Rutherglen and Cambuslang councillors defend their positions on Carer group

RUTHERGLEN and Cambuslang’s 12 local councillors have reacted with anger to suggestions they sold Cambuslang Community Carers and Rutherglen down the river.

The group’s board said they contacted all the councillors via e-mail to inform them of the situation, but only a handful replied and none offered to support the service.

They were particularly critical of Provost Russell Clearie, and his wife, Councillor Pam Clearie, who have been connected with the group for years.

A furious Provost Clearie said he had worked for the past four years with the carers’ to get a business plan in place, adding that he had been “hurt” by suggestions that he had done nothing while they became insolvent.

He said: “I’ve been working with the carers’, fundraising for more than 20 years, I’ve been a director, only stepping down because of my position as Provost.

“For four years, I have been negotiating and helping, but the group was not professionally-run and that was indicated to the board.

“I have had numerous meetings with staff and directors.

“What was said last week was totally inaccurate from my point of view. Myself and Councillor Pam Clearie had numerous meetings with them, explaining the financial situation in great detail.”

Councillor Pam Clearie added: “For the past four years, I have been working with the board, I was the one that brought in a finance officer to help them.

“To say that neither myself or Russell had helped them is baloney.

“You can’t keep a group alive if they are running at a loss. They have made themselves insolvent. Harry Stevenson (head of Social Work) has been keeping them going for the past five years.

“The service users and staff will not lose out. They will be interviewed for jobs and social work will carry on where they have left off.

“I am devastated to see it go. No-one wants this. At the beginning, it was a very good service but they have not been run properly and we need to think about care in the community and that everyone gets what they need.

“Every time there was a crisis, they would email myself and Russell and we would arrange a meeting.

“Whoever said we have done nothing should hang their head in shame and really think about how long certain people have been working in the community. I am really angry.

“I spent months going through three or four different chairs and trying to help them. Every time someone was elected to the board they would leave because it was not viable.”

Council leader Eddie McAvoy said: “I have been reassured by our Social Work officers that all the clients at the present time will continue to receive the service and I understand most of the employees will be given the opportunity to apply with the council.”

Several councillors denied receiving emails from the group asking for support.

One was SNP councillor for Cambuslang West, Clare McColl, who said she did not know about the situation until a few days before the story broke and attended a meeting with the carers after contacting them herself. She also said that the SNP spokesperson for Social Work, Councillor Jim McGuigan, put their concerns to Social Work officers.

She said: “My main concerns are for the people the carers see and I am very concerned about the carers themselves who will be losing their jobs.

“I was upset that they (the group) said that the councillors had all been notified, because we weren’t.”

Councillor Eileen Baxendale, vice-chair of the Social Work Committee, said she was confident that service users would not be affected: “The main concern is that service users who need a service still get that, whatever happens. I would be expecting the council, and particularly Social Work, to make sure that happens.

“I would be confident that Social Work will assess people’s needs and make sure people get these services.”

The local MSP, James Kelly, also defended suggestions that he had left the group in the lurch.

He said: “Over the last couple of years, I have had a number of discussions with CCCR and I have always made it clear my door is open to offer any help and assistance. I do not accept that I have not been supportive.

“I have always talked up their work and I have made representations to the council in the last couple of weeks in order to find a positive solution to the situation.”