Wirral Council responds to claims of cover-up and malpractice

FOLLOWING last night’s meeting of Wirral’s Audit and Risk Management committee, the council has issued the following response.

“The council recognises that the issues raised by the whistleblower in his initial grievance should have been dealt with more appropriately and sincerely apologises for the stress that it has caused.

“We continue to express our appreciation to him for raising these matters and providing evidence to the investigation.

“Since this investigation began, we have significantly improved internal procedures.

“This includes publicising the grievance and whistleblowing policies so that staff understand their rights to highlight concerns and managers are fully aware of their responsibilities in dealing with such issues.

“The report discussed by the Audit and Risk Management Committee focused on the issues investigated by the Audit Commission, namely the council’s application of the Department of Health’s Fairer Charging Policy and arrangements for the commissioning and monitoring of contracts for supported living and supported people services.

“The committee agreed that the director of Adult Social Services should seek cabinet and or council approval to make appropriate reimbursements dating back to 2003 in cases where service users may have been overcharged.

“In addition to this, further investigation was requested to establish when the council first suspected that service-users were being overcharged. The outcome of this investigation will be considered by members in November.”