An internal inquiry will be launched into a council care services fiasco that forced older residents into arrears and left at least one family with a payment demand for nearly £30,000.
Perth and Kinross Council officials are to be asked to quiz colleagues about the way the local authority handled a shake-up of its day care services, which led to a backlog of payments.
Many residents had also reported a huge rise in their costs.
The case exposed by The Courier this year was described by one councillor as “ham-fisted” and insensitive.
Now, Alexander Stewart, the council’s convener of scrutiny, is demanding a full investigation.
“This, unfortunately, was a serious breach of standards, in my opinion, and even the convener of housing and health, Councillor Dave Doogan, has had to acknowledge that lessons need to be learned because of the impact it had on the users and their families, many of whom were frail and elderly,” he said.
“Therefore, in my capacity as convener of scrutiny on Perth and Kinross Council, at our next scheduled meeting I will be requesting that a report outlining the problems and suggested solutions be compiled.”
Mr Stewart said the report would be due back at the committee’s following meeting, in September, though it would likely be heard behind closed doors, as sensitive client details may have to be discussed and council personnel named.
“However, I can assure (people) this will not stop a full and frank discussion and there may well be more recommendations suggested to ensure that policies and procedures are improved so that we don’t have a repeat of this situation.”
Hit by a deluge of complaints from residents, the council announced in April that it had put a halt to all annual invoices and will instead send out explanatory notices, outlining the new system and explaining changes to costs.
The Courier had revealed that one 96-year-old was stunned to get a demand for £1,300 a rise of more than 100% while another pensioner was asked to pay more than £5,000.
Perth councillor Peter Barrett called the demands “eye-watering” adding: “The council’s approach has been ham-fisted and insensitive.”