Category: National

National Campaigns

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. Commission a genuine options appraisal — including integration into the Prevention & Wellbeing Team, joint-funding with NHS North Central London ICB, and service redesign.
  3. Require evidence of provider capacity before any change is considered.
  4. Re-run the EqIA with real evidence and lived-experience testimony.


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.
    • 



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Reject the insulting 3.2% National Pay offer – inflation now 3.5%
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, National, News, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


VOTE REJECT – YOUR PAY MATTERS ‼️


Barnet UNISON is urging every member to REJECT the employers’ 3.2% pay offer for 2025/26. Here’s why your voice – and your vote – matters more than ever:


📉 3.2% Is a Pay Cut, Not a Pay Rise


 Inflation has jumped to 3.5% (The Guardian, 21 May 2025). The 3.2% offer won’t even keep pace — it’s a real-terms cut. 


🛑 We’ve Already Lost Enough


Local government pay has lost 25% of its value since 2010.


Thousands of frontline staff are struggling to cover rising housing, childcare, and energy bills while employers reject even basic improvements.


💸 There Is Money – It’s Just Hoarded at the Top


In the UK, the 50 richest families now hold more wealth than the poorest 50% of the population combined, which includes over 34 million people. The number of billionaires in the UK has risen from 15 in 1990 to 165 in 2024, with the average billionaire’s wealth increasing over 1,000% during that period. The rich are getting richer — and fast.


Public services are being starved while extreme wealth is left untaxed. It’s time to tax the rich — not make workers pay for the crisis they didn’t cause.


🧨 Always Money for War, But Never for Workers


Government spending on military escalation continues — while schools crumble, council services are slashed, and staff like us are told to tighten our belts.


Our communities need investment, not cuts. We cannot rebuild services on broken wages.


 ⚠️ This Offer Solves Nothing


    

  • Employers have rejected every call for better working conditions:
    
❌ No £15/hr minimum
    
❌ No extra leave
    
❌ No reduced hours
    
❌ No term-time flexibility
    • 



 ✊ We Deserve Better


This fight is about dignity, respect, and fairness. We keep services running. We supported our communities through crisis after crisis. Now they expect us to accept less – again.


🗳️ Vote REJECT — and demand a deal that reflects our value and funds public services, not billionaire bank balances.


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Message to all of our Barnet UNISON schools members
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, National, News, Schools, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Dear Barnet UNISON


In early February, Barnet UNISON wrote to every school in Barnet seeking permission to speak to our members about the new School Support Staff National Negotiating Body (SSSNB) which will be established for all school support staff in England, including those working in academies and multi academy trusts.


You can view the letter to your school by clicking on the link below.


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025.01.20-Letter-to-headteacher.pdf


Our Assistant Branch Secretary Beverley Berwick has already started visiting schools speaking with members and the Head about the SSSNB.


This is likely to be the biggest change of our members in schools in a generation which is why we are keen to speak to our members.


If you are interested in helping to arrange a visit in your school, please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk and request a visit.


 


End.




Background: 


Read more about SSSNB click on link below


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SSSNB-members-briefing.pdf

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet Council: “Outsource, outsource and more outsourcing.”
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Housing, Local, National, News, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


“A Labour Government would oversee the ‘biggest wave of insourcing for a generation,’ deputy leader Angela Rayner has said” (2022) 


Fast forward to 2025 and here in Barnet Council the message is clear outsourcing, outsourcing and more outsourcing.


In the last 12 months our cleaners were told they would not be brought back inhouse our parking workers were told late last year that insourcing was not an option and tomorrow Wednesday 5 February Education workers were told that they would remain outside the Council, denying staff access to a public sector pension scheme.


The trade unions all lobbied the Labour Administration and were sent a very clear message that outsourcing is off the table.




We are in the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years and our lowest paid are living in daily fear as to what bills they can pay. 


Our outsourced members are the worst impacted as privatisation brings the following:


Job Insecurity and Reduced Benefits:


Private companies often prioritise profit maximisation, which can lead to job cuts, reduced wages, and fewer benefits for workers.


This can create instability and financial hardship for low-paid workers who rely on the steady employment and benefits that public sector jobs often provide.


Erosion of Worker’s Rights:


Privatisation weakens workers’ ability to collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions.


This can lead to a decline in worker’s rights and protections, making low-paid workers more vulnerable to exploitation.


Increased Inequality:


The focus on profit in privatised services can lead to a widening gap between executive pay and the wages of frontline workers.


This exacerbates existing income inequality and can make it even harder for low-paid workers to make ends meet.




We have workers delivering services for Barnet Council with no occupational sick pay, no access to a public sector pension scheme to name a few of the gross inequalities that are rife across the private sector.


UNISON represents outsourced workers in Housing, Social Care, Cleaning, Parking Enforcement, Security, Schools Catering and Education and all are being told there is no room for them in the Barnet Council workforce.


UNISON has a National Policy called Bringing Services Home and Barnet UNISON fully supports this aim and will continue to push for a clear plan and timetable for services to be brought back in-house.


 


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Over £1 million back in the pockets of our lowest paid: School Support Staff
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Local, National, News, Schools, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON is proud to announce that over a five-year period of constant chasing and negotiations we have managed to reach agreements with schools and some employers e.g. Barnet & Southgate College, Capita, ISS, BELS to ensure that Term Time Paid staff received some backdating money they were owed by their employer not using the correct formula to calculate their pay.


Barnet UNISON wants to thank colleagues at London Region and UNISON HQ for supporting the campaign to claw back some of the money that was owed to our members.


The Term Time Pay claim started because of UNISON pursuing several local authorities over their failure to use the correct formula for calculating pay of term time staff in schools.


Barnet UNISON quickly wrote to over 50 schools in Barnet seeking meetings and the opportunity to talks to our members about the campaign. We also discovered some of the outsourced contractors were using an incorrect formula and we pursued those organisations to correct the error and to negotiate back pay.


 


“As soon as UNISON established that term time only staff (TTO) were being incorrectly paid due to a flawed formula being applied in calculating the amount of holiday pay entitlement members were receiving we commenced on going meetings with management to rectify the situation. After several years of negotiations, we resulted with a positive outcome and agreement that the College would apply a new and correct formula to calculate their holiday pay entitlement.  I was pleased to announce to my TTO UNISON members that a settlement had been finally agreed and that all the College’s term time staff would receive back pay to 1 September 2019 ( 3 years) which resulted in approximately £200,000 total back pay deal for TTO staff. I informed my members that this was not compensation, that it was backpay as they had been underpaid for the work that they had already done.  This is a good example of why it is important to join UNISON as it provides collective strength and means we can talk to the employer to negotiate and improve conditions in the workplace.” Christalla Tsattala Barnet UNISON rep of members of staff working for Barnet & Southgate College.


 


“It was a massive team effort across the UNISON family with support and advice from both regional and national colleagues. School support staff are some of the lowest paid members we have in our branch, and they are totally committed to their work and the children they support. It was important that our branch took on this campaign and we would recommend any other UNISON branch thinking of doing the same to go ahead. We are in a cost-of-living crisis which is hurting our low paid members every penny we have helped put back into their pockets makes all the work worthwhile.” John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.


 


Background:


Term Time Pay members meeting – February 2021


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/02/19/term-time-pay-members-meeting/


 


Update on the Barnet UNISON Term Time Pay Campaign – 2020


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2020/12/09/update-on-the-barnet-unison-term-time-pay-campaign/


 


Term Time Pay Drop-in meetings: February 2020


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2020/02/07/term-time-pay-drop-in-meetings/


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Updated Barnet Council Grades – includes new National Pay Award.
		
		
 
	
		Austerity, National, News, Schools	



	
		

			
		
					

			
Dear Barnet UNISON member


We can confirm that the National Pay Award has now been formally agreed. This means that Barnet Council workers should receive their new rate of pay and back dating to 1 April 2024 in your November payslip.


If you have worked any overtime since the 1 April 2024, the backdating for this will be paid in December payroll.


If you have any questions, please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


The table below are the new Barnet Council grades which include the National Pay increase.


End.


 




Any queries please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


**Please note the above Grades are based on 36 hour a week contract. Barnet UNISON is waiting for the Term Time Pay figures for the Barnet Grades.


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