Following my FOI request to Elmbridge Borough Council asking for the June 2020 audit report regarding Elmbridge Community Support Services to be released after the Council Leader ignored my requests, the Council have now published the damning report. You can read the audit here.
I was very concerned to discover that the Council knew three and a half years ago that all thirteen areas of community support services inspected in the audit needed improvement, with six of these areas requiring “major improvement”. It is particularly concerning that “Staff Supervision and Training” – the precise reason the Council gave for closing the centres in November 2023 – was identified as needing “major improvement” back in June 2020.
Elmbridge Borough Council had three and a half years to take action to improve the services being provided to vulnerable residents, yet nothing was done.
In light of this, I have asked Elmbridge Borough Council to:
- Issue an apology to community centre users, staff and volunteers for the failure of the Liberal Democrat administration to maintain a sufficient service at community centres which, ultimately, resulted in their closure
- Guarantee all centres across the borough will fully reopen, with sufficient staffing delivering a ‘gold standard’ service
- Conduct a genuinely independent review into the level of service being provided at community centres, which is agreed on a cross-party basis at the Council
I will continue to fight on behalf of our local community to ensure Elmbridge Borough Council delivers a safe and full service at our community centres. You can read my letter to the Council below.
