Barnet residents say:

We will shape our own future!

Wednesday 4 March

Barnet trades council has organised a forum for Barnet residents to discuss:

Future Shape – council cuts – attacks on benefits – proposed privatisation of  Royal Mail

Professor Dexter Whitfield, European Services Strategy Unit, will describe the wider economic and political context for the council’s privatisation plans and proposed budget cuts. Then we will have more in-depth discussions of a number of campaigns where Barnet residents are already active. We will pool campaigning ideas, and create the basis for an ongoing community campaign to

–          Defend and improve public services

–          Defend the vulnerable in our community

–          Revive local democracy

All welcome: 7–9pm, Wednesday 4 March, Barnet Multicultural Community Centre, Algernon Road, London NW4 3TA. Map: tinyurl.com/launch4mar (close to Hendon Thameslink station; nearest tube station: Hendon Central; buses: 83, 183, 32, 142). More details: info@barnettuc.org.uk

 

Barnet residents say:

We will Shape our own Future!

Wednesday 4 March

Barnet trades council has organised a forum for Barnet residents to discuss:

Future Shape – council cuts – attacks on benefits – proposed privatisation of  Royal Mail

Professor Dexter Whitfield, European Services Strategy Unit, will describe the wider economic and political context for the council’s privatisation plans and proposed budget cuts. Then we will have more in-depth discussions of a number of campaigns where Barnet residents are already active. We will pool campaigning ideas, and create the basis for an ongoing community campaign to

–          Defend and improve public services

–          Defend the vulnerable in our community

–          Revive local democracy

All welcome: 7–9pm, Wednesday 4 March, Barnet Multicultural Community Centre, Algernon Road, London NW4 3TA. Map: tinyurl.com/launch4mar (close to Hendon Thameslink station; nearest tube station: Hendon Central; buses: 83, 183, 32, 142). More details: info@barnettuc.org.uk

Barnet are launching Seven (‘Magnificent Seven’) Future Shape groups to look at Strategy, Access, Assessment, Property, Support, Transact, Vehicle

In terms of consultation with staff and trade unions things have slowed down. We have only had one meeting with the Future Shape team this year.  We are still waiting for details as to the membership of these groups, work plan, dates of meetings and which Barnet Public Sector employees (Mddx Uni, PCT, Barnet College, Met Police) will be taking part. The timeframe for the work is shrinking week by week as a report making recommendations needs to be ready for 8 June Cabinet Committee.

The Trade Unions are meeting with Councillors at our Corporate JNCC on Monday 23 March. Future shape update is on the Agenda.

Today I attended one of the consultation meetings that LBB had set up in order to speak to residents about the possibility of removing Housing Officers from Sheltered Housing schemes.

Hanshaw Drive scheme houses 44 residents, some are housebound and so could not make the meeting, those attending included friends and relatives. 100% of those attending agreed that they wanted to keep their Sheltered Housing Officers.

One resident spoke of having epilepsy and having been found on the floor three times by the resident officer who then got medical help. One resident called it ‘abuse of the elderly’. Many had given up larger properties, three bedroom houses, in order to get the sheltered care that they needed. They now wondered why they hadn’t just stayed where they were –  ‘the council are breaking tenants expectations’, ‘they have a Duty of Care’

Many of these residents feared the future lack of security, they had been plaqued by anti-social behaviour, ‘without our resident officer, Patrick, we won’t be able to sleep at night.’’There is the social cost and the detriment to mental health.’

There was a consensus that any new scheme would ultimately cost more with greater involvement of social services and the PCT. Residents leaving hospital would have to spend time in a nursing home because there would be no-one on site to look in on them. At present residents discharged on a Friday are supported by the Resident Housing Officer who will get them their medication and food.

Residents have been sent a questionnaire to complete and an explanatory document, that are both hard to understand and extensive. What is clear is that the residents will not be accepting the removal of a service that is well established and based on need.

Anne Denison.

UNISON Convenor for Barnet Homes

23 February 2009