News
Officers competence questioned over Council Chief’s pay-off
AUDIT WALES published its long-awaited report on the departure of former Council CEO Ian Westley on Thursday (January 13).
Audit Wales released the report in the public interest due to what it identified as serious governance failures at Pembrokeshire County Council.
Under the Settlement Agreement terms, the Chief Executive received a termination payment of £95,000, and his employment ended on November 30 2020.
The report found that the Council failed to properly record why the Chief Executive left and why the Chief Executive received a termination payment.
Auditor-General Adrian Crompton said: “Pembrokeshire Council has work to do to ensure that its governance arrangements are sufficiently robust and to regain public trust.
“However, the steps the Council has since taken to improve its governance and decision-making processes, and the leadership already provided by its new Chief Executive, gives me confidence that the Council will act on the recommendations in my report.T .”
LEADER DID NOT GET RIGHT ADVICE
The report says Cllr Simpson failed to grasp the legal situation because internal advice was of poor quality.
The Head of HR, Ceri Davies, sent Ian Westley legally privileged information that Mr Westley had no right to see regarding the Council’s negotiating strategy and provided him with an insight into confidential legal advice.
Mr Davies, who is seconded to the regional education consortium ERW until April 1, faces a warm reception when – or if – he returns to work at the Council.
The Auditor casts significant doubt on “evidence” provided by Mr Davies, particularly the content of several notes prepared by the Head of HR.
The Auditor repeatedly observes that he doubts how much faith he has in the Head of HR.
Officers either overlooked or ignored procedural red flags that should’ve prompted them to take external advice on their conclusions.
Worse, when former Head of Legal Claire Incledon raised an important issue regarding the tax treatment of Mr Westley’s payment, her concerns went unaddressed.
BULLYING CLAIMS DON’T ADD UP
Crucially, the report finds that Mr Westley’s after the fact interpretation of his pay-off as compensation for bullying does not stack up.
The Auditor finds no evidence that Mr Westley’s payment was anything other than a severance agreement between employer and employee. He notes a planned corporate restructuring exercise was an opportune time for Mr Westley to leave.
The report observes that if Mr Westley wanted to complain of bullying and seek protection due to a whistle-blower, he was more than aware of the procedure to do so.
Mr Westley’s failure to record a formal grievance and the Auditor’s conclusions regarding that issue do not hide occasionally difficult relationships between officers and councillors.
The report expressly rejects Mr Westley’s assertion that the £95,000 payment represented compensation for his being bullied.
That leaves Jamie Adams and Stephen Joseph with very little wriggle room.
Faced with findings of fact, they are not in a position to contradict the Auditor’s conclusions.
LEADER TOO EAGER TO REACH EXIT AGREEMENT
Cllr Simpson does not come out of the report with his reputation unscathed.
His loyalty to his Cabinet shines through the report. It is possible that, so closely was her working with Cabinet members at the time, he allowed them too much leeway dealing with senior staff.
However, there is nothing in the report to support Jamie Adams’s naked attempt to blame the leader and Cabinet for the situation with the former CEO.The report suggests that Cllr Simpson’s wish to avoid a public confrontation led him to set aside his better judgement to seal a deal at all costs.
The report suggests that not only did Cllr Simpson want to avoid a public confrontation but took the decision to structure the agreement in a way he believed would not require further scrutiny of it.
His belief was bolstered by poor quality advice from senior officers upon whom he should’ve been able to rely. David Simpson did a botched job based on botched advice from officers who, putting it generously, got several key calls wrong.
NEXT STEPS
Ceri Davies’s position must surely hang by a thread following the damning conclusions about his conduct and honesty as a witness.
It beggars belief that the Head of HR shared private legal information with Mr Westley related to the former’s own responsibilities to his employer.
The Auditor General’s report, other associated reports and an action plan to address recommendations will be considered by a meeting of the Council on February 1.
Business
Ascona wins at the 2024 Allica Bank Vreat British Entrepreneur Awards
PEMBROKESHIRE businessman Darren Briggs, founder of petrol station operator Ascona, has been named a winner of the prestigious Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the ‘Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year – Wales’ and the inaugural ‘Randal Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year – Wales’ categories.
Now in its 12th year, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards shine a spotlight on the individuals and businesses driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the UK economy.
This year, the brand new ‘Randal Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year’ award celebrated entrepreneurs whose business embodied The Randal Foundation’s core mission – to save lives, improve life chances, and contribute positively to local communities.
Ascona has been committed to supporting local communities since its inception, having established The Ascona Foundation in 2020. The success of the Group over the years has enabled Darren and the team to support many charities in the areas in which it operates, with the Company donating over £400,000 to local, national and community organisations since 2017.
Darren Briggs, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ascona Group, commented: “It is a great honour to be recognised for such prestigious awards at this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
“I am incredibly proud of Ascona and everything we have achieved over the years. This is another milestone for our business and the recognition is a testament to everyone’s hard work, commitment, and ‘Team Ascona’s’ ethos over the years.
“However, I am most proud of our charitable endeavors and the team’s commitment to giving back. It is something that is very close to my heart. We’re committed to supporting our various charity partnerships, including the Wales Air Ambulance this year, as we continue our extensive fundraising initiatives across the Group.”
Health
NHS staff at risk during pandemic due to PPE issues, Covid Inquiry hears
NHS staff in Wales may have put their health at risk during the Covid-19 pandemic by treating patients without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), former health minister Vaughan Gething has admitted.
Giving evidence to the Covid inquiry, Gething acknowledged significant challenges in distributing PPE despite assurances that national-level supplies were maintained. He revealed that stocks of key items ran out far quicker than anticipated, with some equipment deemed unfit for purpose and discarded.
“There were some very real challenges,” Gething said, noting that gloves, expected to last 15 weeks, were depleted within 11 days. Aprons and other essentials soon became critical concerns. He also condemned opportunistic profiteering during the crisis, calling some suppliers “shysters” who exploited global demand to sell inadequate equipment.
The Welsh Conservatives described the revelations as “completely unacceptable” for NHS staff, while Plaid Cymru accused the Labour-led Welsh Government of “significantly letting down” frontline workers.
The inquiry also heard of chaotic conditions in some hospitals. An email from a consultant at Prince Charles Hospital in March 2020 described a dire situation, with staff lacking protection, low morale, and masks unavailable.
In some instances, healthcare workers resorted to makeshift solutions, including wearing bin bags or purchasing their own safety gear. Trade unions highlighted that schools even stepped in to produce masks and hand sanitiser for local health services.
When asked whether healthcare workers treated Covid-19 patients with inadequate PPE during the first wave, Gething replied, “I’m afraid that’s possible.”
Decisions under pressure
The session also addressed difficult decisions made during the pandemic. Evidence was presented that some patients with little chance of survival were not admitted to critical care due to limited space.
“It’s very upsetting to read,” Gething said, acknowledging the heartbreaking choices faced by medical teams, though he claimed to be unaware of specific instances.
Gething, who served as health minister until May 2021, conceded that delays in tackling hospital-acquired infections could have contributed to the challenges. He admitted he might have acted earlier in forming a task group to address the issue, which worsened during the second wave.
First Minister reflects on birthing partner rules
Current First Minister Eluned Morgan also testified, reflecting on delayed decisions to allow birthing partners in hospitals during the pandemic.
Morgan, who succeeded Gething as health minister in May 2021, acknowledged that guidance was not updated until May 2022, more than a year after England implemented similar changes.
“If I had my time again, that’s one of the things I definitely would have changed,” Morgan said, calling the delay regrettable for new parents.
She also defended the decision not to launch a national investigation into hospital-acquired infections, citing extensive reviews conducted by health boards. However, Morgan acknowledged shortcomings in resuming routine surgery and criticised poor management at some facilities.
The inquiry continues to examine decisions made by Welsh ministers and NHS leaders during the pandemic, focusing on lessons learned to prevent similar issues in future crises.
Entertainment
Miles Jupp: On I Bang
SINCE Miles’ last tour finished at The London Palladium in 2017, he’s been in The Full Monty on Disney Plus, The Durrells and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? on ITV, as well as a heap of episodes of Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and Have I Got News For You. He’s made an award-winning radio series and he’s published a novel. But for Covid, he would have played a lead at the RSC. Hey ho. Nevertheless, he’s done a play in the West End and played the Emperor of Austria and Europe in a Ridley Scott film and now he heads here to the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven!
Yet one sunny day in the middle of all this, he suddenly suffered a brain seizure. This led to the discovery of a tumour the size of a cherry tomato, and a rather pressing need to undergo major neurosurgery. Obviously, one doesn’t wish to make a big deal of it, but the experience has left him with a story to tell and a few things that he’d like to share with the room. So that’s exactly what he’s doing in his new show On I Bang – a tale about surprise, fear, luck, love and qualified medical practitioners.
Having received rave reviews by The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph, On I Bang with Miles Jupp is one not to be missed here at the Torch, and tickets are selling like hot cakes. Awarded four stars and described as “Elegantly funny, terrible English account of a tumour” by The Guardian and awarded five stars by The Arts Desk 2024, this a performance that will be talked about for months to come.
Join Miles Jupp: On I Bang when he visits the Torch Theatre on Friday 10 January at 8pm.Ticket price: £25. For tickets phone the Box Office on 01646 695267 or visit torchtheatre.co.uk.
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