Posts

In Waltham Forest, the Greens take the Town Hall, but will ‘a new kind of council’ follow?

May 15, 2026 Greens 0

Jubilant at gaining an overall majority in the Town Hall, the Greens are promising major changes, no less than ‘a new kind of council’. However, there are several flies in the ointment, as this post explains. First, many of the new Green councillors are almost completely unknown, and it’s possible that when they step into the limelight, it will turn out that some have made comments in the past which they now may regret. Indeed, in this context, it’s notable that, even before the votes had been counted, one of the Green candidates at the recent local elections found himself being investigated for allegedly posting antisemitic comments.  But the Green’s potential difficulties here are ins... »

LBWF’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programme: has it involved unlawful discrimination against men?

April 23, 2026 EDI 0

For the last five years, LBWF has been implementing a wide-ranging equality, diversity and inclusion programme which has comprised numerous separate initiatives; involved every Town Hall employee, from the most junior to the most senior; and cost a large amount of public money, not least because all of the activity has taken place in worktime. One of the key objectives here, repeated again and again, has been to make sure that ‘our workforce reflects the diversity of our community’, on the basis of the assertion that ‘Greater levels of representation lead to stronger connections with our communities and the better design of services’. In practical terms this has led to a concerted drive to r... »

The Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review of historic child abuse at Whitefield School in Walthamstow is further delayed, questioning its credibility

March 19, 2026 LCSPR, Whitefield 0

Word reaches this blog that the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) of historic child abuse at Whitefield School, though already more than a year overdue, is to be delayed yet again, and in fact there is no longer even a target publication date. In explanation, it is said that the LCSPR panel needs to add further expertise, though why any knowledge deficit wasn’t addressed long ago hardly inspires confidence.  It’s also rumoured that the panel early on lost the trust of victims and their families, and the reverberations of this early setback are still being felt. But whatever the truth, this is certainly an unexpected development. The LCSPR is comprised of three senior pro... »

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LBWF’s promise to put ‘residents at the heart of everything we do’ yet again revealed to be a sham

March 17, 2026 Cllr. Grace Williams, Linzi Roberts-Egan 0

Renowned Waltham Forest campaigner James O’Rourke has appeared in posts on this blog before. He is a highly qualified expert, a Family and Friend Representative, Learning Disability England; an Independent Panellist for NHS England’s Care, Education and Treatment Review programme; and a Member of the Adult Social Care All Party Parliamentary Group. In addition, he spends a good deal of time looking out for his brother, who has a learning disability and resides in supported living accommodation, and in this latter role, he has regular contact with LBWF. An earlier post looked at one of these interactions which was highly unsatisfactory (see links below), and recently there has ... »

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The Whitefield School child abuse scandal: the five big issues that remain unresolved

March 2, 2026 Whitefield 0

BBC reporter: ‘You’re sure that his time in these calming rooms changed him?’ Mother: ‘Yes, very much so. He went in as a calm, sweet, innocent child, and he’s come out of there not even being able to function in his daily activities. He needs support with everything now…and basically…He won’t leave the house’. The Whitefield School child abuse scandal is without doubt the most shocking in Waltham Forest’s modern times, involving as it does allegations that in the years 2014 to 2017 staff subjected about 40 children with learning difficulties and severe mental disorders to violence and degradation. Such a terrible episode has attracted much comment (includ... »

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