Maldon Council Ups Monitoring after the Horse Has Bolted - April 2009 - June 2011

 Following the tragic drowning at Blackwater Leisure Centre in June 2008,  Maldon Council reacted by working with the Health & Safety Executive  to review contract monitoring and monitoring the Centre on a weekly basis “ to ensure that Leisure Connection comply with the contract, increase customer satisfaction and help ensure the safety and welfare to staff and customers.” However, despite issuing number of rectification and default notices the monitoring changed to monthly.

Generally, rectification notices are issued either because the work needed should be obvious or a company has failed to respond to gentler reminders.

 One might have thought that a company in charge at the time of a drowning would pull out all the stops, especially on H&S. But no, as well as a further notice from HSE about deficient lifeguarding, LC / Harpers Fitness failed to notify Maldon about a reportable incident.  Details below.

None of these issues stopped Blackwater getting a "Commended Status" when inspected by in July 2009 under the QUEST quality assurance scheme for leisure centres. But then neither did the remark in the QUEST report that "Cleaning continues to be a challenge for the Centre".  Shouldn't that be cleaning continues to be a challenge for the company? PB

 REPORT of HEAD OF ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT to AUDIT SUB-COMMITTEE 1 APRIL 2009  CONTRACT MONITORING

 The full and thorough investigation by Maldon District Council is ongoing following the tragic incident which took place at the Blackwater Leisure Centre on Saturday 14 June 2008, and in addition the Council continues to work with the Health & Safety Executive in support of their review of the Council’s contract monitoring.

  REPORT of HEAD OF LEISURE AND LIVEABILITY to AUDIT SUB-COMMITTEE 14 SEPTEMBER 2010

CONTRACT MONITORING – LEISURE CONNECTION

 ...The Blackwater Leisure Centre is now monitored on a weekly basis and the Dengie Hundred Centre on a bi-monthly basis.

 From the 1 January 2010 Leisure Connection Limited has been served with three Rectification Notices and two Default Notices. These have been for the non-compliance of the contract for the following:

 Rectification Notices

• Outstanding work to locks and handles on the wet side changing cubicles.

• Not repairing a broken window within specified timescales.

• Not performing a wet side deep clean.

 Default Notices

• Outstanding work to locks and handles of the wet side changing cubicles (as above) - three Points.

 Failure to report a RIDDOR report to the client – five points. A RIDDOR report is a reportable incident. RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.

 As detailed above to improve the monitoring of the Blackwater Leisure Centre frequency has increased from monthly to weekly visits, this to ensure that Leisure Connection comply with the contract, increase customer satisfaction and help ensure the safety and welfare to staff and customers.

 REPORT of HEAD OF LEISURE AND LIVEABILITY AUDIT SUB-COMMITTEE 26 JANUARY 2011 CONTRACT MONITORING 

The Blackwater Leisure Centre and the Dengie Hundred Sports Centre are now monitored on a monthly basis. From 1 January 2010 Leisure Connection Limited has been served with four Rectification Notices and two Default Notices.

 The Committee has been informed of the details of these notices with the exception of the Rectification Notice issued on 2 December 2010 for the contractor not cleaning the pool tank floor.

 REPORT of HEAD OF COMMUNITY AND LEISURE SERVICES to AUDIT SUB-COMMITTEE  29 JUNE 2011    CONTRACT MONITORING 

 Officers meet with Leisure Connection Limited on a regular basis to review performance of the contract and to monitor other issues such as maintenance of the facility. The last Leisure Connection Liaison Committee (with Member attendance) was on 26 April 2011.

The Blackwater Leisure Centre and the Dengie Hundred Sports Centre are now monitored on a monthly basis. From 1 January 2010 Leisure Connection Limited has been served with nine Rectification Notices. The Rectification Notices were for the following:

 Dengie Hundred Sports Centre

• Diffuser missing at reception;

• Repair required to female changing door;

• High level cleaning required in sports hall;

• Broken dimmer switch;

• Broken guttering;

• Repair required to air conditioning unit

 Blackwater Leisure Centre

• Excessive weed growth in car park;

• 8 dry side showers require repair;

• High Level clean require in Pool Hall.

 All rectifications were completed within the timescale and no default notices were required to be issued.

Maldon and Burnham Standard 29/9/10 www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/8427280.Maldon_leisure_centre_censured_for_insufficient_lifeguard_cover/  

Maldon leisure centre censured for insufficient lifeguard cover     Web version reproduced in full

 A leisure centre was rapped for having insufficient lifeguard cover during programmed swimming sessions, it has emerged. Blackwater Leisure Centre, in Park Drive, Maldon, was issued the immediate prohibition notice by the Health and Safety Executive on July 13.

 It is the latest in a long line of setbacks for the leisure centre, which is already under independent investigation by the HSE following the pool rescue of a six-year-old girl in May and the death of seven-year-old Michelle Gellard, who died following an incident at the pool in June 2008.

 A default notice has also previously been served on Leisure Connection - the company who manage the leisure centre and the Dengie 100 Sports Centre in Burnham, by owners Maldon District Council, who were unhappy at the company’s failure to notify the council of “a reportable incident” under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.

FULL STORY IN  MALDON AND BURNHAM STANDARD

The HSE Immediate Prohibition Notice includes "prohibiting specified programmed swimming sessions due to insufficient lifeguard cover.” www.hse.gov.uk/notices/notices/Notice_details.asp?SF=CN&SV=302720790   

An HSE Inspector serves a prohibition notice when there is a risk of a serious injury. ^{http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/notices/notices-types.htm#P19_2498}

I understand further details relating to this story appeared on the front page of this week’s Maldon Standard and i will add a link when this is available on the web.

To date neither the HSE nor the Coroner have reported on the drowning of Michelle Gellard over two years ago at the same pool. Nor do I have any further information on the status of the legal case taken by Michelle’s parents against Leisure Connection.  PB

Inquiry into pool rescue at Blackwater Leisure Centre by Ryan Jennings
1.9.10 www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/localnews/8364006.New_safety_probe_at_Maldon_leisure_centre/

 An independent investigation has been launched into a serious incident that took place at a leisure centre less than two years after the death of a child in its swimming pool.

The Health and Safety Executive is investigating an incident on May 30 at the Blackwater Leisure Centre in Maldon and involved a six-year-old girl being rescued from the pool.

The leisure centre, which is owned by Maldon District Council and run by Leisure Connection on its behalf, is already being investigated over the death of seven-year-old Michelle Gellard, from London.

Neither the Coroner nor the HSE have yet reported findings from the death of Michelle Gellard. It appears one cause of delay was the transfer of the investigation from Maldon District Council to the HSE. The investigation of the further incident is with the HSE. Let's hope it stays there and they pull their finger out to ensure that any lessons that can be learned are disseminated as soon as possible. PB

Burnham Cricket Club's Future Still Undecided 18.3.10  Maldon Standard www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/localnews/5070451.Burnham_Cricket_Club_s_future_still_undecided/

 The future of Burnham Cricket Club has yet to be resolved. The cricket club could face expulsion from the Mid-Essex Cricket League after Leisure Connection, which manages the club’s home ground at Millfields, proposed shutting the building at 6pm rather than 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The club’s matches finish later than 6pm, meaning there would be no access to showers, facilities or toilets, which is against league rules.

At a meeting of Burnham Town Council last night, town clerk David McNeill revealed that talks are ongoing between Leisure Connection and Maldon District Council to try and reach a solution, but no decisions have been made.

Nine months ago LC / Harpers mouthpiece said , “We are currently working with Maldon District Council and Burnham Sport Club to resolve this situation. Leisure Connection is committed to delivering a first class leisure service to the people of Burnham.” (See immediately below).  

So what is preventing the company that says "Working with the public sector and other organisations for more than 20 years, we have seen the face of public access provision change and evolve..." www.leisureconnection.co.uk/about-us/   Maldon cricketers would agree with the change in public access. PB

Cricket Club In Battle With Bureaucracy   Maldon & Burnham Standard 3.6.09   Reproduced in full. http://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/localnews/4418167.Cricket_club_in_battle_with_bureaucracy/

The future of a 48-year-old cricket club has been thrown into doubt because its facilities are to be taken away in the middle of matches. Officials say that Burnham Sports Cricket Club may face closure if Leisure Connection, which owns its clubhouse facilities at Millfields, does not reconsider a decision to close the building at 6pm instead of 9pm - before the matches are usually finished.

This would mean players would be forced to complete games without shelter, changing facilities, showers, toilets or even access to get a drink of water.

Playing without these facilities contravenes league rules, and could result in the club, which has teams that play on a Saturday and Sunday as well as a junior team, being thrown out of its leagues.

The club, formed in 1961, pays rent to Maldon District Council of £800 per year. However, the facilities are managed by Leisure Connection, who say that if the clubhouse is to remain open, the club will need to pay two members of staff. This would cost about £80 a week, which the club says it cannot afford.

David Gamble, Chairman of Burnham Sports Cricket Club, said: “It costs over £3,500 per year to run our club and there is no way we cannot afford the extra expense of £80 per weekend for two babysitters. It is an absurd situation and, unless the council and Leisure Connection can be brought to their senses, there is a very real risk that we will have to fold. We've been playing cricket at Millfields for almost 50 years and are being forced out of our own home. Burnham Sports Club pays the council rent of over £800 a year and, as we prepare and maintain the ground ourselves, all we effectively get in return is a place to get changed in. Now, it seems even that is too much to ask.”

Ken Harris, one of the town’s original players from the 1960s and current president, added: “At a time when there is a need to encourage exercise and social contact with young people this is an absolute disaster.”

Rebecca Douglas, spokesperson for Leisure Connection, said: “We are currently working with Maldon District Council and Burnham Sport Club to resolve this situation. Leisure Connection is committed to delivering a first class leisure service to the people of Burnham.”

Rebecca Douglas works for Mortimer Chadwick Gray Public Relations, so she would say that, wouldn't she? Did the Club raise the issue before going public? If so, why was no deal arrived at? How did the Council manage to facilitate this fiasco? PB