NEWS
SEN-eO1-S2 [P/R]
THE SENTINEL Tuesday September 20, 2011
Workers fight New policy will stop taxpayers footing education bill to save factory DISABLED workers have stepped up their fight to try to save their factory from closure. Workers from Remploy’s Trentham Lakes factory went to Coventry yesterday to have their say on an ongoing Government review into the future of the firm. They attended a Department for Work and Pensions consultation event on the Sayce report, which recommends that the organisation’s current Government funding should be changed. Unions fear that could mean the end for Remploy’s 54 factories, with the loss of 2,800 jobs, including 130 at Trentham Lakes. Unite representative Colin Hanley, who was in Coventry, said: “There were about 60 people from different Remploy factories and we all put our views across. We won’t stop campaigning because we’re doing this for all disabled people.” Consultation on the report is due to finish next month.
Seminars have hospital focus A SERIES of seminars will be staged as part of an inquiry into care at a hospital. The seminars will discuss the way forward for Stafford Hospital and how lessons can be learned by the NHS. The independent inquiry, being conducted by Robert Francis QC, follows the publication of a Healthcare Commission report in 2009 which revealed that between 400 and 1,200 patients died after suffering routine neglect over a three-year period. The report highlighted low staffing levels, inadequate nursing and a lack of equipment and leadership at the hospital. Seven seminars will be held across the country from Thursday, October 13. They include a session focusing on patient experience on Wednesday, November 2 in Stafford. To observe or send in comments, email info@ midstaffsinquiry.co.uk, call 0207 972 5858 or visit www. midstaffspublicinquiry.com.
BT fault causes 999 calls delay STAFFORDSHIRE Police have confirmed they had a problem with emergency calls for several hours yesterday. People dialling 999 in Stoke, Stone and Stafford faced delays in getting their calls answered. The fault was first detected at 3.30pm. It was resolved by British Telecom at 6pm. A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: “High visibility patrols were out and about in the affected areas to give reassurance and be alert to being flagged down by anyone needing urgent assistance.” During the problems, calls for Staffordshire were answered and transferred by West Midlands and Cheshire Police forces. Police warned there would still be delays as a backlog of calls were cleared.
Schools pay up for excluding students BY ALEX CAMPBELL alex.campbell@thesentinel.co.uk
SCHOOLS are to be charged for every child they permanently exclude to make sure taxpayers are not left to pick up the bill for educating errant pupils. The policy is being drawn up to protect Stoke-onTrent City Council finances as a growing number of academies with control of their own budgets open up across the city. State schools receive funding for each of its pupils and the council is currently able to claw back the Government money and apportion it to the excluded student’s new school or specialist centre. But academies and free schools would not have to hand over the funding automatically. It could mean the city council is left to provide a state education for children who are excluded from academies without funds to pay for it. Without a clawback mechanism, each student could effectively end up being paid for twice. Proposals were put to the schools forum, made up of representatives from each school to agree financial matters, in July. But a decision on whether the charging policy should be adopted was deferred and headteachers will again be asked for their agreement at a meeting in October. Headteachers at the city’s academies declined to comment on the plans. Former Blurton High governor Brian Ward said changes will make sure academies do not become “a law unto themselves”. He added: “A lot of safeguards the council used to have are gone – an academy looks after its own business. “I can understand how an academy might look to exclude certain pupils, as they are under pressure to prove the system works, but this will be a reminder that they’ve got to be responsible for all walks of life.” A total of eight of the 16 secondary schools in Stokeon-Trent currently have sponsored academy status. The policy would apply to all schools. About 60 children per year are excluded from city schools, the vast majority of which are for cases of verbal or physical abuse. The numbers are falling, but additional pupils are handed ‘grey’ exclusions in which they spend only a limited amount of time in schools. One permanent exclusion can cost £20,000 a year in extra resources. Councillor Debra Gratton, the council’s cabinet member for children’s services, pictured below, said the plans will help ensure children do not “drop out of the system” altogether. She added: “A proposal on a local agreement for charging schools for exclusions will be taken back to the next meeting of the forum in October. “To date, the terms of this proposal have not been finalised, but if agreed the money will be used to fund the cost of the council finding a young person a place in another school when they have been excluded. “ Under the current system, the local authority places excluded students in alternative schools under a “fair access” arrangement, which obliges schools to take on a fair share of problem pupils from elsewhere. Academies have freedom from local authority control, meaning they can make their own decisions on teaching, budgets, pay and conditions, and ter m dates. Academy trusts, which replaced governing boards, also have greater control over school admissions policies. Until a national agreement is drawn up, it is down to individual councils to agree clawback policies.
CIRCUS FUN: Families can enjoy a Britain’s Got Talent act and the UK’s youngest ringmaster at a touring circus. Pinders Circus, which has acts from Russia, Hungary and Italy, has set up on playing fields in Church Road, in Biddulph. Shows feature clowns, acrobats, comedy and an illusionist. Trapeze act Shailu, a brother and sister duo from the ITV talent show, are also involved. Ringmaster and magician Mike
Lea said: “We have an allhuman, family show, which has been very popular touring the country since March. “ Shows run in Biddulph until tomorrow, before the circus moves to Brough Park, Leek, where it will stay until Sunday. Tickets cost £8. For more information, call the box office on 07578 083755. Seen with clown Misha Mingazova is Eddy Pinder, aged eight. Picture: Alex Severn
LONGTON: Forty-two-year-old Martin Williams has appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court charged with attempted arson at a police station. He is accused of the offence at Longton Police Station on September 8 and endangering the lives of Andrew Robinson and others. Williams, of Heathcote Street, Sandford Hill, will be seen by a neuro-psychiatrist with a view to entering his plea on November 28. He was bailed to live at an address in Canberra Crescent, Meir Park. LEEK: A mother and son have appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court charged with stealing more than £32,000. Sandra Middleton, aged 59, of Hencroft, Leek, and Garrick Middleton, aged 31, of Belle Vue, Leek, are charged with stealing £32,787 belonging to Lillian Middleton between February 17, 2004 and January 21 this year. Yesterday’s plea and case management hearing was adjourned until October 31. Both defendants were granted bail.
HANLEY: Anna Kurowska has denied a charge of wounding Marcin Kurowska with intent to do him grievous bodily harm on June 20. But the 28-year-old, of Birches Rise, Hanley, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful wounding. Her pleas were accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service but her basis of plea was not and a trial of issue will be held on November 4 to determine whether she threw the glass at her victim after he pushed and shoved her or whether she thrust the glass at him. Kurowska was granted bail. DRESDEN: Michael Glover, aged 40, of Chaplin Road, Dresden, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and possessing cannabis on June 30. He will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after a report is prepared on him by a probation officer. He was granted bail.
Council service centre to close for refurbishment shop’s services will be available at a mobile facility, which will open in Tape Street car park from 10am to 4pm on Monday and Wednesday, October 3 and 5. But it will not be possible for staff at the mobile one stop shop to take cash or cheques. Online payment facilities are available.
In brief
BENTILEE: Forty-six-year-old Karen Barker has denied stealing money belonging to Post Office Counters Limited and false accounting. She is alleged to have committed the offences between April 26 and September 15 last year. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday heard the total loss to the Post Office Counters Limited was £5,800. Barker, of Dawlish Drive, Bentilee, will have her trial on the week commencing December 19.
What do you think? Email us at letters@thesentinel.co.uk
A TOWN centre one stop shop for public services is to close for a week for improvements to its internal layout. Cheadle Council’s Connect, in High Street, will close at 3pm on Friday, September 30, and re-open at 9am on Monday, October 10. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council says many of the
3
In addition, Staffordshire County Council’s mobile library will be on Tape Street car park on Tuesday, October 4; Thursday, October 6; and Friday, October 7. District councillor Tony Hall, portfolio holder for customer services, said: “We are making these improvements with the county council to
make it as easy as possible for customers to move around the building and find the services they want. “The refurbishments underline our shared commitment to providing the best possible customer service from Cheadle Councils Connect, which has already earned a Government excellence award.”
FENTON: Stephaney Clarke, aged 41, of Stanier Street, Fenton, pleaded guilty to an affray on February 27 last year. She will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after a trial of her co-accused. Recorder Philip Shears QC ordered a pre-sentence report.
Your new-look Saturday Sentinel
starts Saturday, September 10, 2011