Solidarity from Liz Wheatley Camden UNISON

Liz Wheatley Camden UNISON Julia Mwaluke UNISON Vice President Helen Davies Barnet UNISON

 

Dear Striking Social Workers in Barnet UNISON,

We want to send further solidarity greetings from Camden UNISON whilst you are taking more strike action over the way you are being treated. It’s outrageous that your team isn’t deemed worthy of the same retention payments as other teams and services in Barnet – we know that there’s a real problem recruiting and retaining social workers across London, and a Council that doesn’t treat you properly will lose you.

For far too long, public services have been seen by Tory governments as a waste of money – they have grudgingly given as little as possible each year. However, we know that in reality, the services we provide are a lifeline for millions, and are what makes society function – where would we be without school support staff, refuse workers, housing workers, library workers and of course social workers?

We also know that you get the service you pay for – the kind of support you provide really needs continuity, it needs providers who aren’t over-worked and stressed, who have the time to find the best for their clients, and who simply have the time for their clients. So for your bosses to not even discuss how they can solve the retention crisis in your team is a real disgrace.

Not least because the money is there. A recent report from Oxfam this month has highlighted that the five richest people in the world have more than doubled their wealth since 2020. Their wealth has increased by more than £11 an hour. At the same time, the world’s poorest 5 billion people have been made poorer. So it’s not about no money in society, it’s about who has it.

Your strike is part of a bigger fight from our class saying that we should have more of the money available – for us, and also for those we provide a service to. That’s why it matters that you win, and if we can help you by bringing solidarity then we will. Last year, some members of our branch here in Camden took indefinite strike action for 59 days, and they had a huge win – they increased their pay by £5,000 this year, and above inflation rises for the next 2 years as well. The lesson that they teach us is that if you fight, it’s possible to win!

Solidarity to you all,

Liz Wheatley (Branch Secretary) and Jacqui Wallace (Branch Chair)

Camden UNISON

Liz Wheatley

Branch Secretary

Camden UNISON

Come along to Solidarity Fundraiser for Mental Health social work strikers 12 Jan

I want to give a big thanks to UNISON Young Members – Greater London Region for organising a Strike Fundraiser for Barnet Mental Health Workers!” It is truly both humbling and inspiring that our UNISON Young Members are prepared to take the time to organise this event. (John Burgess Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON).

 

Please click on link to register.

https://www.outsavvy.com/event/17466/strike-fundraiser-for-barnet-mental-health-workers

 

Read about  details below.

Our comrades, the Mental Health Workers at Barnet Council, have been on strike over poor pay and dangerous working conditions that put the lives of the people they care for at risk. There were also new colleagues who wanted to join the strike but council management has blocked members from taking action. We commend our brave comrades and Unison Young Members – Greater London Region are hosting this fundraiser to support them whilst on strike.

Join us at Pelican House, 144 Cambridge Heath Road and expect some great music with live DJ’s, a raffle and some cheap food and drinks.Event kicks off at 6:30pm until 11pm. Let’s party and dance in solidarity with the brave strikers! 💃

Tickets are £7 advance and £10 at the door.

Striking workers go free! ALL funds going to directly to strike relief fund.

The event space has level access. There is a gender neutral accessible bathroom available for use directly next to the event space which does not require a radar key.

There is no parking at the event space, the nearest Blue Badge parking is on Parmiter Street, approximately 965 metres away, where there are 2 on street bays, with a 3hr maximum. We can open the gate to let a car through with advance notice, but it is not normally possible to park a car there for the duration of an event.

Hasta la victoria siempre!! ✊

Organised By UNISON Young Members – Greater London Region

Organiser of Strike Fundraiser for Barnet Mental Health Workers!

 

Yo Ho Ho: Join Barnet UNISON Festive Mental Health social worker picket line

Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers begin a week of strike action on Monday 4 December.

Please see details of the location and times of our picket line.

What can supporters do?

1. Visit our picket lines all week commencing 4 December to 8 December

between 8- 12.30 pm (see attached graphic).

2. Please sign #BarnetUNISON email campaign to Barnet Council Chief Executive Please click on the link and follow the instructions. https://action.unison.org.uk/page/135744/action/1 Let us know when he replies.

Please send a solidarity message to our strikers by emailing our office at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

3. If you are on social media, you can help by liking/sharing or commenting on our many posts. Here are our social media sites.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barnet_unison

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barnetunison/

4. Please write by email or by letter to:

John Hooton, Chief Executive of Barnet Council John.Hooton@Barnet.gov.uk

Address: London Borough of Barnet; 2 Bristol Avenue; London NW9 4EW

Cllr Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council Cllr.B.Rawlings@barnet.gov.uk

Address: London Borough of Barnet; 2 Bristol Avenue; London NW9 4EW.

 

Solidarity

Barnet UNISON.

End.

Background:

  1. Open letter to Executive Director of Adult Social Care – Mental Health social work dispute.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/16/open-letter-to-executive-director-of-adult-social-care-mental-health-social-work-dispute/

  1. Open letter to Director of Adult Social Care – Mental Health social work dispute.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/16/open-letter-to-director-of-adult-social-care-mental-health-social-work-dispute/

  1. Open letter to Cllr Barry Rawlings Leader of Barnet Council

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/15/open-letter-to-cllr-barry-rawlings-leader-of-barnet-council/

Invitation to House of Commons debate on why social workers are voting to strike

Why are Barnet Council Mental Health social workers taking strike action?

Mental Health Social Workers in Barnet have taken 12 days of strike action and another 14 days are planned in the coming months. But Barnet isn’t the only local authority in which social workers are saying enough is enough. Earlier this year South Gloucestershire social workers became the first branch to successfully ballot for strike action with Barnet, Brighton, Swindon and Leeds social workers all having declared strike action in the following months. Similar issues are being raised by strikers across the country including high caseloads, under-staffing, unsafe services, and unfair pay policies.

13 years of austerity have resulted in huge cuts to local authority statutory services while the impact of covid has contributed to increases in referrals to social care that are forecast to continue for years to come. In such an environment and with no clear political priority being placed on fixing social care, this panel discussion considers topics like the role of social workers in championing better public services and fair pay for workers.

The session will be held on 5th December 2023 at 6.30pm in Committee Room 17, House of Commons.

The event is free, and all are welcome but please book your place by emailing contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Co- Chairs: John McDonnell MP and Kerie Anne

Panellists:

  1. Kristiana Heapy
  2. Dan Smart
  3. Corinna Edwards-Colledge
  4. Nana Yabbey-Hagan.

Kerie Anne, Chair of UNISON National Social Care Forum, Branch Secretary, Tower Hamlets UNISON and Families social worker.

Corinna Edwards-Colledge is joint branch secretary of Brighton and Hove UNISON and has worked in local government for over 20 years.  She is also a campaigner and a writer, and is currently leading adult social workers in Brighton on their very first strike action over pay parity.

Kristiana Heapy Kristiana is the Unison team rep in Barnet’s Mental Health Social Work South Team which is currently undertaking strike action. Kristiana qualified as a social worker in 2022, prior to that she worked in the voluntary sector in a number of public policy, campaigning and service delivery roles. In her spare time Kristiana has held voluntary positions for charities focused on access to green space, equality and supporting people experiencing mental ill-health..

Dan Smart is Branch secretary, UNISON South Gloucestershire and an Adulst social worker.

Nana Yabbey-Hagan is a Qualified Social Worker for Children and Families of 10 years. Nana is currently a Team Manager for a Looked After Childrens Team, previously a Team Manager for a frontline Children Protection Team. In addition, Nana is a Practice Educator for Bachelor’s, Masters, Step Up Students/ASYE assessor for Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW), University Lecturer and Co-Host of the Social Worker and The Mentor Podcast.

***Please note Barnet UNISON Mental Health Social Workers are taking a whole week of strike action starting Monday 4 December to Friday 8 December.

You are welcome to join our Festive Barnet UNISON Picket line details of location are below.

End.

Background:

  1. Open letter to Executive Director of Adult Social Care – Mental Health social work dispute.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/16/open-letter-to-executive-director-of-adult-social-care-mental-health-social-work-dispute/

  1. Open letter to Director of Adult Social Care – Mental Health social work dispute.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/16/open-letter-to-director-of-adult-social-care-mental-health-social-work-dispute/

  1. Open letter to Cllr Barry Rawlings Leader of Barnet Council

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/15/open-letter-to-cllr-barry-rawlings-leader-of-barnet-council/

 

Open letter to Cllr Barry Rawlings Leader of Barnet Council

Dear Councillor Rawlings,

We are Barnet UNISON Mental Health Social Workers. Mental Health Social Workers have taken 9 of 32 announced strike dates. We took strike action as a last resort after 18 months of trying to negotiate with senior managers at Barnet Council about concerns that mental health social work services are not able to run at a safe level because there are not enough social workers, particularly experienced social workers, to meet rising demand. As a consequence, waiting lists continue to rise to dangerous levels and burnt-out staff are leaving for better paid social work roles in universities with no statutory responsibility, or better paid specialist roles in the NHS. In the last 12 months 14 permanent and locum mental health social workers have left their roles, in addition since the strikes began 2 more social workers have since handed in their notice taking the total to 16 social workers or 66 % of social workers, will have left in the space of one year.  Furthermore, locums who come and go in a short period of time can also negatively impact people with mental ill-health who benefit from consistency and the trust they are able to build with the professionals they work with.

We recognise the context of 13 years of a Tory government which has taken a scythe to vital public services. However, Barnet Labour Council cannot hide behind this fact to abstain themselves from any responsibility for providing a safe mental health service in Barnet. In 2022 when Barnet Labour took an absolute majority in Barnet for the first time in almost 50 years, you said that you would work with residents to “make big changes to the borough”. For mental health social work services those changes have meant a waiting list in community mental health services that has grown from about 4 months to 15 months and a staff retention crisis.

Barnet Labour were elected on a manifesto pledge to “champion good mental health and increase a Barnet Charter for Mental health”. This sounded promising but in reality, this new charter was launched without any input or discussion with community mental health social workers, on a day when mental health social workers were picketing the same building.

We have been disappointed in Barnet Labour Council’s response to our strike. We have seen quotes given to media from councillors which parrot the same line that senior managers have been telling Barnet UNISON for 18 months. Repeating false claims that there isn’t a recruitment and retention issue in mental health social work. These are claims for which we have repeatedly and consistently asked senior managers to provide evidence, but none has been forthcoming. It is examples like these which Barnet Labour must take responsibility for and should not be hiding behind the inadequacies of central government mismanagement.

As a Labour Council we ask for you to show solidarity with not only UNISON members who deserve fair pay but more importantly Barnet residents who deserve a safe service and no waiting lists. We are asking for your help to bring an end to this dispute, reverse the decline in mental health social work services and make Barnet an example that other local authorities can aspire to emulate.

We are asking for a meeting with you to discuss how we can achieve this.

Yours sincerely,

Barnet UNISON Mental Health Social Workers.

 

Breaking News: Urgent: Mental Health Social Work Crisis increases to 66%

pictures of 4 social workers

 

“66% of Mental Health social workers in post since 1 January 2023 will have left Barnet Council within the space of last 12 months”.

Day 76 day since UNISON issued Barnet Council with official notice of strike action for Mental Health social workers working across three acute Mental Health social work teams.

To date there has been no approach from Barnet Council to try and reach a resolution despite UNISON proposing several possible solutions.

Today, Barnet UNISON was informed that another one of our strikers had handed in their notice. This means that in the space of 11 months of 2023 16 social workers will have left the Mental Health Teams involved in this dispute.

What has alarmed our members has been the ‘macho approach’ to this dispute. Instead of seeking to find a way to resolve the escalating social work crisis management have taken a strategic approach which amounts to ‘burying their heads in the sand’ with the hope that it will all go away. The following statement was reported in Community Care Magazine 31 October 2023:

“In a statement to Community Care, Barnet’s cabinet member for adult social care, Paul Edwards, said that 30 of the 31 posts were already filled, by 26 permanent staff and four locums.

The above statement implies that there are 31 social work posts across the 3 Mental Health Social Work Teams. This is incorrect there are in fact only 21 social work posts across the three social work teams which means that with the 14 staff already gone that represented 66% of the social workers in employment on 1 January 2023 had left the above teams before UNISON issued the strike notice on 1 September.

Another two more social workers have handed in their notice, meaning that 66% of the social workers in post since 1 January 2023.

The question UNISON has for Barnet Council is this:

“How many more social workers need to hand in their notice before you come to the negotiating table?”

The only people who lose are Mental Health service users living in the London Borough of Barnet where there is a 15-month waiting list.

The clock is ticking.

End.

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