Glasgow on the Map
Glasgow gets a mention in this article in The Times which suggests that UK councils may be wasting large sums of public money by suspending senior staff for long periods of time while allegations of misconduct are investigated.
"The highest number of disciplinary suspensions was in Birmingham, which amassed 330 suspensions over the period. Glasgow suspended 283 staff, the second highest total, followed by 194 at Brighton and Hove."
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/councils-spend-up-to-50m-a-year-on-salaries-of-suspended-workers-n0cjgqqw6?shareToken=df512e3c20381a10a33cb5da9a000af6
Councils spend up to £50m a year on salaries of suspended workers
By Peter Yeung - The Times
Kensington and Chelsea, the council at the centre of investigations into the Grenfell Tower tragedy, was among the scores of councils that refused to release data - NEIL HALL/REUTERS
Rising numbers of council staff are being suspended on full pay over allegations that include sexual harassment, child abuse, fraud and incompetence.
Nearly 10,000 local government employees have been sent home from work while continuing to receive a salary over the past five years, a Times investigation has revealed.
Many of those suspended are senior officials. Politicians accused councils of “paying for rotten practice”.
Rising numbers of council staff are being suspended on full pay over allegations that include sexual harassment, child abuse, fraud and incompetence.
Nearly 10,000 local government employees have been sent home from work while continuing to receive a salary over the past five years, a Times investigation has revealed.
Many of those suspended are senior officials. Politicians accused councils of “paying for rotten practice”.
Analysis of suspension length and salary data suggests the bill to the public purse could be more than £50 million a year, if the figures are extrapolated across the country. The investigation found:
• One Derbyshire council employee has been on paid leave for more than three years after being suspended for safeguarding reasons in August 2014.
• A social services worker for Monmouthshire council on a £42,000 salary was suspended for 678 days for “management irregularities” and then dismissed.
• Harrow council suspended a staff member for 444 days after a conviction for assault before allowing the worker to return with a written warning.
Freedom of information requests were sent to the UK’s 418 city, borough and district councils. Among those that supplied information there were a total of 1,709 suspensions in 2012-13 , 1,803 in 2013-14, 1,932 in 2014-15, 1,959 in 2015-16 and 2,062 last year.
The highest number of disciplinary suspensions was in Birmingham, which amassed 330 suspensions over the period. Glasgow suspended 283 staff, the second highest total, followed by 194 at Brighton & Hove.
Dozens of local authorities provided details of cases related to sexual harassment. In one case, a worker for Birmingham city council was found to have committed inappropriate conduct and sexual harassment but received only a written warning.
Hull council revealed there were nearly twenty suspensions for abuse of clients, while Suffolk sacked three workers for abuse of vulnerable people. Wolverhampton suspended a worker for raising concerns over “institutional abuse” with reference to safeguarding issues and the misuse of medication.
Within the 117 councils that provided details of suspensions, there were 402 cases of fraud and theft, 242 of inappropriate behaviour, 123 of harassment, 127 of mistreatment of children, 167 of alcohol or drug offences and 81 of assault.
Kensington and Chelsea, the council at the centre of investigations into the Grenfell Tower tragedy, was among the scores of councils that refused to release data on suspensions and disciplinary cases. Others included Essex, Hampshire, Bristol and Wandsworth, which cited a danger of identifying “living individuals”.
Of the 127 councils that provided salary data, more than a hundred of the staff suspended were on £50,000 or more. One case was that of Ruth Bagley, who as chief executive of Slough council was suspended for six months on a £130,000 salary because of alleged gross misconduct and subsequently left under a settlement agreed at about £300,000, according to the annual accounts.
Bob Blackman, a member of the communities and local government committee and Conservative MP for Harrow East, said: “You often see sweetheart deals where someone leaves a local authority with a payoff, and often that’s not published. And then they move off to another local authority or public body and they are once again richly rewarded for their work. Any payoffs or any arrangements made should be open to full public scrutiny. It shouldn’t be hushed up.”
According to the Local Government Association, councils across the country employ the equivalent of about one million full-time staff.
Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for communities and local government, raised concerns over the use of public money to “pay for rotten practice”. She added: “Further light needs to be shone on this problem — it needs to be rooted out. The lack of transparency is not acceptable, particularly because these are people being employed with taxpayers’ money.”
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: “It is the responsibility of local councils to deal with all staffing matters, including suspensions. We expect councils to take reports of misconduct extremely seriously and have the appropriate measures in place to handle such issues appropriately and swiftly.”
