Kent care home consultation process referred to Audit Commission by scrutiny committee

The consultation process that preceded a care home closure programme by Kent County Council is to be investigated by the Audit Commission after being referred by the council's scrutiny commission.

The chairman of the council's cabinet scrutiny committee, Trudy Dean, said that she had concerns over the way that alternative proposals put forward by opponents of the plans were assessed by the council and the lack of financial information provided to members ahead of the decision.

Mrs Dean, a Liberal Democrat councillor, told local paper News Shopper: “I’m concerned by the lack of information members had regarding finances behind the proposal, and the lack of information given to people who were consulted. It leads me to consider whether the consultation was wholly honest.”

She said that the panel which evaluated alternative proposals put forward during the consultation process consisted entirely of adult social services staff, meaning that counter-proposals were “very unlikely” to be successful. “It would have been very difficult for them to assess it independently as they all have a personal interest because they were involved with the original plans,” she said.
Kent County Council said it was confident its 19-week consultation had been well-run and that it would co-operate with the Audit Commission.