Two letters in this week's Grantham Journal attacking Lincolnshire County Council's daft decision to launch a Judicial Review in the High Court to challenge their poor one-star rating for adult social services for the sixth year running...
As I posted HERE cases of this kind can cost local taxpayers £100,000 or even £150,000. It's an open cheque-book.
Instead of handing over our cash to fat cat London lawyers, wouldn't the money be better spent on improving the services that were judged to merit only one star, for the sixth year running?
Showing posts with label CSCI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CSCI. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Throwing our money at the lawyers...
My attack on the decision by the Conservative Leader of Lincolnshire County Council to spend thousands of pounds of public money in legal fees was picked up in this week's Lincs Free Press.
It really is total madness for Martin Hill to be throwing taxpayers cash at lawyers to chase another star...Lincolnshire County Council have been awarded just one-star for adult social care in each of the past six years despite year on year promises for two-stars. Now the county council is preparing to go to the High Court in London to challenge the one-star assessment by the independent inspectors.
No-one knows how much the planned Judicial Review in the High Court action may end up costing council taxpayers of Lincolnshire. Similar actions in the past are said to have cost up to £150,000.
Given the current economic downturn, I voted for a council tax freeze last month, but the ruling Conservatives forced through another increase - despite a generous increase in Government grants of more than six per cent - on top of last year's increase of over nine per cent.
As I said at the meeting, the last thing the people of Lincolnshire need as they struggle to survive the recession is a bigger council tax bill - specially when some of the extra raised will be spent chasing another star.
Rather than diverting our cash from vital services and giving it to expensive lawyers, Councillor Hill and the Tories would surely be wiser focusing on why they have been rated as one of the worst performing councils in the country when it comes to adult social care...
It really is total madness for Martin Hill to be throwing taxpayers cash at lawyers to chase another star...Lincolnshire County Council have been awarded just one-star for adult social care in each of the past six years despite year on year promises for two-stars. Now the county council is preparing to go to the High Court in London to challenge the one-star assessment by the independent inspectors.
No-one knows how much the planned Judicial Review in the High Court action may end up costing council taxpayers of Lincolnshire. Similar actions in the past are said to have cost up to £150,000.
Given the current economic downturn, I voted for a council tax freeze last month, but the ruling Conservatives forced through another increase - despite a generous increase in Government grants of more than six per cent - on top of last year's increase of over nine per cent.
As I said at the meeting, the last thing the people of Lincolnshire need as they struggle to survive the recession is a bigger council tax bill - specially when some of the extra raised will be spent chasing another star.
Rather than diverting our cash from vital services and giving it to expensive lawyers, Councillor Hill and the Tories would surely be wiser focusing on why they have been rated as one of the worst performing councils in the country when it comes to adult social care...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Lincolnshire to spend £100k on legal fees to chase a star...
The Tories who run social services in Lincolnshire have decided to throw thousands of pounds in public money at a legal battle over whether they should be graded ‘one star’ or ‘two star’...It's total madness.
For the past six annual assessments by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, adult social services in Lincolnshire have only achieved an official ‘one-star’ rating.
But rather than focus on raising their game, council leader Martin Hill is diverting attention from the people who need real help to mount a futile legal challenge to the judgement.
The fact that they are prepared to spend up to £100,000 on legal fees rather than on getting on with the job shows why they only manage a one-star grade year after year.
Today, I’ve appealed to Martin not to lose the plot on this one.
It’s not too late for Martin to pull the plug on his daft commitment to go for a Judicial Review.
Doing the sensible thing now would save up to £100,000 in legal fees and allow us to get on with the real job of improving services. that's the best way of getting another star.
In a statement following representations by the council, the Commission has explained that their assessment of one star was based on a rigorous and detailed process. After an appeal by the council, an independent former director of social services was called in but the one-star was confirmed.
CSCI said: “The Commission was particularly concerned to find that in an inspection carried out in November 2007, the safeguarding of vulnerable adults was found to be ‘poor’. This is a worrying finding which means more work is urgently needed to ensure that appropriate safeguarding arrangements are in place for vulnerable adults in Lincolnshire."
And in the Commission's own words:
For the past six annual assessments by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, adult social services in Lincolnshire have only achieved an official ‘one-star’ rating.
But rather than focus on raising their game, council leader Martin Hill is diverting attention from the people who need real help to mount a futile legal challenge to the judgement.
The fact that they are prepared to spend up to £100,000 on legal fees rather than on getting on with the job shows why they only manage a one-star grade year after year.
Today, I’ve appealed to Martin not to lose the plot on this one.
It’s not too late for Martin to pull the plug on his daft commitment to go for a Judicial Review.
Doing the sensible thing now would save up to £100,000 in legal fees and allow us to get on with the real job of improving services. that's the best way of getting another star.
In a statement following representations by the council, the Commission has explained that their assessment of one star was based on a rigorous and detailed process. After an appeal by the council, an independent former director of social services was called in but the one-star was confirmed.
CSCI said: “The Commission was particularly concerned to find that in an inspection carried out in November 2007, the safeguarding of vulnerable adults was found to be ‘poor’. This is a worrying finding which means more work is urgently needed to ensure that appropriate safeguarding arrangements are in place for vulnerable adults in Lincolnshire."
And in the Commission's own words:
The Council needs now as a matter of urgency to channel its energies into improving the services it provides for the benefit of the people who rely on them.
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