Council's director of services to people resigns

Published 19 Aug 2010 09:29 6 Comments

Clackmannanshire Council's Director of Services to People, Grahame Blair, has resigned.

Senior management will be reviewing the position.

Chief Executive Angela Leitch said, "Given our current restructuring and ongoing budget engagement process, it is likely that we will want to keep our options open for the time being, while we reconfigure our services to be as effective and customer-focussed as possible."

Blair was appointed by the council in February 2009, having previously been employed by West Lothian Council since 1996.

However, earlier this year, Blair was placed on "gardening leave" as investigations were carried out into his role in Clackmannanshire Council's recent decision to implement a service for the elderly and those with disabilities.

Auditors were called in to look at what had gone on behind the scenes at the local authority over the handling of its Telecare Service and other contracts.

Blair was behind the plans to bring in Telecare, passed at a council meeting on 11 March. The report had originally been scheduled to go before councillors on 17 December 2009 but was pulled at the last minute.

It was not mentioned in the report at the time, but it later emerged that Mr Blair's wife, Lynn, was employed as a consultant on Telecare's implementation.

With the audit set to take place Mr Blair took time off work "by mutual consent".

On being asked about the nature of Mr Blair's absence and whether the police were looking into the matter, Angela Leitch, Clackmannanshire Council's chief executive, told the Advertiser at that time, "Clackmannanshire Council respects the privacy of its employees and does not comment on individual circumstances, such as sick leave.

"The telecare contract is one of a number which are being reviewed by the Council's external and internal auditors. There is no police involvement in any of these reviews."

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• 

  redhopi
  28 posts
  Aug 19, 22:05
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  Never mind, maybe his wife will get him a job somewhere.
  
  Like Cadenhead, the new Finance Director - Superwoman - could also do Blair's job, after all, what is there to do there? He has been doing 'his garden' for the past few months, so should be expert at that to go and do gardens.
  
  Another who will not be missed, hope more follow him including Leitch.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 0

• 

  Stuartggray
  17 posts
  Aug 20, 21:54
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  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1304625/Council-staff-waste-thirds-working-day.html
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  greenshoots
  Unregistered User
  Aug 21, 09:35
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  there is a bigger story here this and the council leader leaving and the chief executive is so connected i am sure this pair said in an earlier press spin that evereything was done proper worth a foi i thinks
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Ball_bag_sa
  Unregistered User
  Sep 12, 11:20
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  They were all in it together - now that the funding is a bit tighter all the nonsense they were involved in will come to light.
  
  Remember its our taxes that they've been spending...
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  ******
  Sep 12, 21:55
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  This comment has been removed by a moderator

• 

  sentinel
  Unregistered User
  Oct 8, 22:31
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  Leitch and Blair are both ex West Lothian Council..so was Blair's wife Lynn at Tunstall Telecare as an Area Manager under David Kelly (again West lothian Council),Managing Director Scotland and Northern Ireland operations, Kelly was Blair's previous boss and a senior management colleague of Leitch at West Lothian Council..Telecare would have been given the contract with Leitch and Blair's full Knowledge.Lynn,Blair's wife rose quickly through the ranks of the Social Policy Department at WLC,whilst her boyfriend and future hubby Blair was Head of Social Policy. The Blairs,Kelly,Leitch all with connections to West Lothian Council and Tunstall Telecare.
  
  A contact woth millions of pounds with a very lucrative commission for the Blairs and Kelly.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 0

• 

  autolycus
  Unregistered User
  Oct 8, 22:40
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  How can Angela Leitch remain as Chief Executive when she had full knowledge of all the players(all former colleagues in West lothian Council) in this tangled web of deceit and corruption leading to the award of this contract.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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