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Council Leader responds to Adult Social Services report
The Leader of Wirral Council, Councillor Steve Foulkes, has issued the following statement in response to the full independent report into Wirral Council’s conduct over ‘whistleblower’ allegations into overcharging by Adult Social Services.
“I would firstly like to thank Anna Klonowski for her comprehensive and detailed report which provides the Council with the opportunity to significantly improve, and to ensure that in the future vulnerable adults will be properly protected.
“I fully accept the recommendations she makes in Section 7 of the report and will be asking Cabinet on Thursday to agree those recommendations and ask the Chief Executive to draw up an action plan to ensure they are delivered.
“There are clearly no quick fixes to the failings identified in the report, and I absolutely accept that serious failings were made. I do not ever want to find the Council in the position where staff are penalised for identifying failings or feel unable to speak out, or where the needs and rights of vulnerable people are compromised.
“Some progress has already been made. New safeguarding procedures have been devised and implemented that focus on partnership working and quality. A Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board has been set up to ensure all lessons are learned from serious incidents. A Head of Service has been appointed with responsibility for safeguarding and significant new appointments have been made to strengthen the safeguarding team. There will be three new safeguarding officers, five new contracts officers and three advanced practitioners to ensure that vulnerable people are robustly protected and contracts are procured and monitored appropriately.
“We have also set up a Corporate Governance Cabinet committee to tackle some of the wider corporate issues identified in an earlier report as a result of failings identified in the course of the investigations.
“In addition to this, and to address what the report calls ‘the abnormal’ being considered normal,’ I am today announcing my intention to establish an Improvement Board, under the umbrella of the LGA, with external representation to ensure that the Council is not seen to be just policing itself, but drawing on best practice elsewhere to deliver the improvements needed. We are currently in discussion with the Local Government Association about the composition of this board, but it will include representatives from the LGA and North West Employers, as well as Anna Klonowski, myself, my deputy, the other two party leaders and the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and the Director of Law.
“The first item I will refer to this board will be this report and the Council’s projected Action Plan in response to it.
“I am absolutely determined that Wirral should become the excellent Authority that the people of Wirral deserve and will do everything in my power to ensure we do not face a situation like this again.”
The report will be discussed at tonight's Cabinet meeting, which is being held in Wallasey Town Hall at 6.15pm.
