21 November (Part 1) - Top job appointments in Bexley. Neither Good nor Thorough
The blog on the 17th November about failing Barnet Council invading Bexley appears to have struck a chord somewhere in Watling Street’s Ivory Tower for I cannot think that the following anonymous message came from anywhere else. It can only indicate unhappiness - or worse - with the new staffing arrangements in the Finance Department by one person at least. It is presented unedited.
Bexley’s Top Managers are appointed on merit following public advertisement. What then of Nickie Morris?
It seems she has been brought in to sort out a sinking ship or possibly sink it as Paul Thorogood has reduced the Council’s reserves,
reduced staffing to a minimum (you no longer see many other Finance Officers at
meetings) and he’s reported nothing of BexleyCo’s failings.
It should be making profits but has the Finance Director reported any of this? If it’s failing to hit
targets has the Director of Finance told elected Members?
Still, he can’t be everywhere. Or can he?
When he [Paul Thorogood] was Head of Finance in Barnet Nickie Morris was just a
Finance Manager. When he rose to be Assistant Director, Nickie filled the gap as
Head of Finance. Now at Bexley Paul Thorogood has become Director and the
vacant post of assistant to the Director has been filled by one Nickie Morris. As a
consultant Nickie Morris must be on more than £10,000 a month. We can only guess
as there was no public advertisement.
The comments about BexleyCo are interesting, so far we have only heard of its various failures
and staff turnover. Maybe public servants are not as good at running private
industry as Mr. Corbyn would have us believe.
Maybe it goes some way to explain why Barnet is in such a mess too.