News

A social worker who set up a website that alleged her council was under-performing is due to face a disciplinary hearing at Swindon Council, in Wiltshire.

Deborah Rees was suspended from her job as planning officer for adults with learning difficulties last August - six days after her website www.SwindonBoroughCouncil.com was launched.

The website attacks poor standards and alleged a "jobs for the boys" culture in the social services department, which received a no-star rating from the Social Services Inspectorate last year.

A report by the council's housing strategy manager, Michael Ash, called the site "unbalanced" and "damaging to the council", with "inappropriate references" to its officers and members. It accused Rees of failing to follow the steps outlined in the council's whistle-blowing policy, which the council introduced in August 2001.

Rees said she had received dozens of supportive messages from council employees but "would not advise anyone else to blow the whistle and speak up for standards" as she was under intolerable stress.

Rees claimed that the SSI had rejected six improvement plans that had been submitted by the council.

Swindon Council declined to comment on Rees' disciplinary hearing, but a spokesperson said: "No improvement plans were rejected by the SSI, although a number of drafts were discussed."