ONE star rating for County Council (Surrey Heath Liberal Democrats

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ONE star rating for County Council

March 8, 2009 3:09 PM

ONE STAR County Council

Conservative run SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL is officially one of the WORST in the country

The government's Audit Commission has awarded the Conservative-run Surrey County Council one star, the lowest possible score, in assessing its overall performance. Surrey joins Haringey where baby P was left to die in dreadful circumstances. Surrey's childcare services are no better!

The Audit Commission states that 'Services for vulnerable children and young people do not meet minimum requirements'. Some council workers in contact with young children had not undergone Criminal Record checks. Disabled children were also found to be staying at home because there was not enough care for them at school and teenage abortion rates were amongst the highest in the country.

Cindy Ferguson is appalled at our ONE STAR County Council

The Audit Commission uses 4 scores to assess Councils' services: 1 is below minimum requirements; 2 is only at minimum requirements; 3 is consistently above minimum requirements and 4 is well above minimum requirements. In addition to the assessment of inadequate services for Children and Young People the Council were awarded a 2 for Adult Social Care and Fire & Rescue. This means that services for vulnerable adults, including the elderly, are only minimal and Fire & Rescue services are only minimal too.

The leaders of Surrey County Council are now going to Court to challenge the decision. Cindy Ferguson, Liberal Democrat Campaigner, adds, 'This means they are wasting residents' Council Tax on very expensive legal action rather than improving services to Surrey's most needy children.'

"The arrogance and complacency of the Conservative dominated County Council has resulted in this terrible One Star assessment of Surrey County Council services," said Surrey Heath Liberal Democrat Group Leader, David Whitcroft.

"It is typical of this group of Tories that they should add insult to injury by wasting more public money on trying to challenge the Audit Commission in the courts. The leader of Surrey County Council, Nick Skellett, should accept his responsibilities and resign immediately. The Conservatives have been quick enough to criticise bank chiefs for running their organisations in entirely the wrong way. Surrey County Council has become the local government equivalent of the Royal Bank of Scotland."