COUNCILLORS have rowed about plans to outsource up to 85 per cent of their services to new providers - with one calling it "second rate".

Worcestershire County Council's Labour group claims the leadership has gone "commissioning-mad" and is taking too many risks.

The claim has been rebutted by Conservatives, who have called that view "naive" and say things were not necessarily better in-house.

As we revealed in May last year, the authority has launched a new operating model which will see up to 85 per cent of services and functions marketed to new providers.

The tactic, known as commissioning, will see services put through a cycle where interested parties from the private sector, charities, voluntary groups, mutuals, not-for-profit bodies and even staff can bid to take them over.

It is expected to lead to around 1,500 in-house full-time equivalent jobs going, leaving a non-school workforce of just 2,000.

It is hoped as many workers as possible will transfer their employment over - but the new operating model has already hit controversy after private firm Babcock announced proposals to shed up to 103 of 391 school support staff it took on.

Councillor Peter McDonald, Labour group leader, said: "All the evidence is there that this council is prepared to tick off quality that is 'adequate' - but before it commissioned stuff off it didn't accept that.

"That's not good enough and we all know why - if you ask a contractor to improve the quality of the service they take over, it'd cost more money.

"We've gone commissioning mad."

It started a debate during a meeting of the council's overview, scrutiny and performance board.

Conservative Councillor Ken Pollock said: "I think it's naive to think our quality has dipped since we became a commissioning authority, and I think Councillor McDonald has a very short memory."

Councillor McDonald called the authority's approach "second rate" but Tory Councillor Andy Roberts said: "I wonder if we've got a second rate opposition."

Labour Councillor Chris Bloore said: "We do face this enormous challenge as a county council now as so many of our services are provided by other people, very sensitive and personal services.

"We face a huge job over the next few years to scrutinise that."

Conservative Councillor Liz Eyre said Councillor McDonald's claims were "a perception", pointing to her 14 years as part of the cabinet leadership until May.

"I did not know how deep or how good our quality assurance was until then," she said.

"I hope your position will change."

Bosses at the authority have recently started to refer to commissioning out '80 to 90 per cent' of functions in the coming years, depending on various factors like the level of interest, suitability and the budgets.

Some services may stay in-house after being put through what they call the 'commissioning cycle'.