Category: Recruitment

Breaking News: 100% vote by Mental Health Social Workers for strike action

Austerity, Local, News, Recruitment, Report, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

North London Business Park, New Southgate.
Unison members go on strike over pay and conditions at Barnet Council.

On Friday 1 September 2023, Barnet UNISON notified Barnet Council Chief Executive that Mental Health Social Workers voted 100% for strike action with a 78.95% turnout.

The strike ballot is in relation to the chronic staffing issues across frontline mental health social work teams in Barnet Council.

Barnet Council has had a long and proud history of Mental Health Social Work pioneering the crisis intervention model in the 1970’s long before Care in the Community legislation.

Barnet Mental Health Social work teams were sought after workplaces full of experienced social workers, but sadly there has been a long drawn-out neglect towards mental health social work which has led to this current crisis. The demise of Mental Health Social Work Teams can be traced back to Barnet Council’s obsession with the “One Barnet mass outsourcing approach” to service delivery. The focus was on commissioning rather than delivering.

The final nail in the coffin for Mental Health Social Work Teams was in 2016 when Barnet Tories agreed the senior management proposal to delete social work posts and replace them with non social work qualified roles. Barnet UNISON in our report: “Unsafe & Unsustainable” UNISON response to Mental Health Restructure 2016 https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/2016-10-12-UNISON-response.pdf” warned the Council of the consequences of pursuing this ideological change. However, as often, when we submit reports we were ignored.

“This result confirms the strength of feeling amongst our members that the offer submitted to staff is unacceptable. Family social workers are, as a minimum receiving 15% with other social workers receiving 20% or 25%. Staff feel undervalued, insulted, and angry. They are working at the coal face of Mental Health services. A service that has been grossly underfunded by the Tories for 13 years. The levels of stress in the workplace are off the scale. Social workers are voting with their feet. During the period of the strike ballot we lost another social worker who chose to leave for a less stressful job in a university and more money. If the Council doesn’t act now to this crisis, then more staff are likely to leave and that will deepen the crisis within the workplace and impact on the services to service users.” John Burgess Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.

End.

Notes to Editors.

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

Background:

1. Breaking News: Barnet Council Mental Health social workers to be balloted for strike action.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/06/13/breaking-news-barnet-council-mental-health-social-workers-to-be-balloted-for-strike-action/

2. UNISON calls for urgent action over chronic shortages of frontline Mental Health social workers.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/03/22/unison-calls-for-urgent-action-over-chronic-shortages-of-frontline-mental-health-social-workers/

 

UNISON strike across Barnet Mental Health Services looms closer

Local, News, Recruitment, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

On Monday 31 2023 July Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers strike ballot began.

The following Mental Health Services Teams to be balloted for strike action.

  1. Mental Health Team – North
  2. Mental Health Team – South
  3. Approved Mental Health Practitioners Service.

The ballot is in relation to the chronic staffing issues across these services.

Barnet UNISON proposed that the Council enter into urgent negotiations over the implementation of the Council’s Recruitment and Retention Policy (RRP) for Mental Health Services as a short-term solution to try to hold on to existing staff whilst developing a more comprehensive plan to make Barnet Mental Health social work service one in which staff want to stay.

The RRP has been used in Family Services social work for the last 6 six years and has recently increased the rate up to 25% in recognition of the serious RR issues in some parts of Family Services.

It has also been used to recruit and retain HGV drivers.

Three weeks ago, Barnet Council made an offer of £1000 (2.5%) one off payment to the following staff:

  • Social worker
  • Occupational therapist
  • Lead practitioner
  • Team manager (social work)
  • Team manager (occupational therapy)

The proposed duration of the payments is initially for 2 years after which would be under review to assess if case for extension after this.

Barnet UNISON has started a separate consultation with our members over this offer to establish if they wish to accept or reject this offer.

In the meantime we consulted with our Mental Health Social Workers who quickly rejected the offer.

Barnet UNISON has notified Barnet Council that our Mental Health social workers have rejected the offer. We have now formally submitted our claim which we believe will resolve the dispute. We are awaiting a response.

In the meantime, the strike ballot will run to 1 September 2023.

End.

Notes to Editors.

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

Background:

1. Breaking News: Barnet Council Mental Health social workers to be balloted for strike action.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/06/13/breaking-news-barnet-council-mental-health-social-workers-to-be-balloted-for-strike-action/

 

2. UNISON calls for urgent action over chronic shortages of frontline Mental Health social workers.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/03/22/unison-calls-for-urgent-action-over-chronic-shortages-of-frontline-mental-health-social-workers/

UNISON calls for urgent action over chronic shortages of frontline Mental Health social workers.

Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Recruitment, Report, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

North London Business Park, New Southgate. 08/07/15 Anne-Marie Sanderson.

Earlier this month Barnet UNISON met with senior managers in Adult Social Care to try to secure an agreement as to how to deal with the chronic and dangerous shortage of frontline Mental Health social workers across the two Mental Health social work teams.

Barnet UNISON presented evidence of unsafe staffing levels across the two teams where, in both teams, over 50% of the workforce are newly qualified and almost 40% are agency workers, most of whom have barely 2 years’ experience of working in Barnet. The situation has been brewing over the last 9 months and has reached a point where staff are demanding the Council must act to both try to retain the existing staff and recruit and retain new and experienced staff.

Barnet UNISON has been asking for the implementation of the Council’s Recruitment and Retention Policy (RRP) as a short term solution to try to hold on to existing staff whilst developing a more comprehensive plan to make Barnet Mental Health social work service one in which staff want to stay. The RRP has been used in Family Services social work for the last 6 six years and has recently increased the rate up to 25% in recognition of the serious RR issues in some parts of Family Services.

Unfortunately, the response from senior management has been disappointing and, whilst an agreement to meet again soon was made, it appears they are underestimating the scale of the problem and the impact it is having on the morale of the workforce.

On 16 March 2023, Barnet UNISON made a formal request for a JNCC meeting at which we will table our trades dispute over RRP. Barnet UNISON has stated we are open to negotiation, but time is running out. The impact on morale and the health and wellbeing of our members working in Mental Health Services is paramount.

“I really don’t know what they are looking at when they look at the staffing levels for the two frontline Mental Health Social work teams. Our local reps explained concisely the levels of stress and anxiety being felt by the workforce and the inevitable consequences if the Council don’t act now. At the time of our meeting two senior social workers had already handed in their notice, yet it did not feel that management understood the seriousness of this news for the remaining staff. If the Council don’t work with us, I can see another exodus of staff. In the meeting I informed the management that we carried out an indicative ballot whereby 100% voted for strike action if the Council did not agree to RRP. Its nearly two weeks since we last met and I have had no approaches from the Council to meet.” (John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON)

End.

Insourcing win at Barnet council

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Housing, Libraries, Local, National, News, Recruitment, Report, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Insourcing win at Barnet council

Over 300 staff in a variety of services like trading standards, environmental health and other regulatory services, will now be transferred back in-house

Staff at Barnet council are due to be transferred back to council employment thanks to a decade-long campaign by UNISON.

The 330 affected workers are currently employed by outsourcing multinational conglomerate, Capita, and are being brought back in house after the council was used as a test case for the outsourcing of local government services.

The staff who work under a joint venture called ‘Capita Re’ in a variety of areas like trading standards, environmental health, planning highways and other regulatory services, will be TUPE transferred back in house on 1 April this year.

In 2012, much of the service provision at the council was outsourced to Capita on decade-long contracts by the Conservative-controlled council, with the intervening 10 years marred by several controversies including a multi-million-pound fraud and contracts running vastly over budget.

Barnet’s UNISON branch has campaigned for services to be brought back in-house since the contracts were initially handed to Capita and there have already been major in-sourcing successes at the council.

In May last year, Labour won control of the council after 20 years of Conservative leadership and, though the contracts had already been due to end next year, the new council has fast-tracked plans by six months to bring some services back in house.

John Burgess, Barnet local government branch secretary, said: “This is good news for staff, good news for residents and good news for the services. I welcome the decision and look forward to welcoming back all the services back into Barnet Council where they all belong.

“For a decade, our branch has campaigned for local government services at Barnet to be brought back in-house and, while we are happy that this latest has been fast tracked, there are still many issues to address for our members who are being TUPE’d.

“These include workplace inequalities such as staff being paid differently for the same role. Barnet UNISON is already seeking discussions with the council about harmonisation of the terms and conditions of the TUPE’d workforce.

“During the worst cost of living crisis in 75 years it is imperative that our branch does it best to look after the interests of our members transferring back into the council.”

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2023/01/insourcing-win-at-barnet-council/

 

Breaking NEWS: HGV Retention payments update

Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Recruitment, Solidarity, Uncategorised, UNISON Campaign

There have been two meetings between Street Scene management UNISON and GMB regards a retention payment for HGV drivers.

Street Scene Management have proposed a 10% retention payment which will be made for a six-month period from 01 October 2022 through to 31 March 2023.

UNISON and GMB proposed a 20% retention payment for a 12-month period.

As we were unable to reach an agreement a meeting is being arranged for Trade Union representatives and Street Scene Management Team representatives to meet with the Corporate Management Team (Chief Executive) to discuss the Trade Unions proposal.

End.

Your Union Needs You! – How to Win £20

Local, Membership, Recruitment, UNISON Campaign

Recruit a member and win £20! The more members we have in our union and our branch, the more weight we carry with the employer. It’s that simple. We negotiate ALL the terms and conditions of your employment with the main Council employers and being a member of the union means you contribute directly to what we negotiate. We consult regularly with our membership via online surveys, meetings and we can be contacted by phone on 020 8359 2088 or by email at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk.

Over the last year we have grown in membership but there is much more to do. Many of you will be in teams where you hardly know any new members. Why not drop them a line or a phone call and ask them if they would like to join the union?

For every member who joins because you spoke to them about it, we will give you £20. This will be paid after the first subscription has been received from the new member. What you do with the £20 is up to you. You can even split it with the new member.

 

Branch officers and staff are excluded from the scheme, this is directed specifically at our rank and file members and activists.

The form you will need to complete is simple to do and you can get this by contacting the branch office. To order your recruitment bundle contact the branch office on 020 8359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

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