Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Is Harringay Online really 'the devil'?
Clearly not!
I was at drinks recently for a valued council worker who has been working tirelessly engaging with local community groups.
Mention of HoL brought out this reaction of labelling HoL as 'the devil'.
To say I was surprised is of course an understatement and I suggested engagement with HoL would be the best course of action.
However this is of some concern because whilst HoL does have some engagement with councillors & members of the local MP's office it would be useful if council officers felt more comfortable with engaging with HoL. Certainly the dissemination of council information on services and consultations (for example) are important.
Council officers normally have a clearer, more accurate and more up to date understanding of what is happening within their service area. Maybe HoL does need to look at how it can encourage more conversation and flow of information from the council. It would save certain HoL members considerable time in having to track down information themselves to then post on HoL.
The above can probably only happen however if the council loosens it grip on its employees with regards to controlling information flow and community engagement. Releasing information to the wider community via the council's website or Haringey People magazine is probably not enough.
Linking through to community groups and forums as proposed in the council's draft Community Engagement Framework may help to improve information flow between groups such as HoL and the council.
Let's hope so because 'the devil' HoL certainly ain't!
I was at drinks recently for a valued council worker who has been working tirelessly engaging with local community groups.
Mention of HoL brought out this reaction of labelling HoL as 'the devil'.
To say I was surprised is of course an understatement and I suggested engagement with HoL would be the best course of action.
However this is of some concern because whilst HoL does have some engagement with councillors & members of the local MP's office it would be useful if council officers felt more comfortable with engaging with HoL. Certainly the dissemination of council information on services and consultations (for example) are important.
Council officers normally have a clearer, more accurate and more up to date understanding of what is happening within their service area. Maybe HoL does need to look at how it can encourage more conversation and flow of information from the council. It would save certain HoL members considerable time in having to track down information themselves to then post on HoL.
The above can probably only happen however if the council loosens it grip on its employees with regards to controlling information flow and community engagement. Releasing information to the wider community via the council's website or Haringey People magazine is probably not enough.
Linking through to community groups and forums as proposed in the council's draft Community Engagement Framework may help to improve information flow between groups such as HoL and the council.
Let's hope so because 'the devil' HoL certainly ain't!
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Hugh on
-
Fascinating.
Any idea what led this council worker to his/her conclusions?
-
Permalink Reply by matt on
-
Pub conversation so it went off on another tangent but I will try and find out more.
-
-
Do, it would certainly be fascinating what on earth could posses someone to think of HoL as the devil. Must have been quite a conversation, Matt.
-
-
No not really Hugh as it was a side comment (fully loaded of course). Main conversation was about consultation which was being led by someone else. I had suggested using HoL as a vehicle for the 'consultation' which was when this comment popped up.
-
Permalink Reply by Danzigger on
-
If someone hates the site that much, we must be doing something right!
-
Permalink Reply by Liz on
-
I think its a shame that some council officers feel that way. Many of the officers I've dealt with over environmental problems are very good and work hard. There's lots of good practice out there; parks, libraries, children's centres etc. I think we do our fair share to publicise the good stuff that happens in the area and are loud in our praise when we feel a service has been particularly good.
I suspect, as you say Matt, a lack of actual engagement with the site has resulted in a skewed picture of what is actually going on on the site. A lot of the information I post is reposted from the council website, but what probably makes the council uncomfortable is the thought that if they did it, they might have to deal with the conversation around it. However, as we have seen, most of that conversation remains balanced and fair and rarely descends into mindless council bashing.
-
Permalink Reply by Anette on
-
I'm guessing it's because all of a sudden people are highlighting their shortcomings, and they don't like it. We probably also increase their workload by sharing information and helping each other out with who to contact for what etc. So they have to put more effort in to their work. So what? That's a good thing!
-
-
Liz & Anette, I think you are both right regards the 'conversation' around aspects of service & policy and the 'sharing' aspect regards services. HoL is becoming a very good one-stop-shop for many such things, as well as everything else. I think HoL has shaken things up and the people behind media controlled Haringey People don't like it! Hey, nothing wrong with a little democracy. Might up the star ratings a bit.
-
Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
-
If HoL members meet Haringey staff (or councillors) who see this website as a threat, or as likely to increase their workload, then please gently explain why it doesn’t have to be so.
One blindingly obvious reason is that HoL members are not just whingeing. They’re coming up with suggestions and ideas. Absolutely free !
Another entirely commonsense reason is that any service benefits from customer feedback. Keep getting things wrong, and you go out of business. (Unless you’re a bank, of course.) But even in some failing local authority (far away) the political bosses will eventually realise they need to clean out the stables – preferably from the head trainer down.
However, as Liz points out, many Haringey staff are actually providing good - and sometimes excellent - services.
Okay, even the best people screw-up. (To use President Obama’s technical term). Good staff welcome being told about this.
That may seem counter-intuitive. If a lot more people find out about faults and errors won’t they all start emailing and phoning; creating far more work? Not if staff with authority to fix the fault (usually middle or lower managers) can acknowledge the problem, apologise, and put things right as quickly as possible.
Of course, staff at the sharp-end are right to worry if their managers remain in denial. Or if there are wider systemic problems which middle managers don’t have the authority to fix. In that case, people at the ‘bottom’ answering the phones and emails will carry the can - and an increased workload.
But this is precisely when a website like HoL is potentially most valuable to the council. Because faults and problems aren’t kept to the individuals reporting them. They are shared and discussed among a much larger group of people. So it’s far easier to see when we’re dealing not with one or two small mistakes, but a pattern.
■ For instance, not just one or two houses with owners and landlords getting dubious planning decisions. But dozens (if not hundreds) of owners fiddling the rules.
■ Similarly, when complaints about dumped rubbish aren’t just about a few bags on one street; but a culture of dumping on hundreds of sites across the Borough – a pattern which needs challenging and changing.
But which first needs identifying and bringing to the attention of the head honcho; or maybe a "cabinet” councillor who does do email. Which discussion on HoL can do. (Provided they’re paying attention.)
The next bit really is counter-intuitive. Because isn’t it common sense for the big cheeses in an organisation to worry about money? And in a local council, that making extensive changes – whether to the Planning practice, street cleaning, or anything else - is going to be not just hard work but terribly expensive?
Well, the bad news is that they’ll have to scratch their very wise heads, ponder the problem and find solutions. The good news is that a solving the problem by getting systems right will actually save money and time. It will cut out most of the time and effort wasted on complaints; and on duplicating tasks which should have been done right first time. And if they really encourage and achieve public engagement and civic pride, problems like dumping may actually shrink.
And then, when they or their staff happen to meet HoL members in the pub, they’ll get smiles all round.
Now isn’t that worth it?
-
-
Excellent analysis and thoughts on effective communication and improving systems Alan.
I believe 'the devil' comment also refers to the possible pivitol position HoL might play within the marginal ward of Harringay (and possibly Haringey) leading up to the next elections .... which are only just around the corner. So it's really a wider reference and observation that this council individual has come up with.
HoL therefore needs to be proactive in remaining impartial in its engagement with local politicians over the next 12 months. This is crucial. Members will after all be voting in different ways.
Btw, this council officer has done excellent work engaging the community over the last few years, very much at ground level which is what matters.
-
Permalink Reply by frank demster on
-
I know a council worker (who shall remain nameless) who lurks on this site because it saves them alot of time. If they see something brewing they go out and nip it in the bud (where possible). Otherwise they just have a big, stupid, tiring round of emailing, reporting back etc etc to do.
Also; they sound better informed if they are asked officially what they know about anything.
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
