Highland Council could be about to privatise a range of school services.
The move has incensed opposition councillors who claim they were the last to hear about it.
The authority’s High Life Highland (HLH) charity off-shoot has discussed the possibility of taking on a £20million-plus contract for school catering, cleaning, “facilities management” and janitors by October.
HLH board members discussed the proposition on Tuesday and agreed to investigate it further.
The Press and Journal understands that the agenda papers for the discussions in Dingwall were more comprehensive than those on the same issue prepared for today’s (THURS) education committee meeting in Inverness.
In the wake of balancing the council’s 2016-17 budget, the authority’s chief executive Steve Barron has asked HLH if it would consider agreeing to the transfer.
Today’s (THURS) committee papers suggest “that members agree this approach in principle, to enable the development of a full business case,” which would be debated in full in May.
The transfer would involve hundreds of council staff.
The SNP’s Bill Lobban – although in opposition, the council’s vice convener – said: “My concern is that this could be perceived by the public as being privatisation of a council service.
“That, to me, should come before the full council and not be hidden part-way through an Ecas (education committee) paper.”
Education chairman Drew Millar defended the council’s handling of the matter.
“I think HLH is very well placed,” he said, “given that they are already operating out of schools with community centres that the public are using all the time.
“Given the financial constraints that the council are under, we want to maintain the services that we’re providing and we want to take pressure off head teachers.”
HLH was created by the council in 2011 to develop opportunities in culture, learning and leisure activities across the region.
HLH chief executive Ian Murray said: “We’re aware that in a report to the Ecas meeting the director is asking the committee for agreement to investigate the business case for potential transfer of services.
“Our board was appraised of the possible approach at their routine quarterly meeting and agreed that, if asked, directors are prepared to work with the council to consider the options.”
It is not clear at this stage what financial saving might be achieved. Under European employment law, salaries for retained staff under new employers must be maintained.
