I have received many comments about the Empoyment Tribunal Judgment on Brent Council and Cara Davani, This one I thought was worth publishing separaely as it gives a different, contextual view:
First the good stuff. Before Cara Davani arrived Human Resources in Brent was not fit-for-purpose. The few staff that were under-performing or not contributing could not be tackled by managers due to inadequate policies and procedures and HR advisors who were risk adverse, without realising the damaging impact that this was having on front-line services. CD did not do all the work, and cannot take all the credit, but be in no doubt whatsoever that under her leadership HR changed and is now fit-for-purpose, helping managers to build performing teams, establishing a modern flexible, service-first (not staff-first) culture. Without CD this would not have happened. She deserves enormous credit for this. As they saying goes, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
I cannot definitively tell, but from what I have seen, CD is not a racist or prejudiced. Nevertheless, since Gareth Daniels left, the number of BME staff working in the top three tiers of managers, has unhelpfully plummeted - going down to just one at one stage. This era appeared to involve the recruitment of a number of people that had worked with the new senior officer leadership for previous employers. Perhaps this is a more benign reason for the reduction in BME senior managers?
CD's private website states that she is in a relationship with the Council's Senior Employment lawyer. Some worry that this might influence advice given and action taken. it would be a disciplined relationship indeed if both never talked informally about staff employment matters before formal employment advice is given on the same cases.
However, it is the case that many senior managers are wary of CD, the CEX and Leader. They all seem to come to quick judgements about people's careers based on small issues. CDs email in the Judgement that expressed her disappointed that a colleague did not say hello to her, is pretty typical. All three seem to have a view that managers that pre-date their coming to power 2 or 3 years ago, are somehow inferior and in many cases must go (and have gone). There has been a very strong centralisation of power, with even relatively senior managers no longer being authorised to make fairly mundane decisions. This engenders a sense that senior leaders, mistrust staff and junior managers to take those decisions, and culture of fear if small things like not saying hello, help build their view of you as an employee.
The coming year will be brutal, as heavy Government austerity cuts are implemented. This will hit services much harder than previously, as many of the softer options have already happened. Many more staff will lose their jobs in the next 18 months, and this further builds a culture of fear.
Be clear, Brent Council needed the shake-up, which Gareth Daniels launched, and CD played a big part in delivering. But it is now a brutal place to work, where expectations of staff - despite their being far fewer - is unhealthy and unreasonably high. We now need to move forward with a different supportive, conciliatory and team-building culture.
First the good stuff. Before Cara Davani arrived Human Resources in Brent was not fit-for-purpose. The few staff that were under-performing or not contributing could not be tackled by managers due to inadequate policies and procedures and HR advisors who were risk adverse, without realising the damaging impact that this was having on front-line services. CD did not do all the work, and cannot take all the credit, but be in no doubt whatsoever that under her leadership HR changed and is now fit-for-purpose, helping managers to build performing teams, establishing a modern flexible, service-first (not staff-first) culture. Without CD this would not have happened. She deserves enormous credit for this. As they saying goes, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
I cannot definitively tell, but from what I have seen, CD is not a racist or prejudiced. Nevertheless, since Gareth Daniels left, the number of BME staff working in the top three tiers of managers, has unhelpfully plummeted - going down to just one at one stage. This era appeared to involve the recruitment of a number of people that had worked with the new senior officer leadership for previous employers. Perhaps this is a more benign reason for the reduction in BME senior managers?
CD's private website states that she is in a relationship with the Council's Senior Employment lawyer. Some worry that this might influence advice given and action taken. it would be a disciplined relationship indeed if both never talked informally about staff employment matters before formal employment advice is given on the same cases.
However, it is the case that many senior managers are wary of CD, the CEX and Leader. They all seem to come to quick judgements about people's careers based on small issues. CDs email in the Judgement that expressed her disappointed that a colleague did not say hello to her, is pretty typical. All three seem to have a view that managers that pre-date their coming to power 2 or 3 years ago, are somehow inferior and in many cases must go (and have gone). There has been a very strong centralisation of power, with even relatively senior managers no longer being authorised to make fairly mundane decisions. This engenders a sense that senior leaders, mistrust staff and junior managers to take those decisions, and culture of fear if small things like not saying hello, help build their view of you as an employee.
The coming year will be brutal, as heavy Government austerity cuts are implemented. This will hit services much harder than previously, as many of the softer options have already happened. Many more staff will lose their jobs in the next 18 months, and this further builds a culture of fear.
Be clear, Brent Council needed the shake-up, which Gareth Daniels launched, and CD played a big part in delivering. But it is now a brutal place to work, where expectations of staff - despite their being far fewer - is unhealthy and unreasonably high. We now need to move forward with a different supportive, conciliatory and team-building culture.