Barnet UNISON

A SENIOR councillor has apologised after it was revealed that council workers who are outsourced to private firms could be made redundant almost immediately.

Staff from the Barnet Council’s housing department could be handed at risk of redundancy notices the moment their contracts are transferred to arms-length management organisation Barnet Homes, as part of the council’s controversial One Barnet outsourcing programme – despite the insistence in February from deputy leader and cabinet member for policy and performance Daniel Thomas that their jobs would be safe for at least a year.

Branch secretary for Unison John Burgess, told The Press that in meetings with Barnet Homes he had learned that an unspecified number of the 76 front-line and back-room staff could be issued with compulsory redundancy notices as soon as they move to the ALMO on April 2. He added that existing Barnet Homes staff were also facing redundancy as a result of the transfer.

The transfer of housing services to Barnet Homes is one of the first in a raft of council services due to be outsourced during the One Barnet programme, which the council claims will deliver better services for less money.

On February 9 Mr Thomas was quoted in The Press criticising staff striking over the plans, and denied claims that jobs were at risk.

He originally said: “Any staff who move as part of the restructure will remain in local government pension scheme, keep the same level of pay and have a job guaranteed for 12 months at the very least from their move.”

Mr Burgess said that many staff no longer felt they could trust the council’s promises on One Barnet.

“People are very uneasy that the council is making all these commitments that apparently mean nothing,” he said.

“A lot will be said before you are outsourced and then the moment before you’re outsourced it will change.”

Read the rest of the report here

Dear Colleagues

I understand that you have received an invite (see here) to meet with BT on the following days

Wednesday 28^th March

Friday 30^th March

I hope you take up this offer to meet the Bidders as I know you will have many questions which I hope they will be able to answer.

Several weeks ago I wrote to the Council seeking a meeting with the Bidders, this request has been refused.

For your information last year Barnet UNISON wrote to all the companies taking part in Dialogue 1 for NSCSO. To date we have not had a reply I hope you all fare better.

Barnet UNISON 6 key questions

Your proposed new model of service delivery

1. Please describe how you would develop and improve all of the services throughout the whole life of the contract. In particular, please outline your plans for

innovative and continuous improvement

achieving and monitoring high levels of customer satisfaction

effective consultation and engagement with residents, officers and members

involving the staff and trade unions and detail what role they will have in this process

meeting the Council’s target of 10% cost savings and the 5% increase in income?

2. How are you going to be able to maximise the opportunities provided by links with other organisations, the development of central government’s agenda for local authorities and the opportunities for inward investment of all kinds that will be available as a result of the Councils regeneration programmes.

Please describe what measures you will put in place to address this aim, including each council service in your response.

3. In these ever changing global economic times how do you propose to meet the Council’s ever changing strategic requirements?

These are likely to be substantial, and might be due to (for example) changes in the council’s political leadership, central government objectives or relevant changes in legislation that we want to or must account for.

4. What do you see as the key financial, operational, democratic governance and employment risks in this contract and how do you propose to mitigate these risks?

5. Central Government recognises that LG has a key role to play in stimulating economic growth locally. This contract is looking to make significant cost reduction and income generation please provide details as to how you aim to reach these targets with details of the effect on the economic activity within the borough over the course of the contract period?

What contribution can you make to regeneration in Barnet, in particular, the creation of additional employment opportunities for local people and the use of local sub contractors? Will you engage sub contractors on a similar price structure as the main contract to encourage local firms and employment?

6. Do you plan to bid for all the services in the ITPD and which services will be delivered by subcontractors? How do you plan to monitor their performance?

* =  Local Government

** = Invitation to Participate in Dialogue

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

 

Dear Colleagues

I understand that you have received an invite (see here) to meet with CAPITA on the following days

Friday 23^rd March

Monday 26^th March

I hope you take up this offer to meet the Bidders as I know you will have many questions which I hope they will be able to answer.

Several weeks ago I wrote to the Council seeking a meeting with the Bidders, this request has been refused.

For your information last year Barnet UNISON wrote to all the companies taking part in Dialogue 1 for NSCSO. To date we have not had a reply I hope you all fare better.

Barnet UNISON 6 key questions

Your proposed new model of service delivery

1. Please describe how you would develop and improve all of the services throughout the whole life of the contract. In particular, please outline your plans for

innovative and continuous improvement

achieving and monitoring high levels of customer satisfaction

effective consultation and engagement with residents, officers and members

involving the staff and trade unions and detail what role they will have in this process

meeting the Council’s target of 10% cost savings and the 5% increase in income?

2. How are you going to be able to maximise the opportunities provided by links with other organisations, the development of central government’s agenda for local authorities and the opportunities for inward investment of all kinds that will be available as a result of the Councils regeneration programmes.

Please describe what measures you will put in place to address this aim, including each council service in your response.

3. In these ever changing global economic times how do you propose to meet the Council’s ever changing strategic requirements?

These are likely to be substantial, and might be due to (for example) changes in the council’s political leadership, central government objectives or relevant changes in legislation that we want to or must account for.

4. What do you see as the key financial, operational, democratic governance and employment risks in this contract and how do you propose to mitigate these risks?

5. Central Government recognises that LG has a key role to play in stimulating economic growth locally. This contract is looking to make significant cost reduction and income generation please provide details as to how you aim to reach these targets with details of the effect on the economic activity within the borough over the course of the contract period?

What contribution can you make to regeneration in Barnet, in particular, the creation of additional employment opportunities for local people and the use of local sub contractors? Will you engage sub contractors on a similar price structure as the main contract to encourage local firms and employment?

6. Do you plan to bid for all the services in the ITPD and which services will be delivered by subcontractors? How do you plan to monitor their performance?

* =  Local Government

** = Invitation to Participate in Dialogue

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

 

World Premiere launch of a community film called “A TALE OF TWO BARNETS!”

The film is being shown at Phoenix Cinema East Finchley on Monday 19 March from 6pm, film screening 7pm

You can read more about the film here http://ataleoftwobarnets.yolasite.com/

Ken Loach introduces the film here

http://ataleoftwobarnets.yolasite.com/gallery-and-trailers.php

Contact details

http://ataleoftwobarnets.yolasite.com/contact-us.php

Email and UNISON report (click here) sent to Cabinet Resources Committee and all other councillors

Dear members of Cabinet Resources Committee  

 

The New Support and Customer Services Organisation: Business Case Update and Shortlist for Dialogue 2 was uploaded onto the Councils website last Tuesday. UNISON have been consulting their members  on the content of the report.

 

I hope that you will have the opportunity to read and digest our response.

 

I want to draw you attention to section 1 of our report, which highlights what is by far the biggest risk to date the Council are taking.

 

1. The £600m Revenues and Benefits risk

The Council’s Revenue and Benefits Serviceadministers £230m benefits each year and collects £250m council tax and over £100m business rates. This service has a major role in many people’s lives. It also has a vital role in providing resources to ensure the sustainability of Council services. Thus service continuity is essential.

 

Three significant risks are not addressed in the Business Case Update:

·         The switchover to Universal Credit and the potential impact on those in receipt of benefit in Barnet has been raised as a major change/risk following its initial announcement. However, outsourcing the service immediately before a radical new benefit system comes into effect will mean the contract will be subject to large-scale variations. Changes to contracts provide contractors with opportunities to increase costs. In this situation they could be considerable. Once the business expertise is lost to the contractors, Barnet Council will have little understanding to counter contractor’s claims. 

 

·         The impact of potential delays in the government’s Universal Credit timetable (April and October 2013) due to the lack of, or operational problems, in new information technology systems.

 

·         Barnet Council’s planned changes in service delivery and working practices (through a restructure) in Revenues and Benefits. Since the SAP CRM system was procured several years ago, followed by the proposals to fragment complex business processes, there has been a failure to recognise that a single call centre model does not work. It is interesting to note that the Business Case refers to a PI target for the call centre of 80% of calls being handled at the first point of contact compared to current Revenue and Benefits performance of 100% of calls being handled at the first point of contact.

The history of new Information technology systems is littered with failed timetables, cost overruns and poor service delivery, including outsourced revenue and benefits contracts (Whitfield, 2007). The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee recently concluded:

 

“…the introduction of Universal Credit is dependent upon the successful implementation of new IT, and this requires effective resourcing of the IT back office support services in the Department. Furthermore, the Department is assuming running costs reductions from an optimistic expectation that most customers will communicate online with the Department. Both of these areas are high risk, and any delays are likely to impact on planned cost reductions. There are insufficient contingencies in place and services could be adversely affected if things do not go to plan. Too often this Committee has highlighted examples in other government departments where IT systems or projects have gone off track and emerging problems have gone unchallenged by staff (PAC, 2011).

 

Revenue and Benefits staff believe that the proposed restructuring of the service, the adoption of a call centre model and the planned adoption of generic job descriptions could result in a significant reduction in the quality of service.

 

The substantial risks for revenue and benefits are not included in the Risk Assessment Issues in Business Case Update. This should be rectified as a matter of urgency. The Council appears to be complacent, relying on the contractor to solve these problems and reduce risk:“Their scale and expertise also enables them to change and negotiate changes to the technological platform for the service with far greater ease than the council could manage alone”(London Borough of Barnet 2012, page 3).

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

0208 359 2088

www.barnetunison.me.uk

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Dear Colleagues

I understand that on Friday 2 March you have been invited to meet with Capita Symonds. I hope you take up this offer to meet the Bidders as I know you will have many questions which I hope they will be able to answer.

Two weeks ago I wrote to the Council seeking a meeting with the Bidders, this request has been refused.

For your information last year Barnet UNISON wrote to all the companies taking part in Dialogue 1 for DRS. To date we have not had a reply I hope you all fare better.

Barnet UNISON 6 key questions

Your proposed new model of service delivery

1. Please describe how you would develop and improve all of the services throughout the whole life of the contract. In particular, please outline your plans for

innovative and continuous improvement

achieving and monitoring high levels of customer satisfaction

effective consultation and engagement with residents, officers and members

involving the staff and trade unions and detail what role they will have in this process

meeting the Council’s target of 10% cost savings and the 5% increase in income?

2. How are you going to be able to maximise the opportunities provided by links with other organisations, the development of central government’s agenda for local authorities and the opportunities for inward investment of all kinds that will be available as a result of the Councils regeneration programmes.

Please describe what measures you will put in place to address this aim, including each council service in your response.

3. In these ever changing global economic times how do you propose to meet the Council’s ever changing strategic requirements?

These are likely to be substantial, and might be due to (for example) changes in the council’s political leadership, central government objectives or relevant changes in legislation that we want to or must account for.

4. What do you see as the key financial, operational, democratic governance and employment risks in this contract and how do you propose to mitigate these risks?

5. Central Government recognises that LG has a key role to play in stimulating economic growth locally. This contract is looking to make significant cost reduction and income generation please provide details as to how you aim to reach these targets with details of the effect on the economic activity within the borough over the course of the contract period?

What contribution can you make to regeneration in Barnet, in particular, the creation of additional employment opportunities for local people and the use of local sub contractors? Will you engage sub contractors on a similar price structure as the main contract to encourage local firms and employment?

6. Do you plan to bid for all the services in the ITPD and which services will be delivered by subcontractors? How do you plan to monitor their performance?

* =  Local Government

** = Invitation to Participate in Dialogue

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

On Wednesday 22 February Housing council workers attended the first TUPE meeting with Barnet Homes and asked the following questions.

1. Is the restructure mentioned in the measures letter dated the 19^th January a measure?  What is the Operations Directorate mentioned in the letter?  If the restructure is a measure presumably the consultation will start once we have been transferred over.

 

2. Are we facing a situation where we could be tupe’d over and face having 30 days notice served on us as there are less than 100 staff in HNR.

If this is the case will we immediately be served with “at risk” letters and will this lead to compulsory redundancies?

 

3. Barnet Homes is funded through Housing Revenue Account and we understand that this cannot be used for HNR staff.  The General Fund money that HNR staff will be being transferred with – is this ring fenced just for general fund activities i.e. not related to Council Tenants.  If so how do you propose to demonstrate that this money is being used solely for this purpose?

 

4. We understand that there is a time pressure on saving money due to the reduction in the budget.  As part of the natural wastage we keep hearing about will there be voluntary redundancies allowed?  Will you also be looking at other ways to save money other than reductions in staff which will have a direct impact on our already struggling service?

 

5. If jobs are to be downgraded how will you consult on this and how long will grades be protected?

 

6. How long is the existing Barnet Homes contact with Barnet Council and how much of that contact is outstanding as an ALMO?  Is it likely to be renewed as an ALMO?  If not what status does Barnet Homes have outside the LATC? 

 

7. Capita are applying for some contracts – is there a relationship between Barnet Homes and Capita.

 

8. Data is being delivered to find out how many posts will go into the Call Centre.  Will posts be going from Barnet Homes and HNR as a collective into the call centre?

 

9. Can staff be TUPE’d across from Barnet Homes into the LATC? 

 

 

Dear Colleagues

I understand that tomorrow you have been invited to meet with FM Conway and EC Harris. I hope you take up this offer to meet the Bidders as I know you will have many questions which I hope they will be able to answer.

Two weeks ago I wrote to the Council seeking a meeting with the Bidders, this request has been refused.

For your information last year Barnet UNISON wrote to all the companies taking part in Dialogue 1 for DRS. To date we have not had a reply I hope you all fare better.

Barnet UNISON 6 key questions

Your proposed new model of service delivery

1. Please describe how you would develop and improve all of the services throughout the whole life of the contract. In particular, please outline your plans for

·         innovative and continuous improvement

·         achieving and monitoring high levels of customer satisfaction

·         effective consultation and engagement with residents, officers and members

·         involving the staff and trade unions and detail what role they will have in this process

·         meeting the Council’s target of 10% cost savings and the 5% increase in income?

 

2. How are you going to be able to maximise the opportunities provided by links with other organisations, the development of central government’s agenda for local authorities and the opportunities for inward investment of all kinds that will be available as a result of the Councils regeneration programmes.

Please describe what measures you will put in place to address this aim, including each council service in your response.

 

3. In these ever changing global economic times how do you propose to meet the Council’s ever changing strategic requirements?

These are likely to be substantial, and might be due to (for example) changes in the council’s political leadership, central government objectives or relevant changes in legislation that we want to or must account for.

 

4. What do you see as the key financial, operational, democratic governance and employment risks in this contract and how do you propose to mitigate these risks?

 

5. Central Government recognises that LG has a key role to play in stimulating economic growth locally. This contract is looking to make significant cost reduction and income generation please provide details as to how you aim to reach these targets with details of the effect on the economic activity within the borough over the course of the contract period?

·         What contribution can you make to regeneration in Barnet, in particular, the creation of additional employment opportunities for local people and the use of local sub contractors? Will you engage sub contractors on a similar price structure as the main contract to encourage local firms and employment?

6. Do you plan to bid for all the services in the ITPD and which services will be delivered by subcontractors? How do you plan to monitor their performance?

 

* =  Local Government

** = Invitation to Participate in Dialogue

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

 

 

 

 

 

Project X was one of the action to be completed on the last day of One Barnet strike action on Thursday 9 February.

Letters were sent to 6 Big private sector companies

The letters were signed by staff currently working in services which are down to be outsourced early 2013.

This is what was in the letter

Dear Chief Executive

We are employees for the London Borough of Barnet providing services which your company is interested in taking over. We are currently in dispute with our employer, London Borough of Barnet, as we wish to remain working for the authority and to be based in Barnet.

We want to take this opportunity on the fourth day of strike action to pass on this message that staff want to remain employees of Barnet Council. This is not a reflection of the way we view your business. We hope that you will take our position into consideration in your ongoing discussions with Barnet Council.

Yours sincerely,

John Burgess

Branch Secretary

Barnet UNISON

Proof of delivery to

Serco,

BT,

Capita,

FM Conway,

EC Harris,

HCL Axon (consortium)

*** UPDATE since we delivered the letters, the Council annouced yesterday that BT & Capita were selected to go through to the next round and Serco and HCL Axon (consortium) were unsuccessful.