Having observed the shameful banning of Independent Supported Living (ISL) residents being continually banned from Mires Beck over recent months due to ERYC policy I am of the opinion that ERYC is cooking the books.

Please read Mires Beck for full information.

In essence, ERYC provides finance to parents/carers of those who are ISL residents. This is then paid by the parent/carers to Mires Beck for day services. All of this is normal but NOT in the last 20 months.

For reasons unknown, East Riding residents are banned from Mires Beck while Hull residents are permitted. The only difference is the East Riding policy which appears to be driven by Yvonne Rhodes, ERYC Head of Business Management and Commissioning. Yet East Riding has informed the parents/carers that:

‘pay your day care provider the same weekly amount that you did before the pandemic, even if you do not receive the same amount of service as before’

This “policy” of Yvonne Rhodes (with no approval of Full Council) has wasted a six-figure sum of Council Tax for nothing. Mires Beck is being paid for a service they are not providing.

Council Tax is charged to pay for services. East Riding residents do not pay their Council Tax for it to be used to pay for no service. Yet this is exactly what is happening.

The books are being cooked and the parents/carers are being used as pawns by East Riding to do this. Are we witnessing fraud or money laundering? I am happy, for now, to use the term cooking the books.

Retirements

Perhaps it is not purely coincidence that:

• John Skidmore, ERYC Director of Adult Services retired and
• Yvonne Rhodes, ERYC Head of Business Management and Commissioning is retiring

Urgent Action Required

I firmly believe, and indeed encourage East Riding Council Taxpayers, especially those parents/carers trapped in this to refer everything they know to:

• ERYC Auditors – Any potential misuse of the public purse MUST be referred to the ERYC Auditors. All 67 ERYC Councillors MUST do this with immediate effect.
• The Charity Commission – As Mires Beck is a charity this MUST be referred to The Charity Commission.
• Mires Beck Trustees – The Trustees of Mires Beck have a legal duty to ensure that the Mires Beck adheres to all principles of their charity status. A failure to do this can result in the loss of Charity status. The Trustees MUST exercise their full duty.
• ERYC Councillors – Councillors are ultimately the “Trustees” of ERYC. They MUST ensure that the public purse is not misused. They MUST act.

I firmly believe that the parents/carers have understandably placed their trust in ERYC but sadly ERYC has betrayed that trust and involved the parents/carers in what could be considered as cooking the books.

I encourage all East Riding residents to raise these concerns with their ERYC Councillor and demand action.

My work here is done.