Rugby Council Sending Back Over £100,000

9.48.14am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Mar 2005

Rugby Borough Council is to send back over £100,000 because of extra paperwork.

This money is used within the Borough Council's Warden service, and the decision to terminate the contract with Supporting People was made purely on bureaucratic & financial grounds. The termination of this contract could see the Warden service not develop its service for the future and individuals put at risk because the Borough will not invest for the future. Some individuals will have to pay more because the Council is sending this money back.

Cllr. Jerry Roodhouse, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, is calling for a meeting with the Leader of the Council Cllr. Humphrey and the Chief Executive to discuss the way that the Council has gone about terminating this contract.

Cllr. Roodhouse said:

"The way that the Housing Department has gone about this by not fully involving elected councillors in making this decision has left the Liberal Democrat group extremely disappointed in the leadership of Housing Portfolio Holder Cllr. Sewell and senior housing officers. I believe that officers of the council have in this instance walked over a very fine line. Elected members should have been more closely involved and allowed to look more closely as to how the Council should develop its warden service so that it serves an ever increasing population of elderly and frail people."

BACKGROUND NOTES:

The report will be discussed at Rugby Borough Council Cabinet meeting 31st March Agenda item 14. Since the publication a supplementary report has been written which smacks of a U turn to try and pick up the pieces and fall out. There is also a report from the Chief Executive on Supporting People.

Supporting People (SP) aims to provide a better quality of life for vulnerable people by helping them to live more independently. SP services provide housing related support and is funded by the Government Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and is administered by the County Council.