A COUNCILLOR is calling for an independent investigation into the failure of Scottish Borders Council’s care company, SB Cares. 

Earlier this month, we revealed the local authority was set to terminate its beleaguered care company and once again provide care services in-house. 

SB Cares, a limited liability partnership launched by Scottish Borders Council in April 2015, has faced significant upheaval over the last two years, including four managerial suspensions and several critical care inspections.

A report, set to go before councillors on Thursday asks elected members to approve plans to wrap up SB Cares and SB Support and reintegrate all of the current services with the local authority. 

Ahead of that meeting, Hawick councillor David Paterson has criticised the creation of the care company, which was advised by officers, and has called for an investigation into the decision and the running of the company.

He said: “We were told in 2014, by consultants commissioned by officers, that the continued in house provision of adult care services in the Borders was not viable in the medium to long term. 

“We were told by consultants that the provision of care by the then workforce of 850 carers, with an annual budget of £17m, would be likely to lead to an ongoing rationalisation and possible reductions of services for the most vulnerable people in our society faced with this massive uncertainty if we did not opt for the LLP.

“What has now miraculously brought about this change of heart, have people that were put in charge not been up to the job?

“We recently had a report from officers about things not being quite right in one care home in our ownership, and I wonder if there have been more failings that we have not been told about.

“We now have the public that we represent calling this whole scenario a complete and massive cock up from start to finish, and they are seriously questioning the competence of the advice that we were given in 2014, when the same officers are now telling us that we now have to take it in house.”

Earlier this month, the council called in government healthcare watchdogs to Deanfield Care Home in Hawick after finding that the quality of care there had fallen below an acceptable standard, prompting a near-£3m emergency investment package to be drawn up.

The Scottish Government’s Care Inspectorate has also been critical of SB Cares’ Oakview Day Centre, Home Care East Service and Homecare Service South, where criticisms had to be repeated after subsequent inspections found that improvements had not been made.

Councillor Paterson continued: “At the very least there must be an independent investigation into this; what went wrong and when did it go wrong? Is there anything that could have been done earlier to save the massive losses? Was there a failure of officers when in charge of this organisation? 

“We have to find out where the failures were and if more could and should have been done earlier.

“We are dealing with the most vulnerable people in our society and all this uncertainty will be having a very serious impact on these people and their quality of life. 

“I was told in 2014 that doing nothing wasn’t really an option and we were advised that it was in everyone’s interests to move to the LLP  for all the things that they were able to do, compared to restrictions placed on the service operating within the council.

“We were given assurances that the new company would be able to seek external work, how much external work did they actually get and was it in line with what was expected?

 “I am deeply troubled here when some of the people that advised us in 2014 that the LLP was the greatest thing since sliced bread are now advising us that we should just ignore that advice, and take it in house.”