“I Found Myself Just Crying” – Your Choice Barnet

“I found myself just crying, you don’t realise how down you’ve been feeling, then it hits you. I just want to leave”

These are the words of a worker who has been outsourced and has an “at risk” letter and has found out that her new employer has recruited externally to posts which were a match for her post. What kind of an employer would keep people dangling with “at risk” letters and recruit to posts leaving them still at risk? A private sector employer? No, Your Choice Barnet!

The original proposals saw a reduction of 13 equivalent Support Worker posts. We have calculated 14 have left the service voluntarily and yet we still have a number of Support Workers with “at risk” letters hanging over them. Meanwhile vacancies are being filled with agency staff!

UNISON is trying to get some stability in the workforce as we believe this benefits our members and the service users who are dependent on establishing trusting relationships with the people who are supporting them. We are advocating for as many of the Zero Hour Contracts Your Choice Barnet operates as possible to be turned into permanent contracts.