'Failing' Council Slammed After Torture Case

'Failing' Council Slammed After Torture Case

Gerard Tubb, North of England correspondent

The attempted murder of two boys near Doncaster last April was a symptom of a failing local authority caught up with bullying and political in-fighting, according to the Audit Commission.

In a scathing report, the Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council is accused of not being run properly.

It follows the trial of two boys, aged 10 and 11, for the torture and attempted murder of two other young boys.

Michael O'Higgins, chair of the Audit Commission, told Sky News: "This is the worst report we have produced on council failings in the history of producing these reports.

"Doncaster needs improvement - that is why we have reported to the (local government) secretary and advised him he should use his powers to intervene in the council."

The commission said the Edlington attacks were the "clearest examples" of the council's failings over more than 15 years.

"We conclude that the desire to pursue long-standing political antagonisms is being given priority over much-needed improvements to services for the public," the report said.

Apart from bullying and political in-fighting, it identified poor leadership - calling on the Government to take action.

This is the worst report we have produced on council failings in the history of producing these reports.

Hours after the findings were released, Communities Secretary John Denham said the Government would step in.

"The Audit Commission's report on Doncaster Council shows the severity of the problems in the local authority across the board," he said.

"[It] concludes that the local authority is failing the people of Doncaster, not just on one service or issue but in the very way it operates. This is absolutely unacceptable."

Mr Denham appointed Rob Whiteman, the new chief executive of the local government
improvement organisation IDeA, to chair an emergency advisory board.

Its role will be to provide, if urgent decisions are needed, leadership and clear support to the acting chief executive.

Elected Mayor Peter Davies and his entire Cabinet were blamed in the report for a "lack of effective leadership".

The report said councillors frustrated what the mayor tried to achieve, while some of the council's chief officers are "unable to work effectively together".

The report calls on John Denham, the Local Government Secretary, to order the council to improve.

It said he should issue "directions" under the Local Government Act to ensure Mr Davies and some key councillors were "no longer allowed to obstruct the proper governance of the council".

In January, Doncaster Council issued an "unqualified apology" after a serious case review into the events leading to the Edlington attacks identified 31 individual failures by children's services and the police.

The review said the authorities had repeatedly failed to take action over the boys and therefore left them free to launch an otherwise "preventable" attack.

 

Source - Sky News

Posted Date: 19th Apr 2010