THIRD OF A MILLION DOWN THE PLUGHOLE

10.40.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 28th Sep 2007

One third of a million pounds is being spent on a failing IT system.

The news comes at the same time as care packages for vulnerable adults have been cut.

Ely S&W County Councillor Simon Higginson, chair of a working group that has recently studied the IT performance management system and its contract says:

"The council has paid over £300,000 which is still sat in a business development account and the County and IT supplier can't agree whose it is to spend. The council could have spent it on improving the software if it had done so sooner; the contract says it is now too late."

The group has uncovered a catalogue of failings typical of many government IT projects. The Tory cabinet leadership has failed to prioritise the service and failed to get the right business management processes in place in the department.

"It's a case of rubbish in/rubbish out; the council still don't believe the numbers and performance indicators that come out of this IT system after over three years of using it. It's not surprising this council has reportedly one of the worst adult social care services in the country according to Government inspectors", said Councillor Higginson.

Ironically the IT system is telling them what they don't want to read, namely that their service standards are appallingly bad, and typically the Tories blame the computer rather than their own inept management and poor leadership.