Since Helping Hands was set up more than 8,000 jobs have been done for people in Salford but an audit found staff going into the homes of elderly people were not adequately vetted.
It said two handymen took two hours each to weed and cut a small area of grass.
Another took three hours to put weedkiller on a patio.
Helping Hands, a minor repair service, will tackle anything from plumbing to building flat-pack furniture.It was set up in 1998 by local people but since 2006 has received £250,000 a year from Salford council to make the service available across the city.
Extra workers were recruited for the service, an independent organisation, which landed the contract to deliver services for the council.
A council internal audit report says members of the team were observed dealing with clients on the phone and in person in a friendly manner.
But it adds: "Although the audit did not prove that fraudulent activity has occurred, the poor control environment and the lack of effective scrutiny has made the whole scheme vulnerable to fraud." The report makes 11 recommendations including measures to ensure all job sheets are accurate before they are submitted for payment.
A review by the audit team of a sample of 55 job sheets identified `numerous' discrepancies with each sheet. These were considered to be `potential indications of fraudulent activity'.
The discrepancies related to excessive time being spent on jobs in comparison to the work completed. Every job sheet had a minimum of one hour booked regardless of the tasks. A check of 10 employee files revealed two did not have any references. Liberal Democrat councillor Joe O'Neill said: "We cannot allow people without proper levels of checks to enter homes of the aged or infirm."
Council leader John Merry said: "An internal audit has been carried out as part of the contract review and with the full support of the Helping Hands board. It found no evidence of fraudulent activity."
John Cullen, chairman of the board of directors which runs Helping Hands, said of the firm `there is not and has never been any evidence or suggestion of fraudulent activity'.
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Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (28/11/2008 at 09:58)
If you ever wondered why Salford Council has no money and is asking it's staff to be made redundant, you just have to look at the statements below in response to the findings above.
"Council leader John Merry said: "An internal audit has been carried out as part of the contract review and with the full support of the Helping Hands board. It found no evidence of fraudulent activity."
"John Cullen, chairman of the board of directors which runs Helping Hands, said of the firm `there is not and has never been any evidence or suggestion of fraudulent activity"
The people here are in complete denial but do they really care, because the good Council Taxpayers of Salford will pay.
I would say they were trying to sweep the issue under the carper but the Council would probably estimate that sweeping under the carpet takes a minimum of three hours....