The Learning Disability Alliance Scotland welcomes the intervention of the Council Leader and the Chief Executive of the City Of Edinburgh Council to withdraw the proposed award of contract papers for the special Finance and Resource Committee on December 3rd.
We are further glad to see that an independent investigation of the competitive tender process will take place. This is a period for quiet reflection and to ensure that the values of integrity and honesty that have always been important in our capital city are restated and renewed. There will be further consideration of this matter in the New Year.
We are sure that at the end of the process vulnerable adults will be helped to keep the services and support that they value so much. We have spent many months working on this campaign and have raised a series of concerns over both the conduct of the tender process and its outcome. These concerns have been echoed by the many community and other voluntary organisations that we have worked with.
We have to wonder now what the future will be for the council officials and the councillors who have tried to drive through this process at the expense of disabled people all over the city.
The following is a statement from City of Edinburgh Council Leader Jenny Dawe.
She said: "I recognise the importance of the Care and Support Services Tender to vulnerable people in the city and have insisted that all aspects of the tendering process must be robust. I have been in regular touch with senior council officials on this and have just been advised that there remain a number of outstanding issues surrounding the Care and Support Services Tender. As a result, I have instructed the Chief Executive to have the tenders independently evaluated.
"The specially convened Finance and Resources Committee will meet tomorrow when the Convener intends to adjourn the meeting to allow officers to provide an updated report in January.
"On behalf of the Administration, I would like to reassure service users there will be no interruption to their current care and support arrangements, pending a decision in January. Direct Payment applications will continue to be processed as previously agreed.
"We are determined to ensure the integrity of the tender process and believe an independent evaluation is the best way to achieve this."
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The Learning Disability Alliance Scotland, Unit 12, Hardengreen Business Centre, Eskbank, Dalkeith, EH22 3NX, Tel 079 201 418 23, website www.ldascotland.org
