Barnet UNISON

Dear Councillor,

 

REMINDER INVITATION TO A PRESENTATION BY UNISON ON THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATORY SERVICES (DRS) AND THE NEW SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT ORGANISATION (NSCSO) IN THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BARNET

 

In a few weeks time on 6 December the Council’s Cabinet will take a decision on award of a contract for the New Support and Customer Support Organisation (NSCSO.) The options they are likely to be presented with is to award the ten year contract to a consortium comprising BT and EC Harris or one comprising Capita and Barnet Homes, although the decision not to award to either or to defer decision are options still available. The award could result in several hundred jobs being lost out of the borough to elsewhere in the UK.

 

A month later on 8 January the Cabinet will take a similar decision on award of the Development and Regulatory Services contract (DRS). The options this time will be to award to either Capita Symonds or EC Harris, but in addition will probably include a proposal for the Council to enter a joint venture with the recommended bidder. These decisions are very high risk for the Council, they involve many of the critical statutory services for which the Council is held responsible under law. Moreover, joint ventures are both notoriously problematic for public bodies, shifting the financial and statutory risk to them for minimal benefit whilst taking accountability away from locally elected councillors. Again, options will remain for the Cabinet to decide not to award the contract, or to defer decision.

 

These are complex and difficult decisions for the council and UNISON, the public service union, is concerned that elected members are given every opportunity to understand and explore these before decisions are taken. For this reason UNISON cordially invites you to a presentation and discussion on Wednesday 14 November at Hendon Town Hall, Committee Room 1, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.

The presentation will seek to explain the contract procurement process, including the option of setting up a  joint venture and the risks that the Council is taking in awarding these contracts to external companies. It will also provide opportunities for discussion and explore the options open to the Council at this late stage.

 

UNISON is seeking a genuine dialogue with elected members on the One Barnet Project, particularly concerning the capacity for LB Barnet to run such a large scale out sourcing project and the potential risks associated with it. Our concerns are practical, at heart concerns for the quality and value of services to council tax payers and for the reputation of the council, not ideological.

 

UNISON would very much appreciate you taking the time to hear what we have to say and discuss these issues with us. All elected members of the Council are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be available at the start of the meeting.

Please RSVP to Julie Woods, UNISON Regional Office on 0207 535 6564 or alternatively you can email j.woods@unison.co.uk

 

Yours sincerely

 

Linda Perks

Regional Secretary

UNISON GLR

 

 

 

UNISON has now submitted our second response to the proposed Library Restructure.

To view our report click here

Dear Councillors

 

Please find enclosed a report on the current financial pressures including our Briefing Number 17 Alternative 10 Point Plan proposal. (To view click here)

 

The caveat which must be included with this report is that we have had no access to the proposals submitted by the Bidders or access to the information provided to the Bidders in forming their proposals.

 

I hope all of you will be able to come along to the briefing UNISON has invited you to on Wednesday 14 November 2012.

 

As ever if there is a point of clarification or concern please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Dear Councillors

 

Please find Briefing Number 16 entitled ‘Flexible contracts’ (to view click here)

 

Some of you may be aware of the recent news reports:

 

1. BT in about-turn over outsourcing

“We think we can run a number of things more efficiently ourselves,” says chief executive Ian Livingston. (Source: http://ning.it/QhDoco)

 

2. BT ‘blamed for IT contract failure’

Scotland’s new tax collector has been accused of blaming telecoms firm BT for failings which saw technology costs double to £122 million, with millions more written off. (Source: http://ning.it/QhDqkB )

 

I hope all of you will be able to come along to the briefing UNISON has invited you to on Wednesday 14 November 2012.

 

As ever if there is a point of clarification or concern please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

 

The Grimmond Room in Portcullis House House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Maximum 70 people. Set up time from 6.30pm.

 

Library Staff were issued with their At Risk of Redundancy letters this week.  Barnet Council still plan to go ahead with their restructure of the library service, although they have altered their plans to include one more Librarian and one more Library Customer Services Officer.

But Management plan to run Barnet Libraries with only seven professional librarians none of whom will work directly with the public. Para-Professional staff will be expected to take up many of the duties now performed by Librarians while suffering a pay cut as Week End Allowance is removed.

UNISON will carry on opposing this restructure and have drawn up a revised version of the Alternative Library Restructure Proposal which will be sent to members in the near future.

UNISON representative will attend the following At Risk Meetings to offer advice and support members:

Children’s’ Librarians         Tuesday        6th    November

Adult Librarians                   Wednesday 8th    November

Bibliographic Services       Thursday     15th     November

Edgware Library                   Wednesday 14th   November

East Finchley Library           Thursday       15th    November

Chipping Barnet Library      Friday            16th   November

UNISON members will be visiting all the libraries in the next few weeks to consult with members on the Library Restructure.

To view content of the wrap around click here

 

 

Barnet UNISON Press Release: 30 October 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BARNET COMMISSIONING COUNCIL VOTE FOR IN-HOUSE SERVICES

On Wednesday 7 November 2012 Barnet Council Cabinet Resources Committee is considering a recommendation to support the One Barnet in-house Street Scene Project. The One Barnet Street Scene Project includes the following services:

·         Refuse, organic waste and recycling collections

·         Waste strategy

·         Street cleansing

·         Greenspaces

·         Highways operational team

Earlier this month the Barnet Press reported that “Brent Council executive committee passed proposals to “outsource its “public realm” services – waste collection, street cleaning and ground maintenance – in tandem with Barnet Council as part of its One Council programme.”

 

This decision to support the in-house services signals a clear change of direction for Barnet Council which is currently implementing a policy known as the One Barnet Programme, sometimes referred to as the ‘Commissioning Council’.

John Burgess UNISON Branch Secretary said: “This is fantastic news for residents & 700 council workers delivering these services. I want to take the opportunity to applaud the Council for at last recognising the potential of in-house services to be able to compete with the private sector. We are now calling for the Council to halt the current outsourcing plans for the two contracts (worth in excess of a Billion Pounds public money). We are asking for the Council to work with staff, unions and the community to develop efficient, innovative services for Barnet residents and ensure savings go back into the pockets of the council tax payers.”

 

***** Ends *****

Notes to Editors.

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

Background

Barnet Council is implementing a policy known as the One Barnet Programme, sometimes referred to as the ‘Commissioning Council’. This mass privatisation policy is designed for the Council to divest itself of responsibility to deliver services to its residents.

The first One Barnet project known as New Support Customer Services Organisation (NSCSO) will be for back office services such a Finance, Revenues & Benefits, Estates, IT, HR & Payroll etc, it is estimated to be worth up to £750 million.

It involves approximately 700 council workers. There is a high probability that the winning bidder will not deliver these services from Barnet so there is a high risk of significant redundancies at the moment of transfer.

This contract will be awarded to either Capita or BT at the Barnet Council Cabinet Resources Committee on Thursday 6 December 2012.

The second One Barnet project is known as Development & Regulatory Services (DRS) which includes the following services:

Trading Standards & Licensing, Land Charges, Planning & Development, Building Control & Structures, Environmental Health, Highways Strategy, Highways Network Management, Highways Traffic & Development, Highways Transport & Regeneration, Strategic Planning & Regeneration, Cemeteries & Crematoria.

This contract, worth up to £275 million pounds, will be awarded to Capita Symonds or EC Harris at the Barnet Council Cabinet Resources Committee on 8 January 2013.

This involves approximately 300 council workers

Both contracts are for ten years with an option to extend for a further five years.

UNISON’s position

Over the past four years UNISON has published over 40 detailed reports on the Future Shape/EasyCouncil/One Barnet mass privatisation programme.

Our message has remained clear.

 

Provide a level playing field and follow good practice and include a fully funded in house service improvement model to run alongside the procurement process.

 

Our proposal – In house model

There are a number of examples of where Councils have followed this approach to good effect. Most recently Edinburgh City Council considered the potential for using private contractors to deliver a wide range of its services. It embarked on separate procurement processes for 3 blocks of services utilising the Competitive Dialogue process in an attempt to obtain the best offers available from the market. At the same time in-house teams were asked to work on service improvement plans or Public Sector Comparators, so that when it came to the award of contract, the Council could be sure that the services it was purchasing would genuinely optimise its use of scarce resources. In the end the Public Sector Comparators proved to be more attractive than any of the external offers and no contracts were awarded.

For a fuller explanation click here

Our UNISON branch has produced a list entitled “100 PLUS reasons why One Barnet is high risk and bad for residents and services” which you can view here

 

 

Dear Councillor

 

Please find enclosed Briefing Number 15 Strategic Partnerships. (to view click here)

 

I am also attaching a report which went to Somerset County Council Cabinet Committee last night.

 

This Council report seeks authority to contest the escalating number of financial clams being made by the Councils Joint Venture Partner Southwest One (SWo)

 

The report makes it clear the Council’s position by stating

 

“It is paramount that we look after the best interests of Somerset’s tax payers and we will defend SCC’s position.”

“The history of Southwest One [SWo] poor performance is continuing; during 2012 the Client Team have been holding SWo to account; resulting in the serving of 8 contractual notices to SWo.”

However the Partner has reacted:

“Over the past 3 weeks SWo have commenced disputes on several other matters, issuing further financial claims and disputing Somerset County Council’s warning notices.

The Council report states

“With a number of escalating disputes, we need to take action to:

• Conduct proceedings

• Respond to these disputes and restore a deteriorating relationship with a strategic supplier.

• Seek to improve value for money and service performance and ensure it is fit for purpose.

• Continue to assertively manage Southwest One to ensure it meets its contractual obligations.”

It is clear the Administration is Somerset is genuinely trying to robustly hold the Partner (which includes IBM) to account. But history says that the Private sector have deeper pockets and better lawyers than the public sector. 

 

UPDATED: Somerset County Council preparing for court in escalating conflict with IBM

http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2219019/somerset-county-council-preparing-for-court-in-escalating-conflict-with-ibm

 

I hope all of you will be able to come along to the briefing UNISON has invited you to on Wednesday 14 November 2012.

 

As ever if there is a point of clarification or concern please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON