STAFF at Adur District Council have been dismissed for gross misconduct.

Three workers from the building services department were dismissed between March 2021 and 2022, according to a report.

Six other officers left the department in the same period, including two managers and a trade operative who left due to “performance or conduct reasons”.

The council code of conduct says staff must act with “honesty, integrity, impartiality, and objectivity” and that a breach will lead to disciplinary action, which could include summary dismissal.

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A council spokesman said: “We demand the highest standards from our staff and will take action when these are not achieved.”

He could not comment on individual cases for confidentiality reasons, but said there was “no evidence” the staff dismissed for gross misconduct were acting with others.

The council is trying to improve services for council tenants who live in Adur Homes properties.

A report shows more than 90 per cent of maintenance or repair issues raised by Adur Homes tenants were assigned to a contractor between October and January, but this fell to 66 per cent in March when a large number of staff took annual leave.

This means that 638 repairs were left unassigned that month.

The pandemic contributed to a backlog because only emergency or urgent works were carried out.

Consultation with residents at the Southwick Estate, which is due for redevelopment or refurbishment, highlighted issues such as damp, mould, insect infestations, and mushrooms growing inside homes.

The council also commissioned consultants NPS to see if it was complying with health and safety standards.

The company found gaps in asbestos management, electrical safety, fire safety contracts, gas safety checks, legionella, lift servicing, and alarm replacement, among other things.

Head of housing Akin Akinyebo said there had been progress within the department, including on compliance issues.

“There has definitely been progress but we’re by no means where we want to be and there’s a lot of work to do,” he said.

He added that the council’s housing revenue account is “creaking” which means some repairs have to be prioritised over others.

It is hoped that improved investment, a staff restructure and new software will help the council keep track of repairs and safety issues.

The council says it hired a neighbourhood services manager and a transformation manager to improve relationships with tenants and “make positive changes”.