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The report, which will be presented to Committee this evening (Tuesday 11 December), will recommend that Finance and Strategic HR services transfer from Capita to the council by April 2019, to address performance issues. It also recommends that a phased approach is adopted to review the remaining services, to enable a thorough and full assessment to take place on the best way to deliver them in the future. This approach does not rule out all services being returned to the council.

The current rounds are up to 15 years old, so they do not reflect changes in Barnet over recent years. Changing them and making them more efficient means we can plan to collect almost all of our bins during the week, eliminating the need for garden bins to be collected on a Saturday. The recycling and refuse collections will remain weekly and the garden waste collections fortnightly.

To become a champion, all residents need to do is report hate crime when they encounter it. The best place to do it is through the True Vision website at report-it.org.uk – which is accessible from any computer or mobile device. Residents can also go directly to the police by phoning 101, or 999 in the case of an emergency. However, for safety reasons, people should not confront those who commit hate crime.

Since it joined forces with PA, the global innovation and transformation consultancy, the council has been able to supply Argenti care technology to more than 3,700 vulnerable adults in the borough. The technology – sometimes called Telecare – is the use of sensors, mobile devices, alarms on a person or in their home to keep someone safe and independent for longer. The sensors can detect falls, gas leaks, flooding from overrunning baths and sinks, reminders to take medication, and alerts if a front door has been left open.

Husband and wife Hamid Taghibeglou, 42, and Maryam Ghasemi, 35, both appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 13 November facing charges of using the same disabled parking permit belonging to a man who had died.

Kalson Hassan, 43, of Woodhouse Road, North Finchley, appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on 4 September where she pleaded guilty to fraud offences after failing to notify the council. Following an investigation carried out by the council’s Corporate Anti-Fraud Team (CAFT), it was established that Hassan had illegally pocketed more than £8,000 in direct payments. When interviewed by counter-fraud officers, Hassan confirmed she had spent all of the money received since her father passed away.

The result of yesterday’s by-election in the Whetstone ward was declared last night (Thursday 15 May) at Barnet Council Headquarters, in Colindale.  The seat was won by Labour Party Candidate, Ezra Cohen.    This means the political composition of the council is now 40 Labour, 20 Conservative and 3 members who are not part of a council political group. 

The London Borough of Barnet hosted representatives from Barnet’s twin towns over the weekend (10 – 11 May), to celebrate the boroughs milestone 60th anniversary. Representatives from across the world including France, Germany and Cyprus gathered for a programme of art, cultural, historical and environmental flavour.

John Anthony will become the new statutory Director of Children’s Services at Barnet Council when he takes up the post in July. He is currently the Operational Director for Children and Families at the London Borough of Redbridge, where he leads family help and social care services and manages a budget of £45m. Prior to this role, he spent seven years as Head of Service for Children and Families at Redbridge.

The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is returning to Barnet in June, with a diverse programme of events taking place across the borough. This is the third year that Barnet has been named a key destination within the festival’s programme, being recognised for its continued importance on London’s architectural and cultural landscape.