Care service plan in chaos as city orders last-ditch review

CONTROVERSIAL plans to contract out the care of nearly 800 vulnerable people were in turmoil today after the chief executive of the city council dramatically called a halt to the scheme.

Tom Aitchison stepped in to put the proposal to re-tender 11 care contracts on hold – just hours before a crunch meeting that had been expected to push the move through.

The move followed an opposition amendment to the proposals, which had noted that key decisions – including suspending direct payment applications – were made by officials of the council “with no reference to the council’s democratic process”.

An independent review of the tendering process has now been ordered and an updated report is due to be compiled for councillors in January.

The proposals sparked a storm of protests, not least because they would lead to hundreds of people with learning and physical disabilities, hearing impairments or mental health issues being given a new carer.

There was also a row over the issue of “direct payments”, where clients are given money by the council to take the employment of carers into their own hands.

The review was called by Mr Aitchison after council leader Jenny Dawe discovered “a number of outstanding issues” surrounding the tendering process.

Councillor Dawe said: “I recognise the importance of the care and support services tender to vulnerable people in the city and have insisted that all aspects of the tendering process must be robust.

“I have been in regular touch with senior council officials on this and have just been advised that there remain a number of outstanding issues surrounding the tender. As a result, I have instructed the chief executive to have the tenders independently evaluated.”

Today’s finance meeting – which had been expected to see the tenders approved – was expected to be adjourned to allow officers to provide a new report in January.

Cllr Dawe said: “I would like to reassure service users there will be no interruption to their current care and support arrangements, pending a decision in January.

“Direct payment applications will continue to be processed as previously agreed. We are determined to ensure the integrity of the tender process and believe an independent evaluation is the best way to achieve this.”

The news sparked celebration from opposition councillors. Green councillor Maggie Chapman, who tabled the motion at the last finance committee meeting that saw the issue referred to full council a fortnight ago, said: “This is fantastic news. It indicates that there is no support for the tendering process itself, never mind the way direct payments were going to be changed.”

The re-tendering of care had been expected to save the council up to £5.5 million over three years.

Ian Hood, co-ordinator of the Learning Disability Alliance Scotland, said: “We are sure that, at the end of the process, vulnerable adults will be helped to keep the services they value so much.