CAB Contract...........

[DRiddle]

The devils in the detail.

Brash asked whether the usual 'proper' process had been followed (open tender, 2 years audited accounts, proven record for delivering said service etc.)

Akers-Belcher has 'hit back' stating "It is a blatant untruth to suggest that due process has not been followed"

Due process is a much more 'catch all' term meaning things have to be done fairly.

'Done fairly' is open to interpretation... especially within HBC.

If Akers-Belcher has followed the 'usual proper process' the £140,000 contract would be on the list of council contracts which organisations and businesses can tender for, like every other contract worth over £100,000 is.
(except the one the Labour Group voted to give to the organisation founded by Angie Wilcox and Kevin Cranney).

This matter can be put to bed very easily... Akers-Belcher can produce the list of contracts open to tender over recent months.

If this contract was awarded following the usual proper process, it'll be on the list.

[testing times]

This man is an absolute idiot. If he had confidence that everything had been done properly and all procedures had been properly followed then why not just let the investigation run its course?

Telling officers to put a press release out clearing him before the investigation had actually finished suggests that he knows quite well that short-cuts have been taken to his own personal advantage.

[notenoughsaid]

Reply to MK1...re Yosser   (actor Bernard Hill. ) He  used his catchphrase when he was picked to Captain the Titanic in the film... We all known what happed in the end. Not as clever as he thought!!!

Just a word of warning to the bold  CAB    "watch out there is ice about"  It  not only sinks ships but also causes people to crash to the ground.  Just a thought  and not to make light of of a serious situation that looks like dragging a few people back to earth.

[not4me]

This man is an absolute idiot. If he had confidence that everything had been done properly and all procedures had been properly followed then why not just let the investigation run its course?

Telling officers to put a press release out clearing him before the investigation had actually finished suggests that he knows quite well that short-cuts have been taken to his own personal advantage.

Looks like total panic to me.

[Stationario]

This is an absolute disgrace, but seems to be the norm in the running of our corrupt council. What I find amusing though is the very fact that he wants to be manager of HEALTHwatch. Him and his friend are hardly a picture of health ! The only healthy thing about them will be their bank balance !

[The Great Dictator]

Perhaps Riddle could turn up and do something useful for once and propose the banning of all councillors in benefitting from council contracts or being directly involved in companies that do

[crisstw]

Perhaps Riddle could turn up and do something useful for once and propose the banning of all councillors in benefitting from council contracts or being directly involved in companies that do

pointless proposing this, it'll be voted down straight away

[fred c]

There was obviously an investigaton taking place & by attempting to pre-empt the result CAB has dropped himself & an officer in deep s**t.

It has highlighted the way in which LabTor Mob councillors are constantly trying get around the rules & regulations.

There should now be no chance what so ever in the Healthwatch contract going to his little CIO escapade, it should also make the awarding of any future contracts that councillors bid for, come under intense scrutiny by senior officers & not just LabTor Mob councillors.

Lets face it, anything the ruling "usual suspects" propose is voted through by the rest of the ruling group, no matter how self serving it is.

[Stevef]

The headline in the mail.

" Probe into £140k For Leaders Group "

Bit of strange would have thought it would read " Leaders Charity/Company " or something of that nature.

Makes you wonder if there are others in the Labour Group who stand to benefit from this escapade.

[steveL]

The whole Mail thing is very odd. I think Calamity Chris has got his Madonna endorsed Calvin Kleins in a right twist over this. It has the feel of someone in a panic and as a result not all bases have been covered.

[Hartlepudlion]

The worm hasn't turned yet we all know how good CAB is at wriggling.

[mk1]

They put it up today at 14:52 but they have disabled the ability to comment on the story

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/row-over-140-000-hartlepool-civic-contract-given-to-council-leader-s-organisation-1-7816159

[Devils advocate]

I sent an e-mail to Mr Devlin asking about the legality of sick note's Healthwatch project. Here is the reply i received.

Thank you for your e-mail.



As you will appreciate, I've had a number of e-mails on this subject and provide below a response I have made to others which hopefully sheds some light on this particular matter. Do please come back to me (Tuesday onwards), if required.



'The position is slightly convoluted in that legislation under the Local Government Public Involvement in Health Act, 2007, required local authorities to enter into 'arrangements' under section 221 of that Act for patient and public involvement in health and social care. These "arrangements" were supplemented through later requirements in the Health and Social Care Act, 2012, that such arrangements  must be made with a body corporate which is also a social enterprise and which satisfies any criteria prescribed by regulations. Section 222( of the 2007 Act  sets out that a body is a social enterprise for these purposes if it could reasonably be considered to 'act for the benefit of the community'  and it again, satisfies any criteria prescribed by regulations.

A report went to the Council's then Cabinet in March, 2012, and set in motion a procurement exercise to have as its objective the establishment of a local Healthwatch organisation to take forward the work done previously through the 'Links' structure. This led to a provider through an agreement from 1 April, 2013, working towards establishing a body which must fulfill the above requirements (corporate body/social enterprise). That organisation (there has been progress reports and a shadow body operating) was duly registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with effect from 2 February, 2016.  There is no connerction between the Executive/Board of that CIO and any councillor or officer. I acknowledge that in their own publication the CIO indicate that two councillors are listed as 'staff', but that is a matter of record (the same forming entries on respective Register of Interests) and doesn't raise any claim of impropriety from what I can see.



I have liaised and will continue to liaise with officers over the statutory requirements set out above and the relationship with what was procured and developed through the provider body and in turn the CIO, but at this time, I haven't detected anything improper. The period from April 2013 through to the present was the 'transitional' phase noted in Government Guidance for local authorities to have in place arrangements wherein a Local Healthwatch organisation was firmly established. If anything there could be criticism for the length of time taken to establish this CIO through the provider but guidance also indicates ' many local authorities .... have set up interim governance arrangements for a body to oversee the transition to full local Healthwatch status in April 2013 and in some cases, a year or more beyond this date.'



However, the onus is still on the establishment of such an independent social enterprise, which looking at its objects this is what the CIO achieves.'



Kind Regards,

Peter



Peter Devlin

Chief Solicitor and Monitoring Officer

Civic Centre

Victoria Road

Hartlepool

TS24 8AY



Tel: 01429 523003

[for fawkes sake]

In my view, the issue has changed somewhat and it is within the following statement made by a 'council spokesman' and particularly with the part I have highlighted in green at the end of the statement.

A council spokesman added: "The agreement for the provision of Healthwatch Hartlepool commenced in April 2013 following an open tendering process in line with the council's procurement rules.

"The three-year agreement, with an option for two 12-month extensions, subject to satisfactory performance and funding being available, was awarded to Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency (HVDA) to support the establishment of Healthwatch Hartlepool as a social enterprise in accordance with statutory requirements under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

"A Shadow Board has been operating since April 2015, and it has been confirmed that Healthwatch Hartlepool is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in line with the statutory requirements.

"As was always the intention, the agreement will be assigned in its entirety to Healthwatch Hartlepool from April 1, 2016.

"We are satisfied that proper council process has been followed."

Those last two lines include a decision and a statement that WE are satisfied that proper council process has been followed. As this statement has been made by a council spokesman and not a member of the Labour Party this means that it is the view of the whole council. Yet it was made while the Chief Solicitor's investigation had barely got under way. It therefore pre-judges what the Chief Solicitors conclusions will eventually be.

This tells us that Christopher Akers-Belcher is not at all interested in the findings of the investigation by the Chief Solicitor;HE has decided what the end result will be and that is that.

In doing so, it would appear that due process has been given the cold shoulder for a second time.

[mk1]

It is obvious Devlin has been handed the results of his 'enquiry' and  he is now part of the cover-up.