A formal complaint has been made against the Tayside boss of the Children’s Panel service amid claims the system is “in crisis”.
Several long-serving members of the panel have quit and others have been sidelined since the appointment of Karen Carrick as new area convener for Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) 14 months ago.
The volunteers claimed selected officials have been excluded from key meetings and decisions and that local area support groups were disbanded with minimal consultation.
A recruitment exercise in October was described as a “shambles”, with a successful candidate scoring just one point out of a possible 18.
The complaint has been made by Angus Council after hearing concerns of volunteers so alarming that senior figures, including leader Iain Gaul, met the national convener of CHS, Boyd McAdam, earlier this month to outline problems.
Following this, a meeting of all Angus councillors agreed the local authority should make a formal complaint against the Tayside area convener through the CHS complaints system.
The council’s chief executive, Richard Stiff, was also instructed to write to the Scottish Children’s Minister, Aileen Campbell, to inform her of the situation.
Forfar councillor Glennis Middleton, the local authority’s social work convener, said the service had gone from being an “inclusive organisation” to a “divided, centralised dictatorship”.
“In my opinion it has been downhill since the new area convener was appointed and I think it is to the detriment of our volunteers,” she said.
“Our clerks, who have worked tirelessly in support of the children’s hearing system, have been sidelined, told not to attend meetings and when they have attended meetings they have been accused of not supporting the area convener.”
Council leader Iain Gaul revealed that an applicant who scored just one out of 18 on the interview process was rejected by Perth and Kinross and Dundee City before being accepted by Angus.
He said: “Apparently the phrase used was ‘you’ll do what you’re told’.
“Other areas can choose but Angus has to do what it’s told. I asked the national convener for a meeting.
“I must say I was somewhat disappointed in the reaction to the concerns raised.”
The council will now wait for a response from CHS and consider whether it wants to remain part of the Tayside Area Support Team.
A CHS spokeswoman confirmed Mr McAdam would respond to Angus Council.
She said: “At the meeting Mr McAdam agreed to consider the concerns raised, to clarify details and to respond to Angus Council.
“All complaints received by CHS are handled in line with CHS’ complaints handling procedure.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “We are aware of these concerns” but a spokesman for Perth & Kinross Council said: “No concerns have been raised.”
Dundee City Council deputy social work convener Alan Ross, said he was ‘aware of the situation’ but the council has yet to take a position on the issue.
He said: “I have heard what is going on in Angus and if people are resigning that is a concern.
“We want to retain as many people as possible and keep their experience.”
He said: “I don’t think we are at the same level in Dundee as Angus but we are monitoring the situation.”
Perth and Kinross councillor Lewis Simpson said: “It’s a disgraceful situation.
“You need to have a chair who has the confidence of everybody else that’s working with them and clearly we do not have that.
“There’s obviously a crisis here.”
He said: “It’s typical of the centralisation plans of the SNP that they have taken a perfectly good system that was working perfectly well and got rid of all the people who knew what they were doing.
“I raised similar concerns about a year ago in the lifelong learning committee at the council and they paid no intention.”