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| Criticised council under scrutiny | Criticised council under scrutiny |
| (1 day later) | |
| Social work inspectors have returned to Aberdeen to follow up a damning report on the city's services last year. | |
| The inspectors had been due to interview chief social work officer Sandra Power but it was announced last week she had taken early retirement. | The inspectors had been due to interview chief social work officer Sandra Power but it was announced last week she had taken early retirement. |
| Ms Power had been with Aberdeen City Council since 2006 and was helping to implement 23 recommendations for improvement made by inspectors. | Ms Power had been with Aberdeen City Council since 2006 and was helping to implement 23 recommendations for improvement made by inspectors. |
| Opposition Labour councillors said they found her departure "staggering". | Opposition Labour councillors said they found her departure "staggering". |
| The council would not discuss the reasons for Ms Power's departure, apart from saying all staff were open to voluntary redundancy or early retirement packages. | The council would not discuss the reasons for Ms Power's departure, apart from saying all staff were open to voluntary redundancy or early retirement packages. |
| 'Low morale' | 'Low morale' |
| Aberdeen City Council came under heavy fire in two social work reports last year, one on child protection and the other on its delivery of social work services. | Aberdeen City Council came under heavy fire in two social work reports last year, one on child protection and the other on its delivery of social work services. |
| The Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) said morale was "very low" and managers and councillors were not showing strong leadership. | The Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) said morale was "very low" and managers and councillors were not showing strong leadership. |
| The report said health and care services had "long-standing difficulties". | The report said health and care services had "long-standing difficulties". |
| It said councillors were not always well-informed about the challenges facing services and there was a "lack of clarity about the role of chief social work officer". | It said councillors were not always well-informed about the challenges facing services and there was a "lack of clarity about the role of chief social work officer". |
| The report warned the city had "extremely serious" problems with finances, management and services, and called for an organisational overhaul. | The report warned the city had "extremely serious" problems with finances, management and services, and called for an organisational overhaul. |