Scottish Borders Council care services investigation call

SB Cares has provided care services for the council since April 2015

A council is facing calls for an for an independent investigation into it decision to give council care services to an arms-length agency.

Scottish Borders Council looks set to terminate SB Cares after less than five years.

Councillor David Paterson wants an inquiry to look at the decision to hand over services and their running.

The council said SB Cares had "achieved much" but it was felt little more could be done by continuing its operation.

It took over services for the local authority in April 2015.

'Change of heart'

However, a meeting this week is being recommended to agree to bring them back in house.

Mr Paterson, who represents Hawick, has criticised the creation of the care company.

He said: "We were told in 2014, by consultants commissioned by officers, that the continued in house provision of adult care services in the Borders was not viable in the medium to long term."

He asked what had "miraculously brought about this change of heart".

Mr Paterson said members of the public were "seriously questioning" the advice given five years ago to hand the services over.

'Administrative process'

The council has reassured staff, clients and families that they would be unaffected if plans did go ahead to terminate SB Cares.

Chief executive Tracey Logan described it as "purely an administrative process".

"While SB Cares has achieved much, including a net financial benefit to the council of almost £3.7m, we believe little more can be achieved by continuing with the existing arrangement and structure that could not be done with the service back under SBC," she added.

The local authority declined to comment on Mr Paterson's calls for an inquiry ahead of the meeting to discuss the move on Thursday.

• Reporting by local democracy reporter Joseph Anderson