Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“For many months I have had deep concerns about the operation of the Victims and Survivors Service, particularly from the perspective of many disappointments experienced by innocent victims. Now, I have received an anonymous dossier, patently from an insider in VSS, which suggests a service in turmoil, hamstrung by political interference from OFMDFM, particularly SPADS, producing failure for those it should be serving.
“VSS is supposed to be an arms length body run by its own board, but, accordingly to this document it is run to the whim of OFMDFM with Special Advisers constantly interfering and instructing staff, while its own board sits limply back and let’s such happen.
“Extracts from the document gives a glimpse into the turmoil in VSS:-
*There are a number of contributing factors that has made the delivery of services to victims a near impossible task for VSS staff…..The primary cause of the chaos is the nature of the relationship between VSS and OFMDFM….Since its inception in 2012, VSS was to be an arm’s length body of OFMDFM with the responsibility of administering the funds allocated by OFMDFM to victims and survivors, however constant interference by OFMDFM’s special advisers (SpAds) has turned VSS into a puppet on their political string with serious and damaging consequences to the needs of victims……”
*OFMDFM’s SpAds advise VSS senior management. However, management have been fed with contradictory advice and they have been instructed to withhold information, be deliberately evasive and mislead their staff, and in turn, the victims. When staff are faced with legitimate enquiries by victims, they are instructed strictly by the management to avoid answering their enquiries and, specifically, to avoid placing any blame for the predicament the victims are in on the OFMDFM….
*The VSS staff feel that the victims are being used as pawns in a political game conducted by OFMDFM and yet the staff have to bear the brunt of the justified anger and frustrations of these individuals and their families…
*The appalling level of corruption could be illustrated by a private service provider with known links to Sinn Fein, who has managed to extract very large sums of VSS funding for alleged treatments for its republican clients. The business even publicised their service, encouraging people to come to VSS by posting their advertisements in North and West Belfast homes. Thus asking people to come to VSS for funding of treatments, for which this business would be the provider, and therefore, beneficiary….
*The senior management are unable to challenge the instructions from OFMDFM, even though they see the shortfalls and the potential for abuse, so inevitably they turn a blind eye to it and allow it to continue, rather than face the wrath of OFMDFM….
*VSS staff ..have raised their concerns with VSS senior management but they have been advised to carry out the instructions given to them. This results in a culture of bullying in VSS by senior managers. There is a lack of effective communication between staff and senior management…
*The other major concern is the management structure in VSS: the relationship between the Board, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and senior management… The board has never approached the staff in a fact finding manner, given the staff on the ground are dealing face to face with the real and immediate needs of victims. Equally, among senior managers, there seems to be a culture of indifference. There are multi layers of management, which are “top heavy” but in effect what is needed is more staff on the ground in order to help victims and help deliver this service…
*Given the millions allocated to VSS, neither OFMDFM nor the VSS Board have attempted to spend resources on procuring a Management Information System, which is desperately required in VSS. With a client database now well into the thousands, staff manually search for paper files on receipt of each and every request for information from OFMDFM…
*The management chaos can be attributed in part to the the fact that the VSS has never been audited and many of the staff’s job descriptions and level of work is not relevant to their grade. The fact that all vacancies within VSS have been filled through an internal recruitment process has left even this area of the Service open to abuse, with many external yet personal friends of senior management also having been given management positions.”
“It is clear to me that there needs to be an independent review of the operation of VSS, with fearless interrogation of its management structures and the political interference which besets it. It is shameful that innocent victims are being let down by the state of disarray in VSS. Additionally, I believe the OFMDFM Committee should be conducted a separate inquiry into the operation of VSS and in this regard I propose to raise the matter with the Committee chair, Mike Nesbitt.
“Meanwhile, I will be tabling the series of Assembly Questions below to OFMDFM to get some focus on these issues.”
Mr Allister’s questions are as follows:
To ask OFMDFM has the VSS the use of an electronic Management Information System, and, if not, why not.
To ask OFMDFM, given the arms length body status of the VSS, what authority have ministers’ Special Advisers to interfere in its operation and give directions to staff and what supervision exists to ensure Special Advisers do not abuse their positions.
To ask OFMDFM whether victims of anti-social behaviour are eligible for assistance from the VSS and, if so, how such sits with the expectation that those eligible for help will have suffered in a ‘Troubles-related’ incident.
To ask OFMDFM what is the definition of ‘victim’ by which VSS operates in making its services available.
To ask OFMDFM what restrictions are placed by the department on the staff of the VSS in terms of the answering legitimate queries from victims, including disclosing the true reasons why expected services have not been provided.
To ask OFMDFM are they satisfied that the individual victim who wishes to avail of VSS’ services directly, rather than through a victim’s group, receive parity of treatment and in a timely manner.
To ask OFMDFM how many instances of abuse towards staff have been recorded in the past year and what action has been taken by management in the context of the duty of care owed to staff.
To ask OFMDFM which recommendations arising from the Victims Commissioner’s research report into the VSS have been implemented and which have been rejected.
To ask OFMDFM by what mechanisms does the Board of the VSS keep itself informed of staff needs and concerns.
To ask OFMDFM by what means are the needs of victims/clients of VSS independently assessed and what changes have occurred in this process and why.
To ask OFMDFM a) by what means are vacancies within the VSS filled; and b) has an audit of staff, matching levels of work to grades, ever been conducted.