Caerphilly County Borough Council could spy on its workers again despite a damning review from the Welsh Audit Office.
The review alleged the council used surveillance on its staff without following sufficient legal procedures.
It states: “The development of employee surveillance activities at the council does not appear to have been appropriately controlled and formalised, with little evidence of oversight.
“This has led, in at least one instance, to a situation where there is inadequate documentary evidence that legal requirements were followed appropriately.”
The council ceased its surveillance in April 2013 when concerns were raised but will consult with trade unions with an aim to restart the controversial policy.
In 2012/13 the council spent nearly £40,000 spying on 11 workers, leading to at least one dismissal and two resignations.
Between 2010 and 2013 they spent a total of £156,587 on employee surveillance.
Cllr Hefin David, who first requested details of the scheme, stressed surveillance stopped as soon as concerns were raised into how the process was being carried out.
He said: “We aren’t anti-surveillance but it has to be done legitimately, based on clear policies and with the backing of the trade unions.”
Cllr David added that surveillance should only be used as a measure of last resort.
A Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesperson said: “The council has been awaiting these findings prior to engaging with the trade unions to update relevant policies and procedures.
“Similarly, a formal procurement process will be undertaken, with updates on progress being reported to future Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committees.”
The authority does what it damn well likes and the elected councillors are too weak to intervene. This is a classic case where public money has been spent illegally and the councillors do absolutely nothing about it. I, for one, am sick to death of the labour group pinching pennies from those who can least afford it while senior officers spend eye-watering amounts of our money playing secret agents. Vote UKIP for Gods sake.
Realist is correct up to a point.
Let`s remember that it was the current Labour Council which called a halt to this process of spying on members of the public. So, they should have the credit for that.
However, it appears they are under some misguided view that they only have to put in place new processes and procedures, and a proper procurement process to buy in such surveillance activities and all will be well, they appear to suggest that surveillance activities will continue at sometime in the future.
If the Caerphilly council do re-introduce surveillance activities, in public places, on staff members and members of the public, they really will have to get their act in order to do so LEGALLY, they will have to take due regard for the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act ” (RIPA), something they totally disregarded in the past, they will have to ensure that no images of innocent members of the public are captured in the process of heavy handed action against their own staff, and they will have to prove the location of where the images were captured. Members of the public will be entitled to be told if they have been innocently captured and have the right to have that record destroyed.
If the Caerphilly council think that all they need to do is to ` think again` about how they undertake the illegal activity they have been previously engaged in, they really are living Oz.
The Investigatory Powers Tribunal based in London, are already formally investigating the surveillance activities which Caerphilly engaged in, and which they think they have swept under the carpet with this report and considerations, NOT THE CASE.
You suggest the current labour group called a halt to surveillance and so should be given credit for doing so. I disagree. The authority had no other choice than to call a halt to surveillance as I believe a member of the public reported their activity to the police. It became quite clear that the authority legal department only then became involved and so stopped the activity as they themselves saw how much trouble they were in. If the labour group expect any credit then they should evidence to the electorate how they’ve brought to account those officers of the authority who knowingly abused the process and mismanaged tax payers funds.
I heard on the grapevine MI5 were concerned about this situation. I am not joking.
The real question is, and, the Caerphilly council have not considered it or addressed it, yet, is which, if any, Councillors were aware of this illegal activity? did any of them sanction it?, did they encourage it?, and, did they actively promote it, particularly the Cabinet Members for HR and performance at the time?
The Investigations by The Investigatory Powers Tribunal will address the above questions I am sure. regardless of what the Police, The Auditor General for Wales or Private Accountancy Companies, ( which the Caerphilly council engage as consultants and to act as their Doorkeepers to keep them out of trouble) may come up with to protect those who may have engaged in criminal activity in regard to these issues.
I quite agree. When Council workers are mentioned I fully expect their numbers to be counted right up to CEO level. Then and only then will I, personally, be satisfied. Recent events prove this without a shadow of a doubt. There has been a lot of talk of late of re-education and re-training of staff of all grades, but little or nothing seems to have been done about arranging for this to happen very far up the chains of command. I suppose the higher echelon of employees think that this aim does not mean them. Everybody else except themselves. I suspect that if any suggestion of re-training or re-educating them would be greeted by peals of laughter and derision. Yes, I do blame the elected councillors for their lax and extremely ineffective attitude towards the CEO and his crowd. There should and must be a very much tighter control over them.Just how would have to be hammered out by Councillors. After all is said and done, CEO staff are paid employees of the Council and nothing more. It may be that the presence of better educated personnel frightens the Councillors, If that is so there seems to be a clear cut case for arranging for each election of Councillors to be more of a coalition than outright winners and hopefully, having some expertise over the paid staff they should be controlling. You can’t just hire staff and let them get on with it which is what seems to be happening. I am certain, in my own mind, that this would be much fairer than anything that has gone before. but, hay, a Council that is first and foremost for the electorate. A bit science fiction isn’t it?
Just a thought. The Head of Legal is missing isn’t he. Suspended from duty on full pay for “misconduct”. . Surveillance wasn’t applied there was it? Or was this too far up the seniority scale.