Straight from the Hart

WHO AM I

In brief: Clive Hart - From July 2022 - A retired but very active individual with a wonderful super-extended family and a genuine passion for my local area.

My last official role was NHS Kent & Medway Clinical Commissioning Group Associate Lay Member for Patient and Public Engagement (Thanet), but deep down I'm always a Craftsman Electrician & HV Electrical Fitter through my former and formative 25 year career in Electricity Supply.
 
Following a serious back problem at the end of a broad electrical career I retrained as a Wefare Advisor in my early 40's and went on to lead the welfare team for our local College of Further Education. I've also been Chair of Governors at a local (outstanding) Special School, have served on the Management Board of another prestigious local educational establishment and been an active Charity Trustee. I'm a former Kent County Councillor where I was Shadow Cabinet Member for Education. At District Council level I also held several different Shadow Cabinet roles for Thanet and eventually became the authorities Cabinet Member for Economic Development. I've also been privilaged to serve as the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Council at Thanet District Council.
 
My underlying passion is helping and assisting people whenever I can. Within reason I try to do everything I possibly can to help, support and encourage those whom I come into contact with during my daily life. I've done this as a parent, a friend, a works representative, as a CAB advisor, a student welfare advisor, a school governor, a charity chairman and as both a district and county councillor (through over a decade of regular surgeries and confidential casework).

Today, in retirement, using skills, knowledge and understanding gained over a varied 50 year career, I will do everything I possibly can to reflect and support local feelings and aspirations as I see them.
 
I'm especially lucky to have a super-extended family whom I love dearly, along with our friends, our home and garden. I like reading, listening to soul & jazz, a little gentle yoga each day, swimming several times a week and I also dabble in a bit of what I call 'photography' whenever I get the chance.

BACKGROUND

Broad detail: Born and attended local primary & secondary schools in Margate, I left school at 15 and completed a 5 year JIB fully indentured Electrical Apprenticeship monitored by the CITB. I worked 5 years as Craftsman Electrician. 15 years as a Craftsman Electrical Fitter HV (11kv & 33kv). 2 years as C.A.B. Welfare Advisor. 5 years working for and eventually running the Welfare Unit at our local FE College. I left the college in 2005 to concentrate fully on my councillor roles and duties with both district and county authorities, including my associated roles in local education (a Chair of Governors, a Management Board member and the Shadow Spokesman for Education at KCC).
During my time as a councillor I have also served for 9 years on our local District Planning Committee and for 4 years on the County Cabinet Scrutiny Committee - holding the KCC political and executive leadership to account. For two and a half years I was Leader of the Opposition, moving on to Council Leader and the Cabinet Member for Economic Development at TDC for a further two and a half years. I also represented TDC on the Kent Leaders Forum, the East Kent Regeneration Board, Thanet Regeneration Board, Thanet Health and Wellbeing Board and was chairman of both the TDC Cabinet and the Thanet Parish Forum for the same two and a half year period. For my last year at TDC I was Vice Chair of the Planning Committee. I left the council in 2015 to join NHS Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group as the Governing Body Lay Member for Patient & Public Engagement and in 2020 I became an Associate Lay Member for Patient & Public Engagement (Thanet) at NHS Kent & Medway Clinical Commissioning Group until it ceased operating on 30th June 2022.
 
EXPERIENCE

Representative roles: 1982 Elected as Staff Representative - East Kent SEEBOARD. 1983 Selected as Training Representative - East Kent SEEBOARD. 1994 Selected as Safety Representative - East Kent SEEBOARD. 1995 Selected as Senior Staff Representative - 6,000+ employees - Kent & Sussex Seeboard plc. 1994 Seconded to assist Andersen Consulting with 6 month project re-engineering the Electricity Supply Business in Kent, Surrey and Sussex following privatisation. 1995 Selected as Senior Safety Representative - 6,000+ employees - Kent, Surrey & Sussex - Seeboard plc. 1995 Appointed local correspondent for Seeboard company magazine. 1996 Selected by trade union to help negotiate annual Pay and Conditions for 6,000+ employees.
2000 Created business plan & assisted my wife negotiate take-over, start-up & running, of small business employing 5 people in Cliftonville. 2002 Appointed Company Secretary to small business in Cliftonville. 2003 Elected to Thanet District Council as Councillor for Cliftonville West. 2005 Selected by Timebank (UK Charity) to promote ‘National Year of the Volunteer’. 2005 Elected to Kent County Council as Councillor for Margate & Cliftonville. 2005 Appointed LEA School Governor (Laleham Gap Special School). 2006 Selected by Kent County Council to attend I&DEA Leadership Academy. 2007 - 12 Elected Chair of Governors (Laleham Gap Special School). 2008 - 2009 Appointed to Management Board of Royal School for Deaf Children Margate. 2009 Elected Leader of the Opposition at Thanet District Council. 2010 - 12 Elected Chair of Cheerful Sparrows Thanet Charity. 2011 - 2014 Elected Leader of Thanet District Council. 2014 - 2015 Vice Chair of Planning at Thanet District Council. 2015 - 2020 NHS Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group Governing Body Lay Member for Patient and Public Engagement. 2020 - 2022 Associate Lay Member for Patient & Public Engagement (Thanet) NHS Kent & Medway (from 2016 - 2022 as part of both my NHS roles I also sat on the Sustainable Healthcare in East Kent Committee). 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

My passion: I was an executive committee member of Thanet Arts Council for 5 years in the late 90's where I first launched and then regularly organised the Annual Thanet Arts Council Open Photographic Exhibition. For several years I was Hon. Secretary of Cliftonville Residents Association. During that time the Farmers Markets were started and I worked with the Chairman to raise the £130,000 for a new bandstand at the Oval Arena. As an executive committee memeber of Margate Civic Society I led negotiations to rebuild Newgate Gap Bridge in Cliftonville and in partnership with Thanet Community Development Trust I helped set up the first Cliftonville Street schemes. When a back problem finally ended my 25 year career as an electrical craftsman, I joined our local Citizens Advice Bureau & trained and worked as a Voluntary Welfare Advisor in Margate & Broadstairs. These wonderful experiences and over 11 years of regular local ward surgeries have been key in informing my roles as a local Councillor at District and County level.
Indeed, the same resident led voluntary and community experiences have proved invaluable for my role at Thanet CCG - involving the public in NHS decision making and subsequent advisory role at Kent & Medway level.
Throughout the period of both of my NHS roles I was Chairman of Thanet Health Reference Group - bringing together Patient Participation Group Chairs from individual GP Practices in support the CCG's and providing them with peer support.
During my last two years prior to retirement I also sat on the Ageless Thanet Volunteer Governance Board. Through the success of this prestigious project in tackling social isolation we were awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

QUALIFICATIONS
 
CITY & GUILDS Basic Engineering & Electrical Installation.
JIB Apprenticeship Completion Diploma.
NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health.
A LEVEL Sociology.
CERTIFICATE in Interpersonal Skills (Degree Level - Distinction).
BTEC CERTIFICATE in Management Studies.
I&DEA LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (Certificate of Graduation).

LIFELONG LEARNING
 
Just for fun, during the pandemic, I studied introductions to
Philosophy, Economics & Justice. Geek or what?