*** IMPORTANT: Strike ballot due to start 18 March 2015.

*** IMPORTANT: Strike ballot due to start 18 March 2015.

UNISON has notified Barnet Council that our strike ballot of our Council members opens on 18 March 2015.

The ballot paper will be delivered in an envelope which looks like this

It is a “Trade dispute with L B Barnet over staff remaining in employment with Barnet Council.”

Inside you will have some information (SEE HERE) to read and a ballot paper.

It is a very simple question and it will look like this and we are asking our members to vote YES.

UNISON to issue a strike ballot to Barnet Commissioning Council workforce

Barnet UNISON Press Release: 11 March 2015 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON to issue a strike ballot to Barnet Commissioning Council workforce

UNISON, one of the UK’s largest trade unions, serving more than 1.3 million members, wrote to Barnet Council on 11 March 2015 notifying them of our intention to conduct a strike ballot of the Council workforce. This ballot is a direct response to the five commissioning projects agreed at the 3 March 2105 Full Council which would mean outsourcing of the majority of the workforce.

The Ballot opens 18th March and closes 8th April.

At the infamous Full Council meeting on 3 March 2015, the Conservative Administration voted through the decision to explore other options for directly delivering council services. The services involved are as follows:

· Libraries

· Adults & Communities

· Children’s Centres

· Street Scene services

· Education & Skills and School Meals

UNISON estimates that this will mean upwards of 80% of the workforce are likely to be working for a different employer. According to a recent Barnet Council committee report there are only 1,466 directly employed permanent staff.

It is important to note that the in-house service option for eleven out of twelve outsourcing projects have been rejected by Barnet Council over the last three years. UNISON has, over the last six years, tried to engage with Barnet Council over the future delivery of council services without success. In-house services, whilst previously being high performing and low cost, have meant nothing.

Barnet Council abandoned its role of directly delivering services when it adopted the mass outsourcing EasyCouncil One Barnet Programme back in November 2010.

We now have first-hand experience of what happens following outsourcing and even councillors of all parties are openly critical of some the services they are receiving from Capita.

The shocking Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on Your Choice Barnet is more evidence of what happens when terms & conditions are cut and are not taken seriously. It is clear from the report that service users were put at risk as a consequence of YCB’s attempts to deliver the seriously flawed One Barnet Business Case.

In committee meeting after committee meeting the public has had to listen to talk of difficult decisions, yet the real difficult decision would be to reject the austerity budget process and refuse to cut and outsource services. Elected members were elected to serve their communities and not impose policies that will see even greater inequalities.

Contrary to the spin that outsourcing protects frontline services and guarantees savings, what all the evidence clearly documents is that the taxpayer ultimately ends up paying the extra costs whilst service quality deteriorates.

Austerity is driving the outsourcing agenda not just in Barnet but across the UK and Europe. Whilst other councils are also considering mass outsourcing Barnet is racing ahead and appears to be in a race with Northampton & Bromley Councils which are also doing the same.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Barnet Council staff are an incredible, resourceful & understanding workforce, who have been subjected to unacceptable levels of change and stress. The adoption of the five commissioning outsourcing projects makes it very clear to all staff that the Council is not interested in retaining in-house services. This is an ideological assault on public services and our branch is drawing a line in the sand by declaring this ballot. Austerity politics is driving an anti-in-house services agenda which we reject and are asking our members to reject.”

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

1. Barnet Full Council 3 March 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCOl8-Z-1vA&feature=youtu.be

2. Barnet: The Disappearing Council animation.

3. CQC inspection report 3 March 2015

http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-112848964

4. Strike ballot as Tory-run Bromley council plans to dramatically slash its workforce

http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/strike-ballot-as-tory-run-bromley-council-plans-to-dramatically-slash-its-workforce/

5. Council to commission out child protection in the biggest outsourcing ‘in a generation’

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2015/02/24/council-commission-child-protection-biggest-outsourcing-generation/

 

“We told you so!” UNISON response to Care Quality Commission (CQC) poor ratings

Barnet UNISON Press Release:  10 March 2015  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: “We told you so!” UNISON response to Care Quality Commission (CQC) poor ratings for Care settings in Barnet

“The service was not safe as we found that people using the service were exposed to significant risk to their safety.” (CQC Report 3 March 2015)

UNISON is dismayed at the inadequate ratings for Supported Living provided by Your Choice Barnet (YCB).

BUT, we had predicted that this would happen.

In a report on 31 May 2013 Barnet UNISON raised safeguarding risks as a result of a restructure which resulted in over one third of the existing staff leaving supported Living as Support Workers and being replaced with even lower paid Assistant Support Workers. Assistant Support worker roles are paid at approximately 33 % less that of a Support Worker role. We added that the current proposal undermined the need for qualified, professional, skilled staff to work in areas of care, the consequences of which would be dangerous for service users and also for staff.

How right we were and the CQC report provides evidence here:

· “One relative commented, “None of the cuts have led to improved care, all work has to be done in a hurry.” (CQC Report 3 March 2015)

· “Relatives told us of the effect that a changing work force had on people. One relative said, “My relative lost their key worker, it was very upsetting for them.” Another said, “When a worker leaves my relative feels it like the loss of a family member.” (CQC Report 3 March 2015)

· “However, we met and saw staff that were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and engaged with people, we noted these were all permanent staff.” (CQC Report 3 March 2015)

The restructures of staff in 2013 and 2014 were as a direct result of serious financial failings of the outsourced one Barnet project called YCB. Even a 1million bailout was not sufficient and led to YCB imposing a 9.5% pay cut on staff from 1 April 2014.

The CQC report fully supports concerns raised by our members about the risks to service users from the attacks on terms & conditions. This was always likely to be the case.

Barnet Council were aware of the report yet at no point were the findings publicly shared at any of the Scrutiny Committees.

“We contacted the commissioners of the service to obtain their views about the care provided in the service.” (CQC Report 3 March 2015)

“The ratings for this location were awarded in October 2014.” (CQC Report 3 March 2015)

CQC found the following breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.”

1. “This was a breach of Regulation 9 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulation 2010.”

2. “This was a breach of Regulation 10 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.”

3. “This was a breach of Regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.”

4. “This was a breach of Regulation 14 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.”

5. “This was a breach of Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulation 2010.”

6. “This was a breach of Regulation 22 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulation 2010.”

7. “This was a breach of Regulation 23 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.”

The service has failed to deliver the growth to sustain a high quality service and has clearly failed to provide a quality service for vulnerable adults in Barnet.

It is time to call an end to the outsourcing ideology and put the needs of service users and parents and carers first.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“The driving motivation for our members in this dispute is their fears about what is happening to the quality of services. Low pay in the care sector does not deliver high quality services. This report gives a stark warning of the consequences of ongoing attacks on the pay of care workers. Therefore in light of the content of the CQC report we are calling on Adults & Safeguarding Committee to instruct Council officers to bring this service back in house in order to bring stability to the service and restore confidence of the services users, parents/carers that their children will receive a service to be proud of.”

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

In February 2012 Barnet Council transferred Learning Disability and Physical and Sensory Impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) called Your Choice Barnet (YCB). About 160 staff (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.

Following a restructure in 2013 and cuts to pay on shift allowances there are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB a 30% cut in staffing levels.

Links

1. CQC Report Supported Living inspection report here http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-112848964

2. CQC report with highlights by Barnet UNISON here http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Barnet%20Supported%20Living%20inspection%20report%202014%20UNISON.pdf

3. Winterbourne quote: “The complaints heard at both the first inquiry and this one testified not only to inadequate staffing levels, but poor leadership, recruitment and training. This led in turn to a declining professionalism and a tolerance of poor standards.” (Page 45, Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry February 2013 Executive summary).

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213215/final-report.pdf

4. UNISON response to Consultation Paper 31 May 2013

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Full%20UNISON%20response%20to%20YOUR%20CHOICE%20May%202013.pdf

5. UNISON response to Task and Finish Report 25 November 2013

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20response%20to%20Task%20and%20Finish%20Report.pdf

6. “I Found Myself Just Crying” – Your Choice Barnet

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/?q=node/1263

7. Why UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action.

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20YCB%20FLYER%20PUBLIC.pdf

8. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers “9 Point Flyer

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20STRIKE%20YCB%20FLYER%20nine%20point.pdf

9. Support UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers strike action video

http://youtu.be/9jVXn6_BcVY

10. The Capita £110million payment

http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21029/Appendix%20I%20-%20Capita%20Payments.pdf

11. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cut http://lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nochoice.html

12. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-ongoing-destruction-of-services-for-adults-with-disabilities-in-barnet

“Inspectors rated supported living service as ‘inadequate’

“Inspectors rated supported living service as ‘inadequate’ (Barnet Press March 2015)

The above headline refers to a report publicshed by Care Quality Commission (CQC) on a service provided by Your Choice Barnet. UNISON were not made aware that there had been an inspection in August or that the report has been issued in October 2014. It was publicised 3 March.  This meant we were shocked to find out it was front page of the Barnet press this week.

Barnet UNISON found the report online here http://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/1-352049593

We have downloaded the report and highlighted in yellow some of the serious concerns raised by CQC, which you can read here

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