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Blackburn with Darwen council unsure if £215m Capita deal is value for money

11:39pm Wednesday 23rd April 2008

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BOSSES do not know whether a private company which runs council services brings value for money to taxpayers, an audit has revealed.

Capita, an outsourcing firm, runs a number of services for Blackburn with Darwen Council under a multi-million pound public private partnership.

The study, by accountants Grant Thornton, puts forward "urgent" recommendations because the council is unable to show the 15-year, £215million partnership achieves value for money.

Council bosses say measuring value for money is "not a straightforward task" but admit the issue needs more work.

The deal was signed in 2001. After the first five years, a review took place and recommendations, including taking some services back in-house, were made.

As a result of the five-year review, in November it was revealed the council's £2.4million-a-year ICT contract had been taken back in-house.

Grant Thornton was asked to assess progress on implementing other recommendations.

The firm found work on many changes was under way, but said "little formal progress" had been made. And it found the council had no clear plans setting out how it could demonstrate value for money - and no timescale for when this would be possible.

But Brian Bailey, the council's director of programmes and governance, said: "We are confident we can continue to work with Capita in a way that benefits the borough."

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Your Say YourThis Is Lancashire

CRAPITA, says...
8:20am Thu 24 Apr 08

Get rid of them now, purely a profit making organisation who are ripping of the people of Blackburn and Darwen for the benefit of shareholders. Where are the Councillors who signed up to this partnership? Sir Billy now enjoying retirement and nowhere around ex Councillor Barton. Along with ex CE Phil Watson and his backhander from the Council.

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Iby, bburn says...
11:28am Thu 24 Apr 08

Funny how the owner of capita symonds is a labour party donor and how he seems to get massive contracts in places where there are hi profile labour MPs. Smell a rat???

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Mr disillusioned, planet capita says...
12:20pm Thu 24 Apr 08

don't Capita run the back office and admin functions of quite a few borough councils? They also do the admin for the armed forces recruitment, the criminal records disclosure checking and aren't they also running the passport application and checking service? Surely this is a monopoly on admin work. Welcome to Great Capita, formerly Great Britain.

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Iby is a plonker, Blackburn says...
12:57pm Thu 24 Apr 08

Iby wrote:
Funny how the owner of capita symonds is a labour party donor and how he seems to get massive contracts in places where there are hi profile labour MPs. Smell a rat???
Yes but the council is not labour - dumbass

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Hamish Mc, Darwen on says...
1:47pm Thu 24 Apr 08

I agree with the rest of the comments, Why should this Council rely on "CAPITA" as for the last 15 years it has not proved to be money well spent and if that is the case this Council should dump Capita like a stone and get some one else that would give money for value and do it NOW!

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Andy B, Darwen says...
1:50pm Thu 24 Apr 08

Iby is a plonker wrote:
Iby wrote: Funny how the owner of capita symonds is a labour party donor and how he seems to get massive contracts in places where there are hi profile labour MPs. Smell a rat???
Yes but the council is not labour - dumbass
But the Council was Labour when the contracts were signed

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ditto, darwen says...
2:04pm Thu 24 Apr 08

Yes, Capital do run sevices for very many councils. They must be good!Don't forget Capita will no doubt be servicing the needs of the new Darwen Academy. I understand that Uncle Aldridge has the right to choose the majority of the board of governors. Hope I'm not being too cynical when I wonder how long it will be for him to recoup his very kind £2m. Blame the former Labour council for that stroke of genius. Does this company have a finger in every pie? Can anyone tell me what other companies have BwD council work contracted out to them and if they are efficient? Why don't we ask Capita to sort out the rat problem, then we would all revere them, me included. Ditto

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Speechless, Land of zog says...
3:52pm Thu 24 Apr 08

Ditto - erm, no but I could probably forecast who Blackburn with Darwen will contract work out to in the future. Now lets see, how about life guards.....they got a payrise through JE so you can guarantee BwD will no doubt try to get it cheaper elsewhere, same for anyone else who got a benefited through JE, your days are numbered too :-/

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Councillor Michael Johnson, says...
9:36am Fri 25 Apr 08

Capita are value for money. we as a council get no value and Capita get all the money.

Ditto, may i congratulate you on your
insight into the workings of capita and the link to the Academy, unfortunatly i must correct you as Capita have been sacked from most of the councils they use to run and they have been sued by some of them.
As for Uncle Rod, how dare you slur this mans good name? he proved at the public enquiery for Redearth that he is nothing to do with Capita so he can not benifit from any service contract capita might (if they are fortunate enough to win one)be awarded.
As i am sure you are aware Capita is owned by his wife and his daughter so i think you should recant your scurrolous accusation against uncle Aldridge before people start thinking he is in it just for the money.

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Apolitical, Darwen says...
6:20pm Sun 27 Apr 08

Rod Aldridge, who was involved in the Cash for Honours corruption enquiry, resigned as the Chief Executive of Capita at the time of the enquiry, but he retained his share holding. Capita have the TV Licence contract administered from India Mill and Aldridge wants an Academy close to the mill. Hence 150 families were evicted from their homes, by the BwD Labour Party, to the benefit of their Labour donor.

Capita recently lost the London congestion charge administration, through inefficiency. They have been criticised regarding the manner in which they operate the Criminal Records Office. How did Aldridge’s company Capita get all of these government contracts, when they are being rated as inefficient. Obviously his Labour donation had nothing to do with it.

All BwD Council are doing is allowing Capita to make a profit at tax payers expense. Are the council so inefficient that they could not administer these tasks and allow the profits to defray rates for community benefit. That is what a Council is paid for. Outsourcing is a farce.

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Apolitical, Darwen says...
9:39pm Sun 27 Apr 08

Rod Aldridge, who was involved in the Cash for Honours corruption enquiry , resigned as the Chief Executive of Capita at the time of the enquiry, but he retained his share holding. Capita have the TV Licence contract administered from India Mill and Aldridge wants an Academy close to the mill. Hence 150 families were evicted from their homes, by the BwD Labour Party, to the benefit of their Labour donor.

Capita recently lost the London congestion charge administration, through inefficiency. They have been criticised regarding the manner in which they operate the Criminal Records Office. How did Aldridge’s company Capita get all of these government contracts, when they are being rated as inefficient. Obviously his Labour donation had nothing to do with it.

All BwD Council are doing is allowing Capita to make a profit at tax payers expense. Are the council so inefficient that they could not administer these tasks and allow the profits to defray rates for community benefit. That is what a Council is paid for. Outsourcing is a farce.

Report this post »

Apolitical, Darwen says...
9:43pm Sun 27 Apr 08

Rod Aldridge, who was involved in the Cash for Honours enquiry, resigned as the Chief Executive of Capita at the time of the enquiry, but he retained his share holding. Capita have the TV Licence contract administered from India Mill and Aldridge wants an Academy close to the mill. Hence 150 families were evicted from their homes, by the BwD Labour Party, to the benefit of their Labour donor.

Capita recently lost the London congestion charge administration, through inefficiency. They have been criticised regarding the manner in which they operate the Criminal Records Office. How did Aldridge’s company Capita get all of these government contracts, when they are being rated as inefficient. Obviously his Labour donation had nothing to do with it.

All BwD Council are doing is allowing Capita to make a profit at tax payers expense. Are the council so inefficient that they could not administer these tasks and allow the profits to defray rates for community benefit. That is what a Council is paid for. Outsourcing is a farce.

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