Briefing Number 13 Benefit Administration & Outsourcing – New Support Customer Services Organisation
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Cornwall Council halts privatisation plan
1. Cornwall Council halts privatisation plan
Cornwall councillors have voted unanimously to halt a deal which would have seen some public jobs and services moved into the private sector.
They voted to review the proposal but also to consider other options.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-20047222
2. Council’s privatisation plans placed on hold
Plans to sell off Cornwall Council services to a private company are on hold following a debate at New County Hall today.
The controversial proposals had led to a vote of no confidence in former council leader Alec Robertson last week after attempts to push the deal through despite opposition from councillors.
A motion passed by the council yesterday will see the plans put on hold to allow a full investigation of the future of council services to take place
3. Cornwall joint venture plans put on hold
Cornwall Council has called a halt to a major shared services deal after councillors raised concerns about the proposals.
Talks with BT on the creation of a large scale joint venture are to be put on hold and chief executive Kevin Lavery has been asked to carry out a full investigation of alternative methods of delivering services in the future.
http://www.lgcplus.com/topics/procurement/cornwall-joint-venture-plans-put-on-hold/5050988.article
4. Cornwall Council leader announces details of new Council Cabinet
The leader of Cornwall Council Jim Currie has announced details of the Council’s new Cabinet.
At today’s meeting of the full Council Mr Currie, who was elected as the Council’s Leader last week, announced that there will be 11 portfolio holders in the new Cabinet.
5. Cornwall privatisation plan on hold
The proposal involved contracting out the running of services including libraries, one stop shops, payroll and IT to private firm BT. At a full council meeting this lunchtime members were asked to vote on a motion for the council to reverse its decision to proceed with a ‘Strategic Partnership for Support Services’ until the majority of councillors supported the idea.
93 councillors voted to approve that motion, none voted against and there 7 abstentions. The council is now expected to look at other options. The privatisation plan proved controversial because full council had already voted against it last month, but the council’s cabinet had continued to pursue the idea.
http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2012-10-23/cornwall-privatisation-plan-on-hold/
Briefing Number 2 Cornwall Joint Venture Update
To view briefing click here
Barnet Alliance for Public Services produce One Barnet wraparound for Hendon Times
Barnet Alliance wraparound for the Hendon Times
UNISON sent to all 63 councillors – Briefing Number 11 entitled Competitive Dialogue – decision making.
Dear Councillors
(To view click here)
Please find enclosed Briefing Number 11 entitled Competitive Dialogue – decision making.
Competitive Dialogue is a complex difficult process something which has been highlighted in the case of West Coast Train fiasco.
What is clear is that the process & procedure for evaluating bids is critical.
UNISON has been requesting copies of the process & procedure for evaluating bids for almost four months and we are still waiting.
If councillors have copies of these documents could you please forward them to me?
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
UNISON sends all 63 councillors briefing from resident entitled ‘Graph of Doom Fact of Fantasy?
Dear Councillors
Today I am submitting a briefing put together by a Barnet resident who very much cares like all of you about the borough and I know wants to work with the Council to make it a better place.
Some of you may know him as John Dix and others as Mr Reasonable.
The briefing below tackles an issue often quoted by councillors as the reason for the One Barnet Programme. I have heard councillors mention the ‘Graph of Doom’ to me many times.
I am referring to what has become nationally known as the ‘Graph of Doom’. Whilst I do not like the title as it reinforces a negative image of older adults, I think the Council must be applauded for bringing the issue of funding for older people to the national media attention. If the issue of ‘Fairer Funding’ as identified in Dilnot report is going to be addressed it is going to have to happen at a national level and all political parties are going to have to come to an agreement.
The ‘Graph of Doom’ as probably many of you know was based on a whole set of assumptions. Unfortunately, until now nobody seems to have challenged these assumptions.
I would urge all of you to read this briefing.
Link to the Dilnot Report: http://www.dilnotcommission.dh.gov.uk/our-report/
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
Sent to 63 councillors – Briefing number 12 Newcastle “A good model of staff engagement.”
Dear Councillor
Please find enclosed briefing number 12 Newcastle “A good model of staff engagement.”
(To view click here )
This approached involved in-house service improvement transformation running alongside competitive dialogue. This ensured the Cabinet to be able to make an informed decision about which bid offered best value to the taxpayer.
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
Street Scene Services Joint privatisation bid
On Monday 15 October Brent Council are proposing to go into a joint privatisation bid with Barnet Council.
The report is publicly available on Brent Councils web site here
http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=9776
The following are extracts from the Brent Council report
“Three options for the new contract have been evaluated:
Option 1 Brent Council and Brent Housing Partnership (BHP) public realm contract only;
Option 2 a collaborative procurement and on-going management across the boroughs of Brent, Barnet, Richmond and Hounslow and BHP;
Option 3 a joint procurement across the four boroughs.”
This is what they are recommending
“3.5 Recommended Option
3.5.1 Considering the risks, the benefits and disbenefits and the financial savings shown in section 4, the recommended way forward is option 2 – the full collaboration project. This means that the London Borough of Brent would procure a contract on behalf of itself and the London Boroughs of Barnet, Richmond and Hounslow for the provision of waste and recycling, and additionally for street cleansing and grounds maintenance services for Brent, Barnet and Brent Housing Partnershiptogether.”
There is no mention that Barnet Council are exploring an in-house option. Barnet UNISON had hoped that the Council would support an in-house service but from reading this report it is highly likely they will be recommending a privatisation option at Barnet Council Cabinet Resources Committee on Wednesday 7 November at Hendon Town Hall.
Cornwall Joint Venture Saga continues to unravel
Early next year Barnet Council will be making a decision to form a Joint Venture with the private sector . Yet Joint Ventures do not have good track record in public sector. Conservative Councillors in Cornwall are clearly unhappy with a Joint Venture proposal to outsource their back office services. Earlier this year the Cornwall Cabinet committee voted to go forward with the deal, only for the full council meeting to vote against.
This week in the space of two hours the Deputy Leader resigned saying
“The financial risks involved with the rush into the new joint venture proposals are unacceptable. The JV is basically too large to control.
“We have wasted £42m+ on the unitary (authority), £42m+ on the incinerator and we are now proposing to risk a great deal more on the joint venture.”
a few hours after this headline appeared
Cornwall council leader steps down
The leader of Cornwall Council has resigned, amid deepening controversy caused by proposals to establish a £800m shared services venture.
http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=107260
You can view all Cornwall Joint Venture Saga at the following links here
http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=107260
http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2012-10-10/deputy-leader-of-cornwall-council-resigns/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-19867995
http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/public-sector/2012/10/cornwall-privatisation-hangs-i.html