Come along to a ‘Good News’ in house story!

Monday 20 April 12 – 2 pm – Training room 6, Building 2

The story shows you can improve public services without going to the private sector. One of the authors Hilary Wainwright will be here to sign copies of the book £7.99 which we will sell to members for a discounted rate. Hilary will be accompanied by Professor Dexter Whitfield who played a key role working with the Newcastle UNISON branch and the Council to secure a successful in house tender for the back office services.

You can read a short report on Newcastle online here

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/The%20Newcastle%20Story.pdf

Dexter has just finished work with Bury UNISON in partnership with conservative controlled Bury (4 Star) Council to look at possible Options for their Support Services. Having looked at the Options; Bury Council has decided to look to an improved/efficient in house service to continue to deliver services.  

Hilary & Dexter will be available for questions in

Monday 20th April in Training Room 6 Building 2 between 12 – 2 pm

Do you work for the Council?

Barnet Future Shape Transact Group will be looking at all Council services. Each service will be looked to ascertain whether it is a *Core or Non Core Service. It doesn’t matter if you are a Statutory Service, all services will be examined.  

• Why do we provide the service?
• Can someone else provide the service?
• Is there a market for providing the service?
• Is there opportunity for a ‘Quick win?’
• Is there a need for further investigation?

Each service will have to go through the 9 Future Shape Tests

·         Cost significantly less.

·         Take a different view of need, based on engaging with our population as citizens rather than customers of specific services.

·         Are strategic and integrated, ensuring that resources are targetted to achieve priority outcomes.

·         Facilitate greater self-help and service co-creation amongst members of our community.

·         Are based on a clear contract between the citizens and services.

·         Inspire behavioural change amongst our residents and businesses

·         Can be accessed on the basis of citizen life challenges.

·         Help citizens to achieve better outcomes in their lives

·         Are democratically accountable

This Group is tasked with looking across the whole council which is clearly a mammoth task.

The Group began the work on 24^th March. It is due to finish 20^th April

You can view the Agenda and minutes of all the Group meetings here

http://barnet.headshift.com/display/PROJECTS/Home

You will need your Login details.

We know that lots of our members do not have Login details or have forgotten them. We will try and update our website with the details so members can view the information without the need of a Login. We have asked for hard copies of this information to be provided to staff.

Members please note that this Group will be making recommendations to the Future Shape Cabinet Committee on 8 June 2009.

* We are waiting for a definition of what Core means.

Do you work in the following services?

• Finance
• ICT
• HR
• Procurement
• Communications, design and print
• Performance monitoring
• Facilities management
• Audit
• Legal
• Democratic Services (support elements)
• Fleet Management
• Catering
• Traded services for schools.

These services being looked at in the Future Shape Support Group.

 Each service will have to go through the 9 Future Shape Tests

·         Cost significantly less.

·         Take a different view of need, based on engaging with our population as citizens rather than customers of specific services.

·         Are strategic and integrated, ensuring that resources are targetted to achieve priority outcomes.

·         Facilitate greater self-help and service co-creation amongst members of our community.

·         Are based on a clear contract between the citizens and services.

·         Inspire behavioural change amongst our residents and businesses

·         Can be accessed on the basis of citizen life challenges.

·         Help citizens to achieve better outcomes in their lives

·         Are democratically accountable

This Group began 19 March and is due to finish on 17 April.

You can view the Agenda and minutes of all the Group meetings here

http://barnet.headshift.com/display/PROJECTS/Home

You will need your Login details.

We know that lots of our members do not have Login details or have forgotten them. We will try and update our website with the details so members can view the information without the need of a Login. We have asked for hard copies of this information to be provided to staff.

Members please note that this Group will be making recommendations to the

 

 

Future Shape Cabinet Committee on 8 June 2009.

To view official Press release click on link

 

We are currently busy sending out questionnaires to all our members on Future Shape. We have provided a Pre-paid envelope. Please take some time to complete and return.

You can view questionnaire here online

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Future_Shape_Consultation_pack.pdf

“For Barnet, the real prize is in re-shaping public services across the borough, which is why we are looking at ambitious proposals for the future shape of the council itself.”

“There have been many voices encouraging us to jump to conclusions too fast over the last six months, which would result in either poorly thought through recommendations or insufficiently radical thinking.”

For those of you not wanting to read the whole document scroll down to page 81 to 87 for details on Barnet

http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/9524940

Many of our members watched the ITV West documentary made last year about the IBM take over of Public Services in Somerset. We have just had this link sent to us about IBM

“IBM likely to fire 5,000 US workers; India to benefit”

To view full story click on the link

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB123799610031239341-lMyQjAxMDI5MzI3NjkyOTY2Wj.html

News just in from Essex UNISON.

Pensions black hole looms for 6,500 Essex Council staff who are facing wholesale sell off of the enitire council workforce. To read the article click here.

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/essexcc2_1.pdf

End of jargon? –YES PLEASE!

This Press release from the Local Government Association is to be welcomed to those of us who sometimes feel that we need to have one of those United Nations translators when reading public sector reports.

To view the press release click on link here 

What we need from you?

We understand that our members have busy lives and unable to make time to attend more meetings. So we are conducting consultation through the internet and ‘traditional’ (by post).

We have devised Four Groups

1. Strengthening democratic government and community participation

2. Community need for public services

3. Improved coordination and shared services

4. Harnessing technology to improve service delivery

We have Common questions for all groups

1. What are your ideas for the future of your service or group of services, taking account that you will not have access to significant additional resources in the near future?

2. What is the key change which will get your proposals implemented – is this better use of existing resources, pooling of budgets, changing the management of service delivery, greater operational freedom for staff and/or organisational change – or something else?

3. What changes are needed in the Council’s organisational structure?

4. Consider the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes for each proposal.

Group 1

Strengthening democratic government and community participation

1. Do you have specific proposals to improve democratic accountability in Barnet to increase community participation in decision-making processes?

2. What should be the main elements of a Community Charter to increase community participation in Barnet?

3. What effect will the Future Shape organisational structure have for democratic accountability and community participation?

4. How can existing arrangements and legislation (for example the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – PCT and Council and the Local Government Act 2007) be used to improve community participation?

Group 2

Community need for public services

1. What effect will a long recession have on the need and demand for public services in Barnet (both Council and other services)?

2. Is there a need for new services which are either not currently provided or provided on a small scale?

3. What are the key improvements that community organisations and the voluntary sector are demanding from the Council?

4. Are there any services or functions which the Council or other public bodies in Barnet do not currently provide but should do so

5. Are there any services or functions carried out by the Council and other public bodies in Barnet which could be reduced or terminated?

6. What is the community experience of services which have already been outsourced or externalised to arms length organisations by the Council or other public bodies in Barnet?

Group 3

Improved coordination and shared services

1. What is the scope for better coordination of service delivery between the Council and other public services in Barnet (such the Primary Care Trust, the NHS, Barnet College, the Police, Middlesex University, Jobcentres?)

• Identify the services – are they limited to ‘back offices services’

• What is the scope for better coordination and integration?

• How can this be achieved and implemented

• Identify the improvements/benefits which can be achieved

• Are there any costs/savings?

• Are organisational changes needed?

2. Is there scope for more formal shared service delivery between the Council and other public services in Barnet?

3. Do you think there is scope for Barnet Council to establish shared services projects with other London Boroughs?

4. What are the political and economic advantages and disadvantages of shared services projects?

Group 4

Harnessing technology to improve service delivery

1. What is the scope for introducing new technology to improve service delivery?

2. What impact will these changes have on the organisation of work, working practice, staffing levels and accommodation needs?

3. Do you think the ideas for the application of new technology being discussed in the Council’s Future Shape group are workable?

 

YOU decide which Group and questions you want to contribute to.

You can send in your views, contributions by email to contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or return your comments in the pre paid envelope provided in the letter you received from the branch.