Councillors clashed yesterday over the future of services during a townhouse debate.
The local authority’s commissioning committee met yesterday where it discussed plans to put a new young carers service out to tender – and to bring back the cleaning of multi-storey blocks of flats back in-house.
In April this year the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 was passed, which places a duty on local authorities and health boards to prepare and publish a local carers strategy, covering both adults and young carers.
The council received £750,000 from the Scottish Government of which £150,000 is to be used to set up the service.
Another item put before the committee was to “approve in-principle” for council staff to once again carry out the cleaning of multi-storeys from next July.
It is estimated this will save more than £30,000 a year.
The Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent administration have faced tough political challenges on the thorny issue of privatisation from opposition parties.
With the nine Aberdeen Labour councillors suspended from the national party, the group has been accused of looking for ways to prove to party chiefs their commitment to Labour values.
In June, Aberdeen Labour leader and co-leader of the council Jenny Laing said that outsourcing was “never part of this administration’s long-term plans”.
But yesterday administration councillors moved to put the young carers contract out to tender.
The SNP group put forward an amendment to investigate whether the service could be carried out by the council.
Group leader Stephen Flynn said: “We should surely explore this option before we make a decision.”
Conservative vice-convener Freddie John said: “This should be about what is best for carers not political ideology.”
In the vote, the SNP amendment was supported by Liberal Demcorat Ian Yuill but was defeated by five votes to four.
The new cleaning set-up passed unanimously.
