Chief Executive Message

Last year, concerns were raised about the circumstances under which some senior officials, including the former Chief Executive, had left the council in recent years.

We took these concerns seriously and I made the decision to engage external legal advisors to carry out an independent investigation and produce a report, establishing the facts, which could be scrutinised by elected members and shared with the council's auditors.

This work was supported by officers from within the council, but I felt it was essential that we were able to demonstrate very clearly that the council was not marking its own homework.

Our advisors were asked to seek a legal opinion from their own choice of King's Counsel (KC); addressing, among other things, whether any criminality had taken place and whether there had been any breach of the council's own policies and procedures.

It is very unusual for any organisation to publish privileged legal advice, but I took an early decision that we should do it in this case - and we brought both the legal team's report and the KC's opinion to a special meeting of our Finance and Audit Scrutiny Committee last month.

During that meeting, I told members the unprecedented decision to publish those reports was my first signal to them, as Chief Executive, about my approach to transparency and how I want this council to operate.

Addressing the subject here is, perhaps, my second.

It would be wrong to try and summarise the complex reports that members considered at committee in a few sentences - and I would encourage anyone who wants to read them to do so. I'll include a link to them at the end of this message.

However, I think it is important you know that - while our advisors do not believe they found evidence of any criminal behaviour - their findings do raise questions about conflicts of interest and when it is and isn't appropriate for officers to make decisions under delegated authority.

Some of your colleagues are working to update the council's scheme of delegation and other procedures right now and I promise to share the outcome of that work with you when I can, once they have been scrutinised an approved by councillors.

It is so important that the public is able to trust the council; that elected members trust officials, and that we as a workforce feel we can trust and rely on each other.

That trust has to be earned - and I know that colleagues across the council family work really hard every day to do just that. 

However, to be absolutely frank; I also think that trust has been damaged by recent events. 

I don't underestimate the impact that will have on our workforce - and I want you to know that I absolutely understand why you might be concerned, upset and even angry. I have been too.

I also want your help to restore any faith we have lost. I am the Chief Executive and I am ready to lead from the front - but our culture and our values are something we have to build and champion together as a team.

This month brings several celebrations - wishing everyone marking Passover, Vaisakhi and Easter a season of joy, peace and happiness.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can always contact me at asksusanne@glasgow.gov.uk  You can find the recent committee reports here.

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