SNP fury at council decision to scrap Inverness care jobs

The SNP group on Highland Council last night said they were incensed by the “deletion” of three care workers posts at an Inverness day centre for vulnerable adults.

Highland Council’s resources committee meeting in Inverness yesterday approved the reduction at the Corbett Centre, Inverness, which offers a day service to adults with learning disability.

SNP group leader Councillor John Finnie queried the proposed deletion of the posts and their replacement by a day-care manager.

However, the council stressed that the three staff were being replaced by an “officer”.

Councilor Finnie said: “We face a financial crisis and all areas of expenditure must be examined.

“However, to remove three care posts from the Corbett Centre, which deals with very vulnerable adults, and then replace them with yet another manager is entirely wrong.

“The chairwoman of social work was keen to point out that more work is being done in our communities. However, even if that were the case, and I’m sceptical, then there are three less care workers to do that work in the community. Vulnerable citizens such as those who attend the Corbett Centre need carers not another manager.

“The SNP says it’s time to cut the bureaucracy, not the carers.”

The Corbett Centre is registered to accommodate 100 clients a week.

A spokesman for Highland Council said last night the resources committee agreed to delete two part-time vacant posts and one full-time vacant post and instead appoint a senior day-care officer, making a saving of £7,000.

Councillor Margaret Davidson, chairwoman of the housing and social work committee, said the council was appointing a senior day-care officer at the Corbett Centre in response to the operational needs of the centre.

The senior officer was needed to support the work of the existing two senior care officers and provide a robust staffing structure.

She said: “The new post is not a managerial one. It is a senior post that the management believe is required to meet the operational needs of the service.”

Bill Alexander, the social work department’s chief operating officer the new post was “supervisory” working “on the floor” and not a senior management job.

He added: “There requires to be sufficient capacity at the Corbett Centre to manage the support to people that is delivered there, and also to manage the increased support that we are delivering to people within the community.

“You cannot do that without appropriate and robust management. This change will help support more and improved support arrangements.”