Issue - meetings

(i)             to note the options appraisal appended to the report;

(ii)           to approve the preferred option, Option B, as referenced at 1.3 of the report, that Bon Accord Care (BAC) transfer back into Aberdeen City Council in 2026/27; and

(iii)          to instruct the Executive Director - Corporate Services to undertake all necessary arrangements in furtherance of (ii) above, and as outlined in the report and its appendices.

The Council had before it a report by the Executive Director - Corporate Services which reviewed the strategic options for change to Bon Accord Care’s (BAC) operational model to promote the future sustainability of their contribution to statutory social care provision in Aberdeen and presented evidence supporting the highest scoring option to transfer BAC back in-house to Aberdeen City Council.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)           note the options appraisal appended to the report;

(b)           approve the preferred option, Option B, as refenced at 1.3, that BAC transfer back into Aberdeen City Council in 2026/27; and

(c)           instruct the Executive Director - Corporate Services to undertake all necessary arrangements in furtherance of recommendation (b) above, and as outlined in the report and its appendices.

Councillor Allard moved, seconded by Councillor Greig:-      

That the Council approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Malik moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Tissera:-

          That the Council -

(1)       notes the Statutory Function Review report in December 2022, noting that the Chief Executive has still to bring forward a report on the specific opportunities proposed to be progressed;

(2)       notes Aberdeen Labour opposition to outsourcing and in particular the good work done by Councillor Deena Tissera on this matter and the reassurance given by the SNP leaders at the time of the report;

(3)       approves option B that BAC be transferred back into Aberdeen City Council subject to:- 

a. no compulsory redundancies

b. all pay and pension contributions to remain as per current contractual entitlement for those employees transferring from Bon Accord Care Ltd.

c. there shall be no transfer commissioning of any statutory activity given the assurance group leaders gave back in December 2022.

d. recognising that the Integration Joint Board commissions the provision of care home services, the Council must encourage the continued use of Bon Accord Care for the delivery of these and avoid outsourcing through the back door; and

(4)       instructs the Executive Director - Corporate Services to undertake necessary arrangements in furtherance of recommendation (c) above, and as outlined in the report and its appendices. 

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion   (23)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Buchanan, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Fairfull, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment   (10)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Grant, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

Declined to vote  (9)  -  Councillors Brooks, Crockett, Cross, Farquhar, Houghton, Kusznir, McLeod, Massey and Nicoll.

Absent from the division  (2)  -  Councillors Boulton and Graham.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.