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Calls for sports trust to be disbanded
Peter Devine26/ 9/2007
AN Audit Commission report has found serious fundamental failings in the way in which Stockport Council and its arms-length charity Stockport Sports Trust (SST) manages leisure centres and activities in the borough.
The wider ranging report follows on from one carried out by Council auditors last year, which found operational failings in the way in which the trust was run.
This latest report commissioned by the Council’s scrutiny committee, at a cost of £14,000, has found fundamental flaws in the way in which the SST is run for the benefit of Stopfordians.
Councillor Shelia Bailey, who has led the criticism in the past on the "secret" manner in which SST is run, said the "board should resign" after the latest findings.
Some of the main findings include: access to sport and leisure in the north of the borough, where Reddish Baths was shut down, was poor; no evidence that SST had improved the health and quality of life for residents in line with the Council’s priorities; information aimed at assessing value for money by SST was weak; links between service planning and budget setting were underdeveloped; the council was not adequately engaging with all sectors of the community and meeting their needs; access for disabled people was classed as poor with only two leisure centres fully accessible; online bookings are not available.
In one of its most damning findings the report concludes: "Performance management in sports and recreation services has been weak and the Council’s performance management framework has not been effective in measuring the impact of these services on local people."
Coun Bailey said: "The sooner the Council takes this organisation back under council control the better. SST was set up with the aim of increasing social inclusion and these conclusions find them wanting.
"The trust shut down Reddish Baths and allowed limited access to the children of Cheadle Heath to Avondale Baths during summer months. I want the board to be disbanded because it has categorically failed to deliver services, not just to these areas but also across the whole of Stockport."
Councillor Shan Alexander, executive member for leisure and a member of the SST board said: "The Council requested a very thorough review by independent inspectors. An improvement plan has already been commenced by the trust in partnership with the Council and the suggestions made by the Audit Commission will be helpful to the scrutiny committee in making its final recommendations.
"I will be working to ensure that the Council will address every area of weakness identified in the report so that we can provide first class sport and recreation services for all the people of Stockport."
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I felt not being offered an induction was not an acceptable level of service. At no point did the Trust answer any of my questions or investigate the complaint - instead they threatened me with action to recover outstanding payments
15/09/2008 at 20:37