Lib Dem opposition leader shocked by county council’s PR spend for fostering services
Lucy Nethsingha, Lib Dem group leader at Cambridgeshire County Council, has expressed shock at the revelation that the council paid more than £200,000 to a former BBC presenter for a PR contract for its fostering services.
It was recently revealed in Cambs Times and Royston Crow that Cambridgeshire County Council paid former BBC Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Paul Stainton £216,000 for PR services to help recruit foster carers, out of a total budget of £480,000 for "a step change in the marketing, recruitment and support for foster carers in Cambridgeshire".
Lucy said: "The amount of Cambridgeshire taxpayers’ money being handed out to PS Media (Paul Stainton) in fulfilling this project has shocked me. Our in-house foster carers are crucial to the care of some of the most vulnerable children in the county. But it would now appear that a significant portion of the money intended to go towards supporting foster carers has been spent on PS Media. I am afraid there are many questions to be asked about the way in which this project was carried out."