A Strathspey watchdog denies "witch-hunt" claims
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Dulnain Bridge’s community councillors have rejected bitter accusations of a "witch-hunt" over their handling of last summer’s "crisis kids" controversy in the village.
Residents had lodged their concerns with the local watchdog at a public meeting having been alarmed by claims of a child being burned, ducks being decapitated and a dog having been attacked with a hammer.
Some parents had felt too fearful to let their children out to play because of the behaviour of some in local authority care who were staying in the village.
At their latest meeting the local watchdog dealt with letters and a visit from employees and supporters of Cairngorm Outdoors Ltd., the Grantown-based care provider for socially excluded and vulnerable young people.
The young boy from at the centre of the controversy was in their supervision at the time of the incidents in August, last year.
The eight critics, including company director Les Durance and his brother, William, were told that the community council had simply passed on the villagers’ many concerns over a series of incidents to the police, the Care Commission and the Highland Council.
After carrying out an inspection the commission had issued a report on the organisation’s quality of care and support, environment, staffing, management and leadership, defining each category as "weak".
The report had been posted on the village notice board, where it had remained until the council had needed to update its minutes – and with no March meeting taking place, that had not been until after the April meeting.
As for highlighting certain sections, which the critics had seen as "childish and vindictive", vice-chair Ewan Cameron explained that the highlighting had been asked for to separate the latest inspection from earlier ones, dating back to 2008.
But visitors to the village hall remained unconvinced by the community councillors’ explanations and were still arguing their case after nearly two hours, until pleas for consensus, some moderation and a lowering of "everybody’s blood pressure" came from all corners of the hall.
Highland Councillor Jaci Douglas urged the meeting to work towards minuting some general agreement which might help draw a line under the affair.
Chairperson Beth Grant had excluded herself from the discussion with her fitness for office under question.
She ultimately reminded the meeting that as far as she was concerned a line had been drawn under it months ago. She wanted to know what the council’s critics were trying to achieve by raising it all again.
A letter from Dmitri Sobczak had pointed out that Mr Durance had given assurances following the difficulties that his company would not use local holiday lets again but she had not appeared to be satisfied.
It conitnued: "And in my opinion has done nothing to bring harmony to the local community. I know that some other people are annoyed that this matter was carried too far, which is resulting in Mrs Durance being frightened by some local characters.
"As I understand, local community councils are supposed to represent all the community and I, like many others, feel that this crusade has gone on far too long."
One had to ask, he stated, if she was a fit person to occupy the chair: "As she does not appear to understand the meaning of the word ‘impartial’."
The chairperson rejected this and other accusations.
The watchdog’s unanimously approved reply pointed out that the claims were hearsay and could not be acted upon.
However, they said if the person who made the allegatons was prepared to make a complaint personally then it would be investigated.
Since the police had taken up the initial complaint last summer, the community councillors insisted they had stayed out of the affair while the investigations and official inspections had taken place.
