Barnet UNISON

Read full report here

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/APSE%20Procurement%20and%20contract%20managemement.pdf

A worrying extract from page 6 of the report

“The elected members of the Council are perfectly entitled to develop and pursue their vision for the authority. They are obliged however to do so within the parameters set by law. This includes a requirement to act reasonably whilst taking into account all relevant factors and ignoring irrelevant ones. The numerous examples of failure to abide by internal procedures, as well as various potential breaches of competition law, should be relevant to any decision about whether and how quickly, the authority should implement its planned commissioning approach to service delivery. APSE has not been able to find any evidence that there has been any formal consideration of the implications of the apparently institutional inability to let and manage contracts adequately, for the Council’s future contracting strategy.

 

UNISON along with Barnet Alliance are hosting ‘Barnet Council not for Sale’ Conference

Saturday 7 July 12 – 3pm

Greek Cypriot Centre, Britannia Road, Britannia Road, North Finchley, London N12 9RU

Guest speakers

Professor Dexter Whitfield

Andy Mudd APSE Consultant

John Dix aka Mr Reasonable (local resident & Blogger)

Aberdeen UNISON

Edinburgh UNISON

Sefton UNISON

Details of other speakers to follow

Background:

Dexter Whitfield

Dexter Whitfield is Director of the European Services Strategy Unit (continuing the work of the Centre for Public Services founded in 1973) and Adjunct Associate Professor, Australian Workplace Innovation and Social Research Centre, University of Adelaide.

He has carried out extensive research and policy analysis of regional/city economies and public sector provision, jobs and employment strategies, impact assessment and evaluation, marketisation and privatisation, public private partnerships, modernisation and public management (www.european-services-strategy.org.uk).

He is the author of In Place of Austerity: Reconstructing the economy, state and public services (2012); Global Auction of Public Assets: Public sector alternatives to the infrastructure market & Public Private Partnerships (2010); Public Services or Corporate Welfare: The Future of the Nation State in the Global Economy (2001) and several other books on privatisation. He has published articles in journals, delivered papers and advised public bodies and trade unions in Europe, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Andy Mudd Consultant for Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)

APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) is a not for profit local government body working with over 300 councils throughout the UK. Promoting excellence in public services, APSE is the foremost specialist in local authority front line services, hosting a network for front line service providers in areas such as waste and refuse collection, parks and environmental services, leisure, school meals, cleaning, housing and building maintenance.

 

APSE provides services specifically designed for local authorities, such as benchmarking, consultancy, seminars, research, briefings and training. Through its consultancy arm APSE delivers expert assistance to councils with the overt aim of driving service improvement and value for money through service review and redesign. APSE delivers in excess of 100 projects a year and clients benefit from the consultancy’s not for profit ethical approach to consultancy services.

Last month UNISON submitted the following question for the Bidders for the DRS contract  

1.    What does your model look like?

2.    When will you know?

3.    What is your legal advice about outsourcing some statutory functions?

4.     Are there any roles which your model does not believe can be outsourced?

If yes, which are they?

5.    Does your model look at secondment as an option?

If yes, which roles are involved?

6.    Does your model look at adopting dual employment?

If yes, which roles and how will this be applied?

7.    Does your model reflect that some roles will have to remain in house?

If yes which roles

8.    At the Meet the Bidders briefings a number of our members asked about the issue of conflict of interest.

How does your model deal with perceived and or conflict of interest? How does you model manage and mitigate these interests?

The Council refused to submit these questions to the Bidders, this is but another example of how ‘commercial confidentiality’ will be used to avoid public scrutiny of public services delivered by the private sector.

Dear Councillors 

You may be aware that recently staff working across back office services had the opportunity to meet the two contractors (BT and Capita) bidding to win the NSCSO contract to deliver services such as Finance, Procurement, Pensions, IT, Customer Services to name but a few.

UNISON welcomed the opportunity for staff to meet the bidders and I would like to commend the senior officers for enabling this to take place.

UNISON felt it was important to capture the feedback from our members as to what they had learnt from the presentation.

UNISON carried out a simple survey (see attached) of our members attending both presentations and we now have the results which I promised my members I would share with all 63 councillors.

Below are four key issues emerging from the presentation

·        Only 41%of members expressed confidence that BT can effectively deliver their service, as compared with only17% for Capita

·        Only 41% of members were confident that BT would not make staff redundant after TUPE transfer as compared with only 7% for Capita

·        The majority of our members want to meet the Bidders before the preferred Bidder is selected

·        The majority of members remain unconvinced that either contractor will protect terms & conditions for current staff and new starters

I hope that you will all have time to read and consider our presentation and support our request that further meeting with both Bidders be arranged for staff before the preferred bidder is selected.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Dear Councillors

 

I understand that you have all at some point been invited to a presentation by Andy Mudd Andy Mudd, Principal Consultant, APSE. I attach a copy of a letter sent to all 63 councillors on behalf of our Regional Secretary Linda Perks.

 

On behalf of my members I want to encourage all councillors regardless of political persuasion to take up this offer as I believe it will provide all of you an opportunity to discuss and reflect on the implications of becoming a Commissioning Council.

 

Tonight there is a presentation to members of both scrutiny committees (7 pm Hendon Town Hall) and the following week on Thursday 14 June at 7 pm in Hendon Town Hall Committee Room 3, another presentation is to all of you.

 

A hard copy of the APSE report will follow in the post.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

0208 359 2088

Dear NSL

I am writing to you following news that one of your former employees was recently convicted of credit card fraud.

My members are contacting me about concerns that this manager had access to theior personal data including their passports.

I spoke to you yesterday and said that I would be requesting NSL issue a statement to staff about what has happened and what safeguards are being put in place to protect their data from potential fraud.

I would welcome a swift response to this request.

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

 

 

What is a ‘thin client? This is a good question and something the Council is spending £££thousands of tax payers money on for the One Barnet Programme. Back in 2008 the Audit Commission said  that contract failure with the private sector was often because local authorities underestimated the size of the client.  In the case of One Barnet they are reducing the client size to what I would describe as the One Barnet ‘invisible client’.

The One Barnet invisible client basically operates like this. The council hands the contract and money to the private sector and says

“we want you to monitor your performance and we want you to notify us when you fail to perform so then we can fine you!”

Does anyone see a flaw in this plan? 

I attended a second tripartite meeting earlier this week and it was shambolic the worst meeting I have ever attended. I had invited the UNISON Harrow branch secretary to attend the meeting as he would be picking up any issues raised in this consultation when staff transfer to Harrow. I had been given no indication that there was an objection until at the eleventh hour I received an email from HR stating the Harrow Branch Secretary would not be allowed in to the meeting. I accompanied the Harrow Branch Secretary upstairs to the meeting where we were informed that he would not be allowed in. He then sought a meeting with senior managers from Harrow Councils this took 35 minutes of our 60 minute meeting.

I then had to escort him off the premises. I went into the meeting and registered my dismay at how he and UNISON has been treated. I went on to explain that I had previous experience of attending TUPE discussions when non council employees were being TUPED into the council (four years ago staff working for Connexions and Prospects were TUPED back into Barnet Council). I handled the TUPE discussions (with agreement from HR) even though they had previous belonged to Enfield UNISON branch.

After explaining this point (I had included this in my email reply to the ban) I asked that common sense apply and Harrow be allowed to attend future meetings , this was refused.

Staff Personal Information:

At this meeting I was informed that no personal information had been shared with Harrow Council including details about job role etc. I registered my dissatisfaction that with less than 5 weeks to transfer this information has not been shared with staff.

I asked for a delay to the transfer, this was rejected and I said I would be consulting my members on this matter.

Update on the Ban

I have been informed that the Harrow Branch Secretary will be allowed to attend but only as an Observer. I have written to say this is unacceptable and that he must be allowed to contribute to the discussions taking place.

……as Barnet Council staff are constantly reminded ..“Think Customer…The Customer is always right”

In which case we are currently awaiting an announcement that the One Barnet Commissioning Council is to be abandoned and normal service resume………

Last night the Customers of Brunswick Ward delivered a massive swing away from the policies of One Barnet Commissioning Council.

See results here

1. Andreas Ioannidis (Lab) 1,769

2. Shaheen Mahmood (Cons) 1,598

3. Yahaya Kiingi (LibDem) 97

This massive swing follows on from previous electoral swings from Customers in East Finchley By Election and across the whole of the borough with the GLA results.

We work in a political environment and at times the landscape can change radically which is another reason why One Barnet works against Local democracy. By that I mean that in 2014 (which is in 668 days. 19 hours….43 minutes…0 seconds!) another political party may win the election on a Manifesto opposing One Barnet yet find themselves locked in 10 year contract which the electorate had rejected.

As our members know UNISON recently tried to engage with senior officers of the Council about the One Barnet Commissioning programme. This offer was rejected, twice now.

UNISON has now begun a series of briefings for councillors.

• Scrutiny Committee briefing on Thursday 7 June, 7 pm Hendon Town Hall
• All 63 Councillors 14 June , 7 pm Hendon Town Hall

More to follow

UNISON has now begun a series of briefings for members.

Two briefings next week on Thursday 7 June between 12 – 2

UNISON has now begun a series of briefings for residents.

Wednesday 6 June Greek Cypriot Centre, 7 pm

 Background

Barnet Alliance for Public Services delivered over 10,000 leaflets to residents over the last two weeks. As more and more residents find out about the scope and scale of One Barnet they are volunteering to help.

Next Key Date: Keep Barnet Public Conference Saturday 7 July 12 noon at the Greek Cypriot Centre

 

Grahame Park (GP) – Update

To help eradicate rumours, Management has confirmed that Grahame Park site has not been sold and that to date there has been no agreement on an alternative site.

The Tower Block Building, top floor has been made vacant and the room will be changed into classrooms for use in the next academic year.

At this point no more teams will be moved out of GP site and there will be continued provision at GP for the next academic year.

Job Evaluation (JE) – Update

Management has confirmed that job evaluation is currently on hold until all areas have completed the restructuring process.  It is anticipated that JE will be rolled out in the next academic year.

Business Support Review

HR and UNISON will be running a joint administration review on the current business administration services and support for curriculum areas offered at all campuses.

This will provide staff with the opportunity to inform management of what works well and what changes need to be implemented to improve services to both staff and students.  This review will provide invaluable information to management which will be helpful prior to them issuing a new Business Support restructure proposal in the autumn term.

HR and UNISON will be arranging meetings with Head of Curriculum and Services, focus groups and an email box for staff to have the opportunity to put forward their views of how current services are being delivered, identify what is required at operational level to support academic staff, help improve quality and the learner experience.  UNISON urges all members to participate in this review through any of the above modes of communication to provide suggestions of improving the business support services.

To view full report back from UNISON rep Christalla Tsattala  click here