Careers advice a “ghost” service?

My last school job as a teacher was to be responsible for careers advice.  Later I was a consultant developing careers provision in schools across three boroughs. I took the responsibility very seriously and aimed to provide students with all the information they needed to make informed choices about their future. During that time there were many changes dictated by ministers. Last year the Government transferred responsibility for delivering careers guidance away from local authorities, and passed it on to schools and a mixture of web and phone-based services. There are warnings against this. The charity Barnardos have published research suggesting the removal from councils risks ‘squandering young futures’ as services were failing to reach youngsters.  The charity said the Government risked replacing face-to-face careers guidance with ‘remote online schemes that young people report they can’t use or don’t even know exist'. The charity highlighted the fact that some advice lines cost as much as 40p per minute to call. All this at a time when large numbers of out young people are out of work.

WG Cultural Centre build: Some funding conditions from the development

Here is a selection of the conditions tied to this planning approval:

- Phasing to ensure that number of residential units shall not be occupied until WGCC built.

- Up to £40,000 towards improvement of local bus stops.

- “Permit free” on housing element of scheme.

- Achieve sustainability checklist.

- Join the Considerate Contractors Scheme (CCS).

- Travel Plans for WGCC and housing element.

- Training Package “Brent in2 work.”

- Works relating to works to Grange Rd, High Rd, Brondesbury Walk and Brondesbury Park will    include streetscape enhancements.

- Not less than £30,000 towards public art in the public areas of the building.

- Up to £10,000 for the promotion and implementation of “car clubs” in the locality.

Brent will be getting a share of the profits from the sale of the private flats through an overage agreement and any clawback will be reinvested in the delivery of affordable housing in Brent.

Children's Centres

I have been a board member of the Willesden Locality Board for some time and recently applied to be its independent chair. The board monitors facilities and schemes for children from birth to starting school and combines health, welfare and parent well-being to help the children thrive. Labour’s early years programme was radical and essential. Children's Centres and the Sure Start programme is viewed as one of the previous Labour government’s most permanently transformative successes.  It is to be hoped that despite the cuts in funding for pre-school support, Brent Council will do its best to maintain its Childrens' Centres.

End to statutory notices?

For many years councils have been legally required to publish notices of items such as highways works, road closures etc. in local papers. The average cost of publishing a notice is around £1,000. Annual cost to councils around £26m. Some councils have tried to save money by using hard to read fonts in a notice or not including their logos. There is now the possibility that this requirement will end in 2 years' time. For once we can thank Minister Eric Pickles for doing something sensible.

Schools as businesses?

The latest from Michael Gove, Education Secretary, is really hard to believe. He is now suggesting academies and free schools should become profit-making businesses according to private plans being drawn up. What might it mean? Company logos on pupils blazers and school dinners replaced with "happy meals"?  Details were leaked to The Independent by DfE as there is concern that Mr Gove is going too fast and too far in his ambition. Critics are worried that the new setup will divert cash from all classrooms. There should be an end to the secrecy over the proposed reforms, not publicly announced as yet.

Murals in Willesden Green

Two temporary murals will go up in Willesden Green in July.This one will be located by the Lewinson Centre, 165 - 167 High Road.  The other on the construction site hoarding for the new Willesden Green Library Centre. The murals will signpost residents to temporary facilities that are available in the interim between Willesden Green Library Centre closing, and the new Cultural Centre opening.  The designs have been a collaboration of the young people's ideas from the workshops with Positive Arts. Students from Donnington Primary School, Newman Catholic College and Queens Park Secondary School have been involved. For more information please contact emma.gould@brent.gov.uk or beth.kay@brent.gov.uk

20 mph zone

Residents have been asking for road treatments to cut vehicle speed in the Harlesden Road and Donnington Road areas and called for a 20 mph zone limit be put on these roads. Good news is that the 20 mph zone is in the current works programme and will be implemented soon, together with additional speed tables and entry treatments. Although the limit is advisory only, most drivers do take note and keep their speed down.