The contract with Hackney Homes came to an end on 31 March 2016 as the council’s cabinet voted not to renew it.
Chair of Hackney Homes Rupert Tyson, and Vice Chair Alice Burke, who have been involved in Hackney housing for a combined 60 years, were present at the meeting.
All 33,742 Hackney Homes tenants were consulted on the plans through a process run by independent research agency Ipsos MORI.
Hackney Homes was formed in 2006 to deliver improvements to the council’s housing stock through the Decent Homes programme. The original five-year contract was extended to 2014 and subsequently to 2016.
Cllr Philip Glanville, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Hackney Council has come a long way over the last decade and Hackney Homes has been a major part of its success story.’
“I’d like to thank Hackney Homes’ Board, and staff for all of their hard work and look forward to welcoming them into the Council.’
Rupert Tyson said: “Hackney Homes and Hackney Council agree that the time has come to return housing management to the Council. Hackney Homes has achieved what it was established to do and I’m proud of our achievements over the last nine years and would echo Cllr Glanville’s thanks to my colleagues on the Board and the staff of Hackney Homes for their hard work over the last 9 years.”
As Austerity Policies continue their brutal assault on public services, Barnet UNISON has looked to see what is happening to the ALMO’s
Today is the first of a number updates on ALMO’s.
This post is about Brent Councils decision to bring their ALMO back in house here are some extracts from the Council reports.
Feel free to open the links and ready all of the reports yourself.
Cllr Harbi Farah, Brent Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said:
“The interests of tenants and leaseholders are my top priority and the results of the consultation show now is the right time to bring housing management back in-house. This decision will allow us to respond more swiftly to the Government’s housing policies, deliver savings and ensure our tenants and leaseholders receive nothing but the best service in the future. Our decision also follows a national trend of local authorities bringing their housing ALMOs back in-house. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Board and everyone at BHP for their hard work over the past 14 years.”
Joanne Drew, Chair of BHP’s Board of Management, said:
“BHP was set up to improve homes as part of the government’s Decent Homes Programme. We have always been committed to working with Brent Council and ensuring local residents are at the heart of the organisation. We will continue to work closely with the council, residents and staff over this transition period to provide modern, efficient and effective services for the benefit of all council tenants and leaseholders.”
Short Summary of the Review Report
Preferred Option
“The In-House option offers the best opportunity to make savings and provides the strongest levels of control. This option also puts the housing management service in a better position in relation to the Council’s wider plans to secure improved outcomes for residents. It will be necessary to look at how this option will address Member and resident engagement and there are various options that could be pursued. For example a Members and residents committee may overcome the loss of the ALMO Board under the In-House option. In conclusion, taking into account the challenging financial situation, and all other factors outlined above, it is recommended that the In-House option is chosen. This is the option which the Council believes will best serve residents in Brent but it wants their views on this proposal.”
This is an update for all Barnet Council school UNISON members
Before I start I want Barnet UNISON members to listen to the Prime Minister Theresa May where she states: “We have the fifth largest economy in the world.”
Hold on to what the Prime Minister has said.
Please don’t let others say that our members can’t be paid the proper rate for the job in a country which is the “fifth biggest economy in the world.”
Back to the grading appeals.
Barnet UNISON has for the last 12 months been supporting council workers with grading issues.
The last big group of workers to go to a Grading Appeal hearing are school support staff.
I want to go through the group appeals in order all of our members are aware and take part in helping deliver a positive result which will see an increase in pay.
# Please Note: School support staff are now all paid Term Time only. The Salary scales are calculated on a worker working 36 hour week and a standard 52 week contract.
Level 2 Teaching Assistant Appeal
The current salary range for a Level 2 Teaching Assistant is:
£19, 917 to £21,884
UNISON has registered an appeal which if successful would move the grade up to:
£21, 276 to £23,802
Level 3 Teaching Assistant Appeal
The current salary range for a Level 3 Teaching Assistant is:
£23,802 to £26,805
UNISON has registered an appeal which if successful would move the grade up to:
£26,805 to £30,324
Level 4 Teaching Assistant Appeal
The current salary range for a Level 4 Teaching Assistant is:
£26,805 to £30,324
UNISON has registered an appeal which if successful would move the grade up to:
£29,517 to £32,628 or £32,628 to £36, 373
After School Club Level 3
The current salary range for a Level 3 is:
£19,917 to 21,984
UNISON has registered an appeal which if successful would move the grade up to:
£21,276 to £23,802
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Sometime in September if you are in one of the above posts, you will receive a letter from Barnet Council.
The Council will ask a simple question.
“Do you support an Appeal to your grade?”
It is important that everyone replies YES and sends in the form to the Council.
Last term Nursery Nurses made sure we had a massive YES response.
If we get a YES vote the next stage will be the formal appeal hearing.
I will be conducting each appeal for Barnet UNISON members. However I will be accompanied by two UNISON members for each Appeal.
I will be contacting members to establish who will be attending with me.
Keep a look out for emails, and text messages from Barnet UNISON. It is important to us in Barnet UNISON that we help all of our members to get the right pay for the job they are in.
Last week our branch was contacted by members working at Flower Lane Autism Service to say that Bob had passed away in his sleep at the weekend.
I have known Bob for over 20 years he was one of the first UNISON reps I worked with in the old Barnet Social Services department back in the day.
Bob was much loved by his work colleagues and the service users. He was deeply compassionate man who loved his work and the trade union his energy and enthusiasm was infectious. I had the opportunity to witness Bob dealing with very senior managers about serious matters affecting members and I always believed that they found it hard to say no to him. He had that way about him.
Bod was always on hand to take up case work for UNISON members in distress, he didn’t like to see anyone in distress or being bullied he very much wore his heart on his sleeve.
Bob understood the importance of solidarity. He was directly involved in the two big outsourcing fights we had between 1997-2002 over residential and day services for older people and Home Care services. But it was his determination to stop the outsourcing of Learning Difficulties a year later that showed his true grit. This fight went on for over a year and eventually after all the effort the Council decided to keep the services in house. I don’t know if members really understood what Bob did during that time, but I was both honoured and impressed to have worked alongside him.
Over the years I saw less of Bob, but when I did it was if it was only yesterday we had last spoke. I could still see the passion for the job (even though he had retired he came back as an As & When) in his eyes.
I have recently spoken to a few staff who have worked alongside Bob and I understand that this news has really taken everyone one by surprise.
Bob Allan will always be associated with Flower Lane.
He will be sorely missed by staff service users and their carer’s as a kind generous man who gave everything he had to help others.
I am proud to have known Bob, solidarity Bob, Unison member and comrade.
