Blog • Leafleting bans

Kilburn bans leafleting in time for the Olympics

Kilburn is following other councils in banning leafleting in time for the Olympics. Under these powers, people must buy a council licence if they want to hand out leaflets in public spaces. In other places where these rules have been enacted, they have had a disastrous effect on local groups, particularly grassroots arts organisations, who cannot afford the licence fee. Leafleting bans also represent an erosion of fundamental freedoms in public spaces. They mean that we can engage with each other only when we have official permission, and a badge on our shoulder. Read on: http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/brent_council_rubber_stamps_plans_to_licence_leafleting_in_the_borough_1_1358758 Manifesto Club Campaign Against Leafleting Bans:…

Blog • On-the-spot fines

Parking fine whilst giving blood

I just received this email from a lady whose husband was fined whilst giving blood. This was the first day of the introduction of parking fines on a Sunday, and he unknowingly fell foul of the rules while doing his good deed. “I was shocked that Derby City Council wouldn’t cancel my husband’s parking fine while he was in a centre donating blood. Even though the National Blood Service issued me with written proof to send to the council they wouldn’t refund the penalty. It was on the first day that parking fees were introduced on a Sunday. My husband has always…

Blog • On-the-spot fines

Acquittal of woman for cigarette butt fine

In a promising verdict, a court has acquitted a mother on the charge of dropping a cigarette butt. The fine was given out by the private company, XFOR, which is paid on commission by the council to fine people for littering offences. This pay-as-they-punish justice is liable to create over-hasty and erratic punishment. So this aquittal is promising and a sign that the courts can act as a check on unjust fines. As the mother put it, “They should get proof before they go accusing people.” Read on: http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/gwentnews/9714867.Ebbw_Vale_mum___s_relief_at_fag_end_verdict/?ref=nt

Free movement - visiting artists

Malaysian dancer deported from Heathrow – testimonial

Visual and physical theatre artist Anna Masing invited her friend, a dancer from Malaysia, to collaborate and participate in a performance which would contribute to Masing’s PhD study. The dancer Maryline Semba Mani was detained, treated with suspicion of being an “exotic dancer” and deported back to Malaysia. She was not being paid a fee for this engagement, as the relationship was based on a close friendship with Masing. She was not informed by the UK consulate about the new Permitted Paid Engagement visitor route. In fact, the consulate couldn’t see a problem about her coming to the UK as a tourist…

Blog • Photo bans

City promises to rein in over-officious security guards

It is common knowledge that photographers in the City of London face constant hassle from private security guards (see a film and blogpost on this here). The Manifesto Club’s Peter Lloyd approached City authorities, asking whether they planned to do anything about these over-officious private security guards. With the help of councilman Alex Deane, we received the following heartening response: Given the City’s history, it is vital that we remain vigilant. However, there is a need to strike the balance between the rights of the individual and the need to ensure that the City is safe for all those who either live,…

Blog • Vetting

Four 17-year-old students mean CRB checks for academic staff

I just received this email, about a university insisting on CRB checks for staff – because there are a handful of 17 year-old students… ‘Since our students virtually all over 18 (There are FOUR out of a cohort of 770 who are not) – and we don’t have ANY unsupervised access to ANY students – the university Safeguarding Policy does not require us to have a check. This was confirmed during a recent OFSTED inspection. The course was given ‘Outstanding’ and the Safeguarding Policy was deemed to be ‘Satisfactory’. However, lurking in the background was an audit of our Access and Progression…

Blog • Vetting

The idiocies of the child protection bureaucracy

A guest blog post from Manifesto Club member Nigel Drew: I was recently given a first-hand account of a teenage asylum seeker, made homeless by deportation of his carer. The Social Services felt it was OK to leave him homeless over the Easter holiday and refused to let his teacher offer him a spare room for the night while it was sorted (they were not cleared for fostering! Presumably this means hotels must be cleared for fostering if children are accommodated). Instead Social Services insisted he go into a homeless shelter with the drunks and addicts. How did we come to this…

Blog • Vetting

Child protection training industry

I was just passed an email from an organisation called ‘Child Protection Training UK’, which advertises its services thus: ‘The New Ofsted inspection framework in place from January 2012 is bringing massive changes to the safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding will no longer be a limiting judgement, however it will fall under both leadership & management and behaviour and safety judgements. In addition, inspectors will be heavily scrutinising bullying and student’s abilities to assess and manage risk. In time of reform, are you confident your safeguarding procedures are up to date and aligned with the new Ofsted Inspection framework? Our courses provide information on…

Blog • Vetting

Parent helpers must get CRB checks every 3 months

One county council is advising schools to CRB check parent volunteers every three months, as this email below explains. This shows the extraordinary level of bureaucracy faced by parents seeking to help out at their children’s school. It also shows very strange reasoning by this county council – whereby those helping out only occasionally are required to be CRB checked the most frequently. ‘My children are at the local primary school and I help out there occasionally, usually by helping out on school trips. I know other mums also attend the school regularly about once a week to help with reading. I…