UNISON response to Proposed Transfer of the Housing Service to Barnet Homes and the Barnet Group

Barnet UNISON Questions to Cabinet Resources Committee on the Proposed Transfer of the Housing Service to Barnet Homes and the Barnet Group

1. Given that Barnet Homes already manage the void process closely with HNR, please provide evidence to support the assumption that performance will markedly improve following the merge?

2. There has recently been a significant increase in demand for homelessness services and there is an expectation that this will be sustained following the welfare reforms. How does the Council expect to manage this whilst at the same time making reductions in frontline staffing?

3. The 2012/13 400k savings required means that if Housing staff are transferred into Barnet Homes, the 60/40 split between General fund and HRA means that 10 posts will need to be cut to meet a required savings of 6 posts. In other words, if housing staff are transferred into Barnet Homes, a greater number of job cuts will be required to achieve the same degree of savings. How will this loss of posts lead to an improved customer experience?

4. What measures are in place to manage a fair and equitable process of implementing the staff cuts across LBB and Barnet Homes?

5. In considering the potential savings via posts [Table 2 in the report to Cabinet Resources Committee and 6.12 in the document going to General Functions], the cost of funding the posts of the Head of Service and the Accommodation and Resources staff appears to have been lumped together. If so, please explain why and provide a breakdown of the costs and expected savings.

6. Both Barnet Homes and Housing Needs and Resources should know how many vacancies they have. Please provide details of just how much of the savings can be realistically made via these vacancies.

 

 

 

 

To view full details of our report to Cabinet Resources Committee click here