Haringey Liberal Democrats Halt Inadequate Plan

10.12.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 1st May 2007

Liberal Democrat councillors have refused to rubber stamp an "inadequate" plan to improve the crisis ridden Adult Social Service in Haringey. Lib Dem members prevented the Council's Audit Committee from endorsing the Labour Executive's plans, after concerns they did not adequately deal with the serious issues raised by the Commission for Social Care Inspection's report.

Last week's Audit Committee meeting was summoned to consider the Council's response to the annual audit and inspection letter and to then to agree the actions that the Labour Executive had planned to address the issues. But Haringey's Adult Social Services recently received a damning report from the Government's inspectors, who rated the service to the elderly and the disabled the worst in London, and said its prospects for improvement were "uncertain".

Cllr Monica Whyte (Hornsey), Matt Davies (Fortis Green) and Lib Dem Social Services spokesperson Richard Wilson were shocked at being asked to rubber-stamp such an important report, without any proper discussion or the plan being presented to the committee. After the intervention of the Lib Dem councillors the Audit Committee refused to endorse the Labour Executive's plan and asked for a more detailed review of the Council's response to the damning inspection at their next meeting.

Cllr Richard Wilson comments:

"I am very pleased that I managed to persuade my colleagues on the Audit Committee not to rubber stamp the Executive's inadequate response to the recent damning inspection report on Social Services. Government inspectors rated Haringey's services for elderly and disabled people the worst in London, reduced its rating from two stars to one, and said its prospects for improvement were 'uncertain'. Therefore the Council's action plan to turnaround the performance in social services needs real scrutiny."

"If the Government's inspectors weren't convinced the Council is capable of halting the decline in care services, then councillors should be sceptical too, and demand real evidence of improvement from the Labour Executive - and they have yet to provide it."