Leading Councillor calls in Executive Decision

12.58.56pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 28th Apr 2009

A leading Lib Dem Councillor has called in the decision of the Executive over concerns around the standard of care being provided to vulnerable adults by the Bradford District Care Trust.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland( Lib Dem, Idle & Thackley Ward ) said

" I have a number of concerns about the standard of care that has been provided by the District Care Trust. This have been raised by the Unions, the Health Care Commission and others and led to the referral in March of a group of residents to the Adult Safeguarding Board.

Included in those concerns are three unexpected deaths; Councillors must assure themselves that these are not 'deaths by indifference'. *

Whilst I have now been assured that actions have been put in place to ensure the safety of that group of residents, I would also like members of the Council's Social Care Scrutiny Committee to ensure that the services provided by the Care Trust across the District are now safe. I would like the Committee to consider the effectiveness of the District's Adult Protection Procedures and how the level of service is to be maintained throughout the period of the Learning Disability Change Programme.

Looking forward I believe there must be much more of a role for the open scrutiny of services provided to people with learning disabilities and would welcome the attendance at the Scrutiny Committee of people with learning disabilities and their carers, services providers, the District Care Trust and the Healthcare Commission to ensure that Bradford's Services to people with learning disabilities is of the highest standard. "