Source: http://straighttothesource.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/welfare-spending-breakdown/

Here is the breakdown:

46% spent on State Pension

14% spent on Housing Benefit

8% spent on Disability Living Allowance

5 % spent on Pensions Credit

5% spent on Income Support

4% spent on incapacity benefit

3% spent on Attendance Allowance

3% spent on Council tax benefit

3% spent on job seeker allowance

2% spent on winter fuel payments

2% spent on Employment on Support Allowance

1% spent on Statutory Maternity Pay

1% spent on Carers allowance

3% on Others

 

Dear Colleagues

Please find below an update on the Tripartite TUPE consultation with Capita to date:

1. Transfer Date

As a result of the Judicial Review the date of transfer was moved from 1 April to 1 May. The Council and Capita are currently making plans for a possible transfer date of 1 May. However this is dependent on the outcome of the JR.

2. TUPE List – which posts are transferring

Throughout the Tripartite TUPE consultation meetings we have been seeking to establish which posts are transferring and the business reasons for jobs being exported out of the borough. On 18 March 2013 UNISON submitted the following communication to Capita.

Dear Capita

“In the Measures letter dated 7 January Capita refer to a number of service delivery relocations.

I am requesting information about the Capita proposal to restructure & relocate Council Services. In order that I can begin to understand the measures outlined in the letter dated 7 January I have produced a spreadsheet for Council Services, using the TUPE list information provided to the Trade Unions 7 January 2013 by the London Borough of Barnet.

Our spreadsheets simply ask you to provide two key pieces of information for UNISON to begin to comply with the TUPE regulations.

Workplace location

Please state which posts are being relocated and which are remaining in Barnet.

Redundancy Risk for those remaining in Barnet

It is clear in the Measures letter dated 7 January 2013 (view here) that there are posts at risk of redundancy as a result of a restructure as opposed to relocation. Please state if the any of the posts are at risk of redundancy as a result of a restructure.”

UPDATE: Although we have now had a second Measures letter (view here), it does not provide the details we have requested and we have sought a response to our correspondence for posts across all eight service areas.

3. Second TUPE consultation communication with Capita

In order we can understand the service business model for relocating services out of the borough on 18 March 2013 UNISON submitted the following request to Capita:

“Dear Capita

I am writing to put on record some of the concerns I have been expressing in the tripartite meetings and in subsequent follow up emails about the current lack of detail about some of the proposed measures identified in the Capita ‘Measures’ letter dated 7 January 2013. 

In the January ‘Measures’ letter Capita propose to change the pay date for the staff transferring to Capita. Capita helpfully commit that no employee will experience any financial detriment as a consequence of this measure. I welcome that response. It was agreed in a subsequent meeting held on Wednesday 6 March 2013 that you would provide an example of how you intend to ensure this commitment. Please can you provide the example referred to in our meeting?

Office Relocation Measure

In the Capita ‘Measures’ letter, Capita are proposing a significant measure which will see hundreds of posts transferred out of the London Borough of Barnet. Regulation 13 places a duty on Capita to provide information to the appropriate representatives and to consult with the appropriate representatives with a view to seeking an agreement. 

For the record we are not seeking to enter into the formal consultation process which will take place after the TUPE transfer, we are however trying to understand the scale and scope of your proposed measure to transfer services out of the borough. We have asked in the tripartite meetings for disclosure of all the documents you have produced which led to you justifying the service solution to relocate services out of the London Borough of Barnet, most recently on Monday 11 March 2013.

To date it is our contention that the above duty has not been met (in relation to relocation) in that insufficient information has been provided to the Trade Unions to allow us to make representations to Capita as specified in Regulation 13(7).

I am therefore asking for disclosure of all the documents you have produced which led to you justifying the service solution to relocate services out of the London Borough of Barnet.”

UPDATE: Although we have now had a second Measures letter, it does not provide the details we have requested and we have therefore sought a response to our correspondence for posts across all eight service areas.

4. Second Measures Letter

You should have all seen the Second Measures letter (view here). Unlike the first Measures letter it provides actual number of posts as opposed to full time equivalents (FTE) which is very different. UNISON will be formally responding but we have already made the following comments

·         FTE

The Trade Unions have asked that a column be added showing the total FTE for each of the eight services. This has been agreed.

·         Revenues & Benefits

UNISON notes the numbers of posts remaining in Barnet has been increased significantly from 2FTE to 28 posts. This is welcome news and we will continue to challenge Capita to seek ways in which posts can remain within Barnet and therefore reduce the loss of employment opportunities within our borough.

·         Role Reductions

This is a new column and is connected to the recent service staff briefing presentations. UNISON had picked up on the previous Measure letter that there were missing figures. These post deletions are relating to the transformation process after transfer which may or may not be related to the relocation consultations. UNISON is concerned to note that 207 posts are at risk of redundancy.

·         Relocation of Services

The number of posts being relocated out of the borough has been reduced slightly (it is now 176 posts at risk of redundancy) but it is still a significant number. UNISON is seeking further information as required in the TUPE regulations in order we can consult with our members and respond to Capita.

·         Reducing the number of posts lost to the borough

There are currently 385 posts at risk of being lost to the borough. UNISON along with GMB are seeking to negotiate with Capita other service delivery options to the proposals identified in both Measures letters.

 

5. Policies and Procedures – Staff Handbook

You may be aware that Capita have been publishing what is known as a Terms & Conditions matrix which sets out all the Councils Policies & Procedures. This would have been referred to in your TUPE meetings with HR as the staff handbook. The Matrix has been set out in three colours Red, Amber, Green. It is important to note that the policies in Red and Green will not change when you transfer to Capita

It is the Policies in Amber I want to bring to your attention as these are either changing or being amended to reflect the process carried out by Capita.

6. Suitable Alternative Employment (SAE)

This has been a critical subject for consultation as it will have an impact on our members entitlement to redundancy and their ability to find another job. The latest version of Capita’s Principles of Suitable Alternative Employment and Redeployment can be viewed here.

It is important to note there is a big difference between Suitable Alternative Employment & Alternative Employment options. If you need further information or have any concerns please come along to the next UNISON NSCSO meetings which are taking place on Monday 15 April 12 noon in Oak Room. 

***PLEASE NOTE***

Please note the following schedule of UNISON NSCSO/DRS meeting

Tuesday 30 April 1pm Oak Room

Tuesday 21 May 1pm in Oak Room

Links:

Capita First Measures letter 7 January 2013

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Pre%20ConsultationMeasures%20Letter%20V3%20070113%20to%20TUs%2007%2001%2013.pdf

Capita second Measures letter 25 March 2013

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Mid%20Point%20ConsultationMeasures%20Letter%20V5%20250313_0.pdf

Capita’s Principles of Suitable Alternative Employment and Redeployment April 2014

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Capita’s%20Principles%20of%20Suitable%20Alternative%20Employment%20and%20Redeployment%20v4.pdf

 

 

 

 

Throughout the TUPE consultation process Capita have submitted two Measures letters.

The first submitted 7 January 2013 can be found here 

The second submitted 25 March 2013 can be found here

The latest version of Capita’s Principles of Suitable Alternative Employment and Redeployment can be found here 

‘Your Choice’ Care Workers Campaign

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION

http://petitions.barnet.gov.uk/YourChoiceBack/

Pictures of the march can be found here http://ning.it/15Hk8Hh here http://ning.it/15HkePd and here http://ning.it/15HkgGx

This campaign concerns the plight of low paid social care workers facing a massive cut to their pay and terms & conditions. The scale of the attack is unprecedented and will drive already low paid workers further into poverty.

But it is not just the attacks to staff which are our concern, it is the impact this will have on the service delivery to vulnerable adults with disabilities.

UNISON is concerned that by ‘dumbing down’ care work will impact on quality of care as we have seen in the past at the private Winterbourne hospital where profit was put before care of residents.

‘Your Choice’ care workers are carrying out critical and personal care for vulnerable service users; which makes it all the more abhorrent to hear the case for these cuts is driven by the need to make a profit.

At a meeting with staff last week, it now appears the finances are worse that we were first led to believe. Apart from the £1million loan from Barnet Homes, they now need to make another £1million from staff costs. This makes a total of £2million out of a budget of £6million.

UNISON is campaigning to bring these critical services back into the Council. The more we learn about the finances the more concerned we are. Instead of Barnet Homes spending their reserves on propping up a failed One Barnet project, they should use this money to try and prevent Barnet residents and their families from being moved out of the borough.

Last year the Council made a commitment in their own business case which said if the project failed they would bring it back in house.

Please help  

1. Sign the Your Choice Care Workers Campaign petition which is on Barnet Council website

http://petitions.barnet.gov.uk/YourChoiceBack/

2. Send messages of support to Your Choice Care Workers Campaign to contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

3. Join the Your Choice Care Workers on BarnetSpring march on Saturday 23, 11am Finchley Central Tube

Links

Castlebeck care homes go into administration following abuse scandal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21674695

Southern Cross set to shut down and stop running homes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14102750

Lessons from the Francis Inquiry

http://ning.it/15erEcp

 

Brief report of staff consultation meeting held at Flower Lane for Your Choice Barnet staff 13.3.13

It’s fair to say the meeting was fiery as staff expressed their anger freely.

The financial problem for Your Choice Barnet is one of cashflow as they will no longer receive the block contract but receive payments in arrears reflecting the change to one where individual services are invoiced. This cashflow problem equates to £1million.

In addition there is a deficit of £1million as LBB will pay service users only a flat rate irrespective of whether the care they need is at night or at the weekend. Also a market rate will apply. It is also the case that YCB has been providing more service to the service user than is reflected in their care plan and therefore leaving a shortfall.

An obvious question was immediately that BH knew the payment arrangements would change before going into the LATC with YCB and so why did they not immediately see the finances for YCB would be compromised?

The response was that at the point of creation of the LATC Barnet Homes did not know the volumes they were taking over.

We pointed out that the Business Case had been very confident about being able to make surpluses, knowing LBB was talking about paying market rates. What has changed?

Ans: The Business case was based on assumptions

In the Business Case of May 2011 much had been made of the freedom for the LATC to step outside SLA’s and for example purchase its own IT equipment. Yet we are now in a situation where LBB is insisting YCB stays with LBB for its IT, knowing this is going to Capita. Is this not the case of a not-for-profit organisation being used to prop up the business case for a contract to be successful with a for-profit organisation?

Ans: in a procurement exercise YCB had established they could find a cheaper IT provider. LBB stepped in to say that IT should remain as provided through the Council (Capita) and YCB need only pay the amount they had established through their procurement exercise. LBB will make up the difference.

In other words LBB is prepared to subsidise a service when it means securing a contract for Capita, but this would then seem to be at the cost of staff working for YCB!

In other parts staff criticised the move to reduce night time care on the basis that there was little need. The staff providing that service contradicted the view in the report that they are not needed as they could point to many examples where they had been needed.

More later….