A NEW £500-a-day job is up for grabs at Bournemouth and Poole councils.

The two authorities are advertising for an independent chair of the Bournemouth and Poole Safeguarding Adults Board.

The successful applicant will receive £15,000 per year for only 30 days’ work.

Just last week Poole council’s service for safeguarding adults received a shocking report from the Care Quality Commission which branded it “poor” and made 19 recommendations for improvement.

It is hoped that the new board will oversee dramatic improvements in the way vulnerable adults are cared for.

The post is being advertised nationally and is a three-year contract.

The advert describes a “£500 per day negotiable work pattern” and adds: “You will require detailed knowledge and significant experience of the safeguarding of adults at senior level in a relevant organisation.

“You will be experienced in partnership work and have excellent negotiation and communication skills.” The closing date is July 30, 2009.

The Care Quality Commission report criticised failures throughout the system, which is designed to keep vulnerable over-18s safe from the risk of physical, sexual or financial abuse and from neglect in Poole.

It said: “Some people who use services had been left at unnecessary degrees of risk. “Some managers’ knowledge of adult protection practice was weak and some line managers had ignored the specialist advice of the expert practitioner in serious situations.

“This has led to people being exposed to avoidable risks.”

In a joint statement, Bournemouth and Poole councils said: “The board will be responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of adult protection measures across Bournemouth and Poole, ensuring that all agencies are working together to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

“The board chairman will work with senior officers of all the key partner agencies and will be expected to possess considerable professional experience in the area of adult safeguarding work.

“The post is jointly funded by the two borough councils and local NHS partners and the salary offered is in line with similar positions elsewhere across the country.”