Third sector care centres could lose out through Glasgow Council's tendering policy
Nicola Sturgeon has criticised Glasgow Council for putting vital care services out to tender.
Six Glasgow carers centres, run by third sector groups, will now be required to bid for funding from Glasgow City Council.
Many carers using the centres now fear the support the centres offer could end leaving them nowhere to turn.
Contracts for carers’ services should be subject to competitive tendering to ensure compliance with rules at council, national and European level, the local authority says.
However on a visit to South West Glasgow Carer's Centre in Craigton the first minister hit out: "From a democratic point of view there is something wrong with this.
There is nobody forcing the council to do this - Nicola Sturgeon
"I think most people, when they vote for their local councillor, think that the big decisions about how a service is run in a city will actually be taken by the people that you vote for so that they are democratically accountable.
"This is a decision that has been taken by unelected officers in a council without any democratic decision making by the council.
"Glasgow City Council are legally responsible and entitled to make this decision but don't let them tell you they have no choice.
"There is nobody forcing the council to do this."
Training is being offered to those who manage the carers centre to help with the tendering process.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: "The Carer Support Services Tender is under development by Social Work Commissioning Team.
"When the tender closes all the submissions will be evaluated and scored by the commissioning team with a view to new contracts being in place January 2016."
