Sacked Summerhaven administrator Ianthia Wade is still fighting to get her job back almost 18 months after she was fired, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The widow of former Progressive Labour Party leader Frederick Wade reported her June 2008 dismissal to the Department of Labour and Training and the matter is soon to go before an employment tribunal.

It is understood that Mrs. Wade — who failed in a bid to run for the PLP in Warwick West in the 2007 General Election — will ask the tribunal to order Summerhaven to reinstate her as administrator.

She was suspended from the Smith's facility for the physically challenged in May 2008 and her employment was terminated a month later, after 22 years in the post.

An internal audit by the Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation cleared her of financial mismanagement in September 2008, but did discover "numerous inefficiencies, deficiencies and irregularities" in Summerhaven's accounts.

Acting Culture Minister Nelson Bascome said at the time it appeared Mrs. Wade was "removed from her post without the benefit of due process".

The board of the Summerhaven Trust — an independent body which owns and runs the South Road independent living complex — turned the matter over to Police, who finished their investigation in August this year. They found insufficient evidence to bring anyone to court.

Attempts by the Department of Labour last year to resolve the dispute between Mrs. Wade and Summerhaven failed. The matter was put on hold until the criminal inquiry ended but has now been referred to an employment tribunal, with a hearing date expected to be set soon.

Summerhaven's lawyer Christian Luthi said yesterday: "I have been advised that an employment tribunal has been appointed and that they will hear her employment case. There has been no date fixed for that."

Neither Mr. Luthi or Summerhaven Trust chairman and acting administrator John Powell would discuss the reasons for Mrs. Wade's sacking.

Mrs. Wade, who strenuously denied the allegations of financial mismanagement, said she did not wish to comment on the dispute. A Department of Labour spokeswoman did not respond to a request for information.

It was announced on Wednesday that Summerhaven — which gets an annual $470,000 grant from Government — will undergo an independent review by long-term care expert Glenn Wachter due to concerns raised by staff and residents.

Mr. Wachter said yesterday he expected his inquiries to take between 30 and 60 days, but that they could take longer if further issues come to light during interviews. "I really can't comment on the content of the investigation yet," he said. "I really can't discuss that. For the integrity of the investigation, I need to keep those points confidential right now.

"At the end of the process, there will definitely be transparency; there will be a full account of the investigation, of the findings and recommendations going forward."

He said the bulk of his career had been in long-term care and that he had a passion for ensuring seniors and disabled people get "respectful and high quality care". "I have no reason to think they are not getting that at Summerhaven," he added.

Mr. Powell said he had received calls yesterday from relatives of Summerhaven's 20 residents after they learnt of the review. "I told them not to worry about it," he added.

* In yesterday's story about Summerhaven, Mr. Powell stated that Mrs. Wade's employment was terminated in June this year. He confirmed yesterday that he was mistaken and should have said June 2008.