Category: Disability

Weekly Blog — speaking truth to power – National Care Service

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Cost of Living Crisis, Disability, Local, London Living Wage, National, News, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

 

This week I published a piece on the branch website about the National Care Service debate. I want to use this blog to explain why I wrote it, what it means for our members right now, and where the dispute with The Barnet Group stands.

Why I wrote about a National Care Service

Politicians talk about creating a National Care Service the way they talk about most things — as a funding question. How much will it cost? How will it be paid for? Those are fair questions. But they are not the only ones.

After 31 years as a UNISON rep, I have watched care workers praised in speeches and shortchanged in their pay packets. I have watched outsourcing strip away decent terms. I have watched workers transferred out of council employment, away from the Local Government Pension Scheme, onto weaker sick pay, weaker holiday entitlement, weaker everything — and I have watched management call it an efficiency.

A National Care Service built on that foundation is not a National Care Service. It is the same fragmented mess with a new name on the door.

If the Government is serious, it starts with the workforce. Fair pay, secure contracts, collective bargaining, and access to a proper pension. You can read the full piece here: https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2026/07/30/a-national-care-service-must-start-with-the-workforce/

The dispute on our doorstep

While politicians debate the future, our members in Your Choice Barnet and Barnet Homes are living the present. And the present is not acceptable.

Earlier this month, 97% of Your Choice Barnet members and 100% of Barnet Homes members voted for industrial action in consultative ballots. Those turnouts would have comfortably beaten the statutory thresholds needed for a formal ballot. The message could not have been clearer.

The Barnet Group’s response? They refused to negotiate. They rejected the claim in full and said they would not move. That is not a negotiating position. That is a refusal to engage with people who deliver first-class public services on second-class pay.

We have now requested formal statutory industrial action ballots. That process is underway. The Barnet Group is wholly owned by Barnet Council. The council cannot stand to one side and say this has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with them.

The pension question

One of the central demands in this dispute is access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. This matters and it is worth explaining why.

LGPS is not a gold-plated luxury. It is a defined benefit scheme that gives workers a degree of certainty about their retirement — the kind of certainty that has been taken for granted by council employees for decades. Workers transferred into TBG and Your Choice Barnet were moved away from it. That means lower retirement income for some of the lowest-paid workers in the borough.

We often hear that LGPS employer contributions make it unaffordable. The employer contribution rate is currently 20.4%. That is not a secret. But it is worth pointing out that the people who find LGPS “unaffordable” for frontline care workers tend to be the same senior managers who are themselves in the scheme and drawing from it. If it is good enough for them, it is good enough for the people doing the actual care.

What happens next

The formal ballot process has begun. If members vote yes — and I expect they will — strike action becomes a real possibility. That is not where anyone wants to be. But it is where The Barnet Group has taken us by refusing to negotiate.

If you work in Your Choice Barnet or Barnet Homes, make sure your contact details are up to date with the branch. Watch for your ballot when it arrives. And vote.

Best wishes John Burgess Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 27 January 2026 Your Choice Barnet care workers demand fair pay, fair terms and access to LGPS — “time to end this injustice”

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Disability, Local, News, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
27 January 2026

Your Choice Barnet care workers demand fair pay, fair terms and access to LGPS — “time to end this injustice”

Barnet UNISON has submitted a formal Pay and Terms & Conditions claim to The Barnet Group (TBG) on behalf of workers delivering adult social care through Your Choice Barnet, including staff on YCB contracts and “TBG Flex” contracts.

The union says the claim is aimed at ending a long-running “two-tier workforce”, where care and support workers delivering publicly commissioned services are not on council terms and conditions and do not have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).



What Your Choice Barnet workers are demanding (from 1 April 2026)


The claim, submitted for the 2026/27 period, includes:


PAY


An increase of £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) across pay points/rates


A £15 per hour minimum rate for all staff


Applied consistently to overtime, sleep-ins/unsocial hours payments, enhancements, allowances and other pay-related payments, with no detrimental changes to existing arrangements


TERMS & CONDITIONS


A two-hour reduction in the standard working week with no loss of pay, implemented in a way that protects service users and staffing levels Harmonisation to a standard 36 hour contract


One additional day of annual leave


ENDING THE TWO-TIER WORKFORCE


A commitment to move Your Choice Barnet staff onto equivalent core terms and conditions to Barnet Council/NJC standards


A single, transparent pay structure with clear progression, equality-proofed arrangements, covering all staff including those on TBG Flex contracts


PENSIONS


Access to the LGPS, including a route-map meeting with stakeholders (TBG, Barnet Pension Fund/LBB as administering authority, and UNISON), and no detriment to staff


Barnet UNISON has requested a formal negotiation meeting and has given management four weeks to respond.




“Care workers are being exploited in one of the most expensive cities in the world”


Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair and UNISON SGE representative, said:


“Your Choice Barnet staff provide vital care and support to vulnerable adults, yet many are treated as second-class compared to council employees delivering public services. Keeping care workers outside council terms and conditions and excluding them from the Local Government Pension Scheme is unfair — and it amounts to exploitation of a predominantly low-paid workforce.


“This is London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. People who deliver life-changing care should not be forced to do so on worse terms and without a proper public service pension.


“It’s time to end this injustice. Barnet UNISON’s claim is straightforward: fair pay, fair conditions, and access to LGPS for the care workers who keep services going every day. We are calling on The Barnet Group to negotiate seriously and reach a fair settlement.”


Notes to editors


    

  • Your Choice Barnet delivers adult social care services on behalf of the London Borough of Barnet and is part of The Barnet Group.
    • 

  • Barnet UNISON represents care and support staff across Barnet, including staff employed by The Barnet Group and its subsidiaries.
    • 

  • The claim applies to Your Choice Barnet staff, including those on TBG contracts and “TBG Flex” contracts.
    • 



Contact


For more information, interviews, or to support the campaign:

Barnet UNISON – contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


End. 


2026.01.07 leaflet (YCB)

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet Council Proposes Cutting Welfare Team Post During Worst Cost of Living Crisis in 77 Years
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Local, News, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON has today (9 September 2025) raised the alarm over a Barnet Council proposal to cut a vital post in the Welfare Team – the frontline service that supports residents struggling with debt, welfare benefits, and the cost of living.


The Council has opened a 30-day consultation (closing 8 October) on a restructure that would delete the equivalent of one full-time Income Maximisation Officer post. This is a low-paid role that helps residents navigate welfare benefits, manage debt, and access emergency support funds. The financial saving to the Council is minimal, but the human cost to vulnerable residents will be devastating.


Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary said:


“This is the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years. Thousands of Barnet residents are already struggling to pay their rent, heat their homes, and put food on the table. Cutting a frontline welfare advice post at this time is indefensible.


Our Welfare Team does life-saving work. The Council should be investing in these services, not taking them away. This cut will hit the poorest residents hardest, for the sake of a small budget saving.”


The consultation document acknowledges that these posts were originally created in January 2023 to respond to the cost-of-living crisis, delivering targeted outreach in Barnet’s most deprived communities. Despite this proven need, the Council is now proposing to reduce the team’s capacity.


Barnet UNISON will be responding to the consultation by calling on the Council to:


    

  • Withdraw the proposed cut and explore alternative funding options.
    • 

  • Guarantee no compulsory redundancies.
    • 

  • Recognise the vital role of low-paid staff who keep essential services running for Barnet’s residents.
    • 



UNISON will be engaging with staff, councillors, and the local community throughout the consultation to fight for these vital services.


Notes to Editors


    

  • The consultation runs from 9 September – 8 October 2025.
    • 

  • The proposal would reduce the number of Income Maximisation Officers from 9 to 8.
    • 

  • These staff support vulnerable residents with welfare benefits, debt advice, and financial support including the Resident Support Fund, Household Support Fund, and Discretionary Housing Payments.
    • 



For further information email the branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


 


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
UNISON calls on Barnet Council to scrap plans to close vital mental health service
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Health and Safety, Local, National, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON has today published a report challenging Barnet Council’s proposal to close The Network, a long-standing community mental health prevention and recovery service.


Read our report in the link below


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Barnet-UNISON-Report-The-Future-of-The-Network.pdf


The Council’s own consultation shows 73% of respondents opposed closure — including 100% of carers — yet officers are still recommending that Cabinet votes to shut the service.


Barnet UNISON’s report sets out detailed evidence showing that:


    

  • The Network prevents crisis: Service users say it has kept them out of hospital, sustained their employment, and reduced isolation. One user told the consultation: “Without The Network, I would have ended up in hospital. It kept me going when nothing else was available.”
    • 

  • It is cost-effective: The service costs just £0.5m annually. Preventing as few as ten 14-day hospital admissions saves £280,000, over a third of the budget.
    • 

  • Alternatives cannot cope: The officer report lists other providers but gives no evidence of spare capacity or commitments to take additional referrals.
    • 

  • Equality impacts are serious: The Equalities Impact Assessment identifies disproportionate harm to working-age disabled women, which has been downplayed.
    • 

  • Labour values are at stake: National Labour policy stresses prevention, early help and keeping people in work. Closing The Network contradicts those commitments and risks reputational damage for Barnet Labour.
    • 

  • Legal risk: Closure exposes the Council to potential challenge under the Care Act 2014 (s.2 duty to prevent and delay need) and the Public Sector Equality Duty.
    • 



The report also includes:


    

  • Appendix E – Practitioner Evidence: authored by the staff who deliver the service. It shows The Network supports 350–500 referrals annually, has one of the shortest waits in Adult Social Care, and plays a recognised role in suicide prevention.
    • 

  • An Addendum responding directly to the final Cabinet papers, rebutting claims of declining demand, alternative capacity, and robust transition planning.
    • 



UNISON Statement


John Burgess, Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON, said:


“Closing The Network is a false economy. It costs very little but saves the NHS and the Council huge sums by keeping people well, in work, and out of crisis. The consultation shows residents, carers, and professionals overwhelmingly oppose closure. Labour nationally is committed to expanding mental health support. Why would a Labour council do the opposite?”


Christina McAnea, UNISON General Secretary, has said:


“Slashing vital services that keep people well and independent is a false economy. Care should be a human right and a public service.”


Jon Richards, UNISON Assistant General Secretary, has warned:


“Cutting already overstretched services abandons some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”


UNISON’s call to Barnet Council Cabinet


Barnet UNISON is urging Cabinet members to:


    

  1. Reject closure at the Cabinet meeting.
    2. 

  2. Commission a genuine options appraisal — including integration into the Prevention & Wellbeing Team, joint-funding with NHS North Central London ICB, and service redesign.
    3. 

  3. Require evidence of provider capacity before any change is considered.
    4. 

  4. Re-run the EqIA with real evidence and lived-experience testimony.
    5. 





Notes for editors


    

  • Barnet UNISON’s full report “The Future of The Network” (including Appendix E – Practitioner Evidence and Addendum to the final Cabinet report) is attached and available on request.
    • 

  • Appendices also include: Appendix A – Consultation, Appendix B – EqIA, Appendix D – Other Services.
    • 

  • The Network currently supports 165 active service users, processes 350–500 referrals annually, and provides suicide prevention, recovery groups, and employment support.
    • 



Ends.

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Mental Health Workers and Service Users Unite to Save Barnet’s Network Service
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Local, News, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Mental Health Workers and Service Users Unite to Save Barnet’s Network Service


We are calling on Barnet Council to protect a lifeline mental health support service—the Network—currently under threat of closure.


The Network provides short-term, therapeutic support and wellbeing workshops to adults experiencing mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Operating from Finchley, the service has offered vital support to vulnerable residents while they await access to NHS Talking Therapies.


If this service is withdrawn, many people will be left without support at a time when demand for mental health care is surging. We are deeply concerned that the closure will lead to increased isolation, greater pressure on overstretched NHS services, and worsening mental health outcomes for some of Barnet’s most at-risk residents.


We urge all mental health professionals, service users, carers, and local residents to stand up and defend this essential service. Your voice can make the difference.


Have your say before the consultation closes on 14 July 2025.


🔗 Respond to the consultation: www.engage.barnet.gov.uk/the-network


📧 Email: CAHConsultation@barnet.gov.uk


Together, let’s show Barnet Council that mental health support matters—and the Network must stay.


 


Notes to Editors.


Contact details: Barnet UNISON on 0208 359 2088 or email: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
“3.2% is not good enough – members deserve better!”
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Demonstration, Disability, Health and Safety, Housing, Libraries, News, Pensions, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


The news is that the response of the employers to the joint trade union National Pay claim for £3,000 is 3.2%.


Barnet UNISON members can view what 3.2% means to their grade by clicking on the link below


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2025/04/24/national-pay-offer-3-2/


UNISON members know that their pay has fallen behind the cost of living and that they are “all now working one day a week for free.”


If we continue to fail to negotiate a pay award that directly deals with the cost-of-living crisis, soon public sector workers will be working “two days a week for free.”


We are in the worst cost-of-living crisis in 77 years.


Politicians seeking to confuse and defend poor pay talk about inflation rates falling as if that has improved things for our members.


Speaking to some of our lowest paid members in care homes, depots, and schools, they are seriously struggling to survive on poverty wages.


Inflation may go up and down, but prices are not going down and they keep rising:


    

  • 50% rise in local Bus Fares
    • 

  • 41% rise in Water Bills
    • 

  • 22% rise in Stamp prices
    • 

  • 18.4% rise in Energy Bills
    • 

  • 16% rise Rail Cards
    • 

  • 14% rise in Tuition Fees
    • 

  • 4.99% rise in Council Tax
    • 

  • 4.6% rise in Rail Fares
    • 



Whilst the poor are getting poorer, and the rich are getting richer.


We have been here before in 2009 our Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary set out his serious concerns in a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown 24 June 2009 


“Barnet Council has made efficiency savings of £80.9m over 7 years, £58.8m in the last 5 years” 


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/NO_PRIMEMINISTER_0.pdf


15 years ago, Barnet UNISON had concerns about poverty, privatisation and the emergence of the Far-Right politics. In Barnet Council we had hundreds of redundancies for several years as the Council claimed they were not being funded. Things haven’t changed and we had our first round of redundancies last December due to the current financial crisis.


What is clear is that the voices of our members across the Council across workplaces, be it a school, a depot, care home or day centre need to be heard and LOUDLY.


Barnet Council is lobbying the government for more funding, but there needs to be more pressure than that. We all need to add our voices for more funding


We are asking our members to sign the following Petition to Angela Rayner (who used to be a UNISON rep). This petition is not just for our members but can be signed by members’ family and friends or anyone who wants to see an end to the destruction of public services.


https://chng.it/6DSvxfZqhz


 


end.


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
			
	

		
		
Depot workers welcome guest speaker on Injuries at Work
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Health and Safety, Local, Repairs, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON depot workers welcomed special guest speaker from Thompson’s Solicitors.


The guest speaker spoke about the free services for UNISON members provided by Thompsons.


The main part of the discussion was around reporting accidents at work.


Depot work environment. 


In any depot, where loading and unloading, bending and stretching defines the day, the importance of reporting accidents cannot be overstated.


For depot workers, whose labour is physically demanding, even seemingly minor incidents can have significant consequences. A sprained ankle dismissed as a “little twist,” or a cut brushed off as a “scratch,” can escalate into serious, long-term health issues if left unreported.


Reporting accidents is not about assigning blame; it’s about safeguarding wellbeing. It’s about creating a culture where a worker feels empowered to speak up without fear of reprisal. When an accident is reported, it triggers a chain of events designed to prevent recurrence. It allows for a thorough investigation, identifying potential hazards and implementing corrective measures. This not only protects the individual involved but also their colleagues, fostering a safer working environment for everyone.


Moreover, prompt reporting ensures access to necessary medical attention and support. Early intervention can significantly reduce recovery time and prevent complications. Ignoring an injury can lead to chronic pain, reduced mobility, and even permanent disability, impacting not only a worker’s livelihood but also their quality of life.


Ultimately, reporting accidents is a fundamental act of self-preservation. It’s an acknowledgment that a worker’s health and safety are paramount, and that their wellbeing matters. In the demanding environment of a manual depot, where physical resilience is crucial, reporting every incident, no matter how small, is a vital step towards ensuring a safe and healthy working life.


Barnet UNISON will use our #DepotWednesday meetings to remind and encourage our members to work safely and report, report and report.


End.

			

		

		
		


	
		
	
			  

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