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Restructures, Consultations, Outsourcing and Insourcing and Redundancies
Protecting Your Rights at Work.
2018 is shortly to end but not with a whimper.
Restructures and consultations are breaking out across Barnet Council and their Partners
Here are but a few which involve either redundancies, outsourcing, cuts to provision and increased workload:
- Elections Team
- Children Centres in Schools
- Schools Budget cuts
- #Capita Corporate Programmes Team
- Early Years Standards Team
- Council Management Team
- Greenspaces Team
And there are more to come………….
Our advice to our members is very clear.
Do not face this alone.
Please make sure you contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
Sheffield Council: Why they decided to bring all services back in-house from Capita
To view Barnet UNISON Briefing Number 2 Part Two click on link below
Briefing Number 2 – Sheffield Part Two
“Some of the resource saving opportunities identified in the proposed options could be utilised to invest in service delivery and improve the service delivered to Sheffield citizens (and potentially increase council revenue collection).”
http://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/documents/s32596/Future%20of%20Revenues%20Benefits%20FBT%20Services%20-%20Cabinet%20Report.pdf
Sheffield Council: Why they decided to bring their IT back in-house from Capita
“The current partnership agreement has a break clause in 2020 which would enable the Council to end the contract then and avoid the full impact of the termination costs and some of the exist costs. We have considered this option and discounted it because it would prevent us from making progress with our Technology 2020 Strategy in the required timescales. It would also mean that we would be continuing to pay for the ICT Service at the contractual rate for at least another year and we would miss the opportunity to take the savings earlier. Making a decision now would also impact the assessment of the remaining services (see paragraph 1.10).”
(Source: http://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/documents/s31155/Technology%20Strategy%20and%20Sourcing%20Approach.pdf
The following Barnet UNISON Briefing was sent to all Barnet Council Councillors
Briefing Number 1 – Sheffield Part One
Breaking News: “Seriously are they really keeping Capita?”
Barnet UNISON was bitterly disappointed to read that Barnet Council is now back tracking on a decision agreed at a Special Policy and Resources Committee on 19 July 2018.
The decision was to review the council’s partnership with Capita, and authorise the Chief Executive to develop a Full Business Case for all of the following Options:
- Keep both Capita contracts as they are now.
- Bring some Capita services back in-house from both contracts.
- Bring all the services back in-house from both contracts.
“all three options should be fully tested, consulted on and considered in a Full Business Case before a final decision was made”
Barnet Council has now announced that only these services will be brought back in-house:
“It is intended that the report will recommend that Finance and Accounting (excluding transactional services provided from the Darlington shared service centre) and Strategic HR be transferred back to the council by the end of this financial year (March 2019).”
The announcement goes on to add:
“The arrangements for remaining services are still to be considered and timescales will be confirmed in due course. However, it is also likely that the report will recommend that Highways and Regeneration be reviewed as one of the earlier phases.”
The news may come as a surprise to our members, especially in light to recent fraud and the damning Grant Thornton report which is going to be discussed at the Audit Committee on 22 November.
However, Barnet UNISON is not surprised by the decision: this is Barnet.
Last week we sent a report to all Councillors on the Policy and Resources Committee entitled:
“How bad does it have to get?”
You can read our report here:
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Capita-review-Barnet-UNISON-FINAL.pdf
The sheer number of Councils ending their contracts with Capita in 2018 is very worrying.
These big contracts are just as complex as the one in Barnet and often involve the same services that Barnet outsourced to Capita.
If Southampton, Sheffield, Blackburn and Birmingham can end contracts with Capita and still make savings then why can’t Barnet?
Barnet UNISON is not giving up on our aim to see all services brought back in-house.
This is why we are directly asking all of our members working for Capita this question:
“If you have any information, questions or concerns that you think we should know about, strictly in confidence, please make urgent contact with the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk”
In the meantime take a look at this infographic below for 2018 only.
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/
Taxi for Mitie: Council Housing repairs come back in-house
Hammersmith & Fulham Council is set to return its housing repairs service to council control, bringing to an end the contract with Mitie.
This follows on from winding up Hammersmith and Fulham ALMO, H&F Homes, in 2010.
“We’ve listened to what tenants and leaseholders have told us about the repairs service,” says Cllr Lisa Homan, Cabinet Member for Housing. “That’s why we will now take back direct control of the repair and maintenance for our 17,000 homes.
“We’re determined to provide a safe and secure place to live for our tenants and leaseholders. This decision is the start of a new way to deliver for our residents.”
The council will now set up a new council-run repairs service, a direct labour organisation, which will work alongside a range of new contractors to deliver repairs.
https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2018/10/hf-return-its-housing-repair-service-council-control
Barnet UNISON have written to Barnet Group Chief Executive asking if Barnet Homes will be doing the same. The private contractor Mears currently provide Council Housing repair service.
Get Your Flu Jab
“Remember Remember the Fifth of November”
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/