Don’t bury your head in the sand!

“It ain’t nothing to do with me!”

Wrong answer.

The Future Shape Cabinet committee meet on 26 October will sign off the final piece of the future shape timetable. It is important that staff understand what it will mean to the way they will be working in the future.  

Important message: social services

social workers in adults & children services this is going to affect you just as much as those staff working in services identified as bundles or stand alone services. The access & assessment group are due to report in October and it is clear their recommendations are going to impact on the way you work.

“One public sector approach”

The ‘one Barnet public sector’ has many advantages if it includes:

  • Improves democratic accountability, participation and transparency of all the public bodies providing services in Barnet.
  • Increases citizen involvement in designing services and actively participating in governance.
  • Provides more integrated services, particularly improving access and assessment.
  • Makes better use of public assets and encourages multi-use of sites and facilities.
  • Examines the scope for shared or joint public-public services.
  • Reduces the number of quangos and companies/trusts.

Consolidation

The July 2009 trade union report to Cabinet recommended that an effective consolidation process should consist of:

  • Staff and trade union participation in the consolidation process with a jointly agreed corporate protocol setting out good practice procedures and reporting mechanisms.
  • A commitment to continuing in-house provision of services on value for money and public interest terms.
  • A commitment to transparency and disclosure so that staff and trade unions have confidence that the consolidation process is genuine.
  • Jointly agreed corporate best practice templates to ensure improvement strategies are fully addressed, options appraisal and business cases
  • A commitment to TUPE Plus and secondment employment options and no compulsory redundancies.

The trade unions want to be engaged in a consolidation process which:

  • Examines new ways in which services can be delivered.
  • Assesses the effectiveness of current service improvement plans and how they may be improved.
  • Draws up plans and proposals for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of council services.
  • Explores the boundaries and responsibilities between the Council and other public agencies in Barnet and how these might or should change.
  • Develops a better understanding of the nature and level of needs and demands for services in Barnet and the strategic functions carried out by the Council.
  • Adopts a user-centred approach to service delivery and performance criteria.