Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

Please read the following email, received from a senior ex-Employee on 13th December 2012:

Dear Paul

[irrelevant section removed]

I have spoken to Rob Vickers and he confirmed that his organization had no trading name as he was a sole trader. He also confirmed that he made no declarations regarding prior associations with Wirral Council.

I hope this is of use to you.

I would say that I am leaving the employment of Wirral Council next week so if you have any follow up or other DASS related issues please send any emails to [redacted]

Kind regards
[redacted]
Wirral Council
Department of Adult Social Services
Head of Finance and Performance Branch
<email ends>

I believe ex St Helens Council Social Services manager Robert Vickers was brought in to carry out two vital investigations. The first, reporting around April 2012, looked into the implementation of an illegal 4 week delay in care, done to save money, within the Department of Adult Social Services, which reportedly ran between October 2008 and August 2010.

The second looked into the running of a public "4 Week Delay Helpline" which was set up by the Department after council leader Councillor Jeff Green "banged the table" (in full view of the public) demanding "something must be done".

It appears from the information given in the above email that Robert Vickers did not declare any prior affiliations with Wirral Council before being commissioned to undertake his investigations. I'd therefore politely suggest that his findings in both investigations (that there was 'no case to answer') cannot be regarded by the public or anybody else for that matter, as valid.

If you have documents relating to the subsequent or prior appointment of Rob Vickers as an employee of Wirral Council, please furnish them to me. Please also provide Rob Vickers' job position; job role; salary; job location and department; direct telephone number, and finally the date that this new employment commenced,

Yours faithfully,

Paul Cardin

Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Rob Vickers - Illegal 4 Week Delay Investigator - Was He Rewarded With a Job?'.

I made an abortive attempt to contact Rob Vickers with the aim of discovering his day rate. The person answering the phone on the number you provided had never heard of him. I later discovered that the actual direct telephone number is 666 3650.

You are his employer. Please provide salary details as clearly requested.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ro...

Yours faithfully,

Paul Cardin