Search Results for: capita
“How bad does it have to get?” A review of the Capita contracts by Barnet UNISON
“How bad does it have to get?”
To read the review click on the link to our report Capita review Barnet UNISON FINAL
Capita have now paid your Pension contributions
To: Barnet UNISON Capita members
On Monday 29 October 2018, Barnet UNISON received confirmation that Pension contributions have now been paid into Barnet’s Pensions Fund bank account.
We are now seeking responses to the following:
How did this happen?
Does it have am impact on any staff who have either left or retired in the last 18 months?
Why were staff not informed?
End.
Background:
For details as to what happened follow this link https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2018/10/26/barnet-unison-urgent-pension-information-update-26-october-2018/
“How bad must it get before Barnet Council terminate the two Capita contracts?”
This report is a collection of published online articles in 2018 that relate to Capita failure and organisations taking services back in-house.
Barnet Council is currently conducting a review of both Capita contracts.
However, history of decision making in Barnet leaves Barnet UNISON with a feeling of dread.
Barnet Council likes to be different, to buck the trend hence the easyCouncil model was pushed through despite the best efforts of Barnet UNISON and community campaigners and Barnet Bloggers.
In 2018 Capita issued a Profit warning which saw their Share price drop over the cliff literally days after Carillion collapsed. We now know Government were still awarding contracts to Carillion even when it was clear their share price was going through the floor.
Today 26 October 2018 Capita Share price is £1.20
View our report here How bad must it get
Barnet UNISON call-out for people to give evidence at the #KickOutCapita Inquiry
Barnet UNISON call-out for people to give evidence at the #KickOutCapitaInquiry
If you are a Barnet resident or Barnet UNISON member and want to give evidence to the #KickOutCapitaInquiry in person or want to provide evidence but remain anonymous please
please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
Already a number of people have already registered their intention to submit evidence to the #KickOutCapita Inquiry which is being held at the
Committee Room 10,
House of Commons Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.
On Tuesday 6 November 2018 at 7pm
Please arrive early as there will be a queue for security checks.
Meeting is sponsored by Barnet Alliance for Public Services and Barnet UNISON
Chair: Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian columnist and senior economics commentator
Purpose of Inquiry
To hear evidence from residents, trade unions, politicians on what Capita has done in Barnet and elsewhere and end with a set of recommendations.
How you can help.
- Please join #KickOutCapita campaign from 6 pm outside Hendon Town Hall,11th December, The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BG.
- Please sign and share our #KickOutCapita petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now
Background
A Capita employee managed to steal over £2 million from Barnet Council because neither Capita nor Barnet Council had control of financial matters.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukengland-london-45641513l
Barnet Council felt obliged to commission Grant Thornton to identify how such a large scale fraud was possible. This project could cost up to half a million pounds of tax payers’ money.
The review found no proper budgetary controls, no checking of basic banking details, inexperienced managers responsible for large amounts of Council money, no written financial procedures and check-lists.
Barnet Council agreed to pay Capita £252.54 million, but has already paid Capita £352.41 million with FIVE more years to go!
Barnet Council is in financial crisis with a budget overspend of £10.3 million this financial year and a funding gap of £66.8 million over the next three years.
Front-line services such as street cleansing, waste and recycling, libraries and social care are all facing more and more cuts that are already affecting Barnet residents.
Capita is having difficulty with its own finances
Their Share Price has dropped from £13 a share to under £1.50 a share in the last two years.
On 11th December 2018, Barnet Council Policy and Resources Committee will decide on whether to end both contracts. We are campaigning that they VOTE to end both contracts and begin the urgent process of taking back control of those services.
Support:
Please join #KickOutCapita campaign from 6 pm outside Hendon Town Hall,11th December, The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BG.
Please sign and share our #KickOutCapita petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now
Another #Capita Pension failure………
Dear Barnet UNISON members
Once again our Pension Administration service has failed and had to be reported to the Pensions Regulator.
“The London Borough of Barnet Council has reported itself to the Pensions Regulator after failing to produce 447 pension benefit statements on time.”
http://www.pensions-expert.com/DB-Derisking/Barnet-in-TPR-breach-as-Capita-misses-payments
This is second year in a row that this has happened.
Barnet UNISON has never known things to be this bad.
The in-house service never had these problems.
Furthermore the article reports:
“The committee also said that outsourcer Capita, which carries out a variety of services for the council and is the pension scheme’s own administrator, has failed to make requisite deficit contributions for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 periods of more than £2m.”
For all of our members who TUPED to Capita Barnet UNISON has written to Mark Dally today seeking urgent conformation that the pension contributions will be paid immediately and that a communication to all staff is conforming that fact.
Barnet Council is currently carrying out a review of both Capita contracts.
There are three options
- Keep both contracts.
- Bring some Capita services back in-house.
- Bring all the services back in-house.
The obvious question from our members is how is it possible that senior officers working on the Capita contract review can seriously recommend that Pension Administration service stays with Capita.
Barnet UNISON view is Option 3
If you have any concerns about your Pension and would like a one to one meeting please contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
IMPORTANT MEETING
Date: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Venue: Committee Room Corridor, House of Commons Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.
Time: 7pm
Organised by Barnet Alliance for Public Services and Barnet UNISON
Chair: Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian columnist and senior economics commentator
Purpose of Inquiry
To hear evidence from residents, trade unions, politicians on what Capita has done in Barnet and elsewhere and end with a set of recommendations.
Details: https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2018/10/16/barnet-kickoutcapita-inquiry-6-november-2018/
Barnet #KickOutCapita Inquiry: 6 November 2018
Date: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Venue: Committee Room Corridor, House of Commons Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.
Time: 7pm
Organised by Barnet Alliance for Public Services and Barnet UNISON
Chair: Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian columnist and senior economics commentator
Purpose of Inquiry
To hear evidence from residents, trade unions, politicians on what Capita has done in Barnet and elsewhere and end with a set of recommendations.
Background
A Capita employee managed to steal over £2 million from Barnet Council because neither Capita nor Barnet Council had control of financial matters.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukengland-london-45641513l
Barnet Council felt obliged to commission Grant Thornton to identify how such a large scale fraud was possible. This project could cost up to half a million pounds of tax payers’ money.
The review found no proper budgetary controls, no checking of basic banking details, inexperienced managers responsible for large amounts of Council money, no written financial procedures and check-lists.
Barnet Council agreed to pay Capita £252.54 million, but has already paid Capita £352.41 million with FIVE more years to go!
Barnet Council is in financial crisis with a budget overspend of £10.3 million this financial year and a funding gap of £66.8 million over the next three years.
Front-line services such as street cleansing, waste and recycling, libraries and social care are all facing more and more cuts that are already affecting Barnet residents.
Capita is having difficulty with its own finances
Their Share Price has dropped from £13 a share to under £1.50 a share in the last two years.
On 11th December 2018, Barnet Council Policy and Resources Committee will decide on whether to end both contracts. We are campaigning that they VOTE to end both contracts and begin the urgent process of taking back control of those services.
Support:
- Please join #KickOutCapita campaign from 6 pm outside Hendon Town Hall,11th December, The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BG.
- Please sign and share our #KickOutCapita petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now
Kick out Capita from Barnet Council now petition
Kick out Capita from Barnet Council now
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now
Why is this important?
The recent successfully prosecuted fraud case where a Capita employee stole over £2million from Barnet Council underlines the urgent need for the Council to take back control of all of the former Council services from Capita.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45641513
Barnet Council commissioned Grant Thornton (GT) to undertake a major review to identify how such a large scale fraud had been able to take place. This project, called Project Rose, was given a budget of “up to” £500,000 and has been on-going ever since.
The review found:
• Lack of budgetary controls
• Not carrying out basic bank detail checks
• Inexperienced managers responsible for large amounts of money
• Lack of written financial procedures and checklists
Barnet Council agreed to pay Capita £252.54 million
But, Barnet Council have already paid Capita £352.41 million with FIVE more years to go!
Barnet Council is in financial crisis with a budget overspend of £10.3 million this financial year and a funding gap of £66.8 million over the next three years.
Frontline services such as street cleansing, waste and recycling, Libraries, social care are all facing more and more cuts that are already affecting Barnet residents.
Capita Plc are in their own financial crisis.
Their Share Price has dropped from £13 a share to under £1.50 a share in the space of the last two years.
On 11 December 2018, Barnet Council Policy and Resources Committee will decide on whether to end both contracts. We are campaigning that they VOTE to end both contracts and begin the urgent process of taking back control of those services.
End
Details of the Grant Thornton Review on Capita
https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/council-and-democracy/finance-and-funding/Financial-controls.html
Is this the end of Capita in Barnet – Grant Thornton’s report is a devastating critique of Capita’s dismal performance
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.com/2018/09/is-this-end-of-capita-in-barnet-grant.html
Project Rose: the devastating report Barnet Tories didn’t want you to read
http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.com/2018/09/project-rose-devastating-report-barnet.html
Damning report slams Capita and financial management at Barnet Council
http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2018/09/damning-report-slams-capita-and.html
Mr Reasonable on why residents need to #KickOutCapita from Barnet Council
Mr Reasonable on why residents need to #KickOutCapita from Barnet Council
Come and listen to John Dix aka Mr Reasonable, explain the ramifications of the recent damning Grant Thornton audit review in language which is clear and easy to understand.
Meeting hosted by Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS)
Tuesday 2nd October
6.30pm
Greek Cypriot Centre, 2 Britannia Rd, London N12 9RU
Why attend the meeting ?
Mr Reasonable had this to say about the audit review:
“The Grant Thornton report highlights Capita’s repeated failure to get basic control systems right, allowing 62 fraudulent transactions to go undetected for 17 months. New systems to address this problem have now been put in place but the report paints a broader picture of institutionalised indifference, weak management and a lack of care. Barnet residents were forced to entrust critical functions of the council to Capita. Five years on, many residents believe that there is no longer any trust in Capita to deliver council services efficiently and securely. They must go.”
This is what John McDonnell Shadow Chancellor had to say about the audit review:
“The Grant Thornton (GT) review of the two Capita contracts in Barnet provides yet more evidence of the folly of privatisation of public services. When I read “significant financial control weaknesses…“poor accounting controls” in the GT review it summed up what I have been saying about the current Tory government. They have failed our economy by rewarding their friends in big business, leaving our communities and public services to suffer at the hands their brutal austerity policies. I want to send a personal message of solidarity from the Labour Party Conference to Barnet UNISON and the residents who have fought side by side against a right wing mass outsourcing ideology. I fully support your campaign to #KickOutCapita from Barnet and bring services back in-house.”
You can read the four reviews yourself on the Barnet Council web site
Here is the Barnet UNISON Press release here
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2018/09/25/press-release-capita-out-capita-out-capita-out-out-out/