| Councillor Kevin Keenan was speaking in the wake of the Brandon Muir reports and an earlier critical report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education on the child protection services provided jointly by the council, Tayside Police and NHS Tayside.
He has proposed a cross-party meeting of elected members only, with no council officials present, to discuss the issue of multi-agency partnership working.
It would comprise two or three members from each of the political groups as well as the two independent members.
But that has been branded as potentially divisive by SNP administration leader Ken Guild.
Mr Keenan said “We clearly need to find a way forward for the public to be satisfied there is accountability, scrutiny and control of the services run in partnership with multi-agencies.
“We need to find a way to reassure the public that we, as their elected representatives, can and will hold officers accountable for service delivery.”
Mr Keenan said it was necessary to fully discuss the issues facing the council and its current public image.
“We have to look at the details surrounding the recent reports, in particular (about) Brandon Muir and the HMIE inspection into child protection services,” he said.
“We must agree a way forward for dealing with multi-agencies/council partnership in order to demonstrate officers are held accountable to the council and the general public for services and spend from the public purse.”
Mr Keenan said the meeting he envisaged must be entered into in a spirit of laying aside all party politics and with a view to drawing up a protocol for what elected members collectively considered would deliver an acceptable level of accountability.
“We must all take our responsibilities seriously as we give guidance to officers about the type of service delivery that the citizens of Dundee should expect in relation to the council and the partners we work with.”
The idea of a cross-party meeting has been endorsed by the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups.
However, Mr Guild said, “What councillor Keenan is suggesting would run the risk of souring relationships between elected members and officers. He seems to be trying to drive a wedge between them and that is not in anyone’s interests.
“It is our officers who are responsible for carrying out the decisions reached openly in committee. I see no reason why they should be excluded.” |
