accelerating after years of the Lib-dems squandering the balances.

A final question to our Gareth, you've been in power for eleven years, you can't blame the Tories anymore, hundreds of billions flushed down the great black hole, pensions wrecked, food and fuel inflation well into double figures and UK plc in trouble and ALL on your watch.

Stop moaning and trying to divert the blame, for once in your 5th-form student-union life, admit that you got it wrong.

Harrow has had to claw its way back from the near bankruptcy and ineptitude of Labour's maladministration. At least Mr Thomas have the good grace to acknowledge the officers' difficult job, although that is unlikely from what is, according to the vast majority, "The Worst Government ever, in UK Democratic History"

Hark.... was that the overflight of Pigs in "V" formation coming into land at Northolt???

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