A timeline of procrastination

2000

• Whistleblower first raised concerns regarding the illegal charging and financial abuse of vulnerable people

2006

• Whistleblower made formal disclosures under the Public Information Disclosure Act

May 2007

• Whistleblower's first grievance appeal

July 2007

• Whistleblower's reconvened grievance appeal

September 2008

• Audit Commission report published
  
• Councillors were made aware of further allegations of illegal charging and financial abuse of vulnerable people
  
• Audit and Risk Management Committee requested Internal auditors' report and investigation into why Whistleblower was forced to go to Audit Commission

November 2008

• Wirral Globe revealed Whistleblower was paid £45,000 to “go away and keep quiet”.

• New evidence was given to Director of Law at the Audit and Risk Management Committee meeting

• Two senior officers from Department of Adult Social Services were suspended on full pay pending investigation into the new evidence

• An Independent Investigator appointed and started interviews

December 2008

• Report due from Independent Investigator

• Audit and Risk Management Committee resolved that the Director of Finance present the internal audit report in relation to the charging policy to the next meeting of the Committee.

January 2009

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

February 2009

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

March 2009

• Audit Commission report found Whistleblower's allegations to be "largely justified" and a failure in the Council's own system for dealing with complaints

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

April 2009

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

May 2009

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

June 2009

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

July 2009

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee
• Disciplinary hearings concerning suspended officers eventually took place
• Suspended officers return to work as if nothing had happened
• Wirral Council promises "a special meeting of the Audit and Risk Management Committee as soon as possible."
• Date of 1 September set for special meeting.
  
• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

August 26 2009

• September meeting postponed

• No Internal Audit report published or presented to Committee

September 2009

• No Internal Audit report published as promised

It's become obvious to everyone with even a passing interest in this case that Wirral Borough Council is running scared.

This situation is wholly of the Council's making but the only person who has suffered in any way is the one person who tried to do the right thing.

Except for the vulnerable people who have been financially abused, of course, but they don't count, do they?

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