Scie chief quits over contract dispute

Scie’s chief executive Ray Jones is leaving
the organisation following a dispute over his contract just seven
months after the new body started its work.

Jones
is returning to his post as head of adult and community services at
Wiltshire Council because Scie cannot afford to guarantee him an
early retirement deal if his current four-year contract is not
renewed.

Jones
told Community Care he had enjoyed his time at Scie and
felt sad at leaving. “It’s an important organisation… and it’s
been an exciting job. The only reason I am leaving is that I have a
contract that leaves me with no security at the end of four
years.”

Jones
was looking for the same deal he had when working for Wiltshire,
whereby if his contract was not renewed and he was aged 57, the
local authority would have added extra years to his pension so he
could retire.

But
after taking legal and financial advice, the board of Scie decided
it could not afford the cost of guaranteeing to make up Jones’s
pension if his contract was not renewed.

Scie
chairperson Jane Campbell said: “We are sorry to lose Ray Jones as
chief executive. Using his experience in the management and
delivery of social services, he has made a tremendous contribution
to the creation and early development of Scie.”

Jones
will leave the organisation at the end of August. He was appointed
to the post at Wiltshire after it was re-advertised in
March.