Barnet UNISON YCB Zoom Meeting 5th August 6-7pm
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Meeting ID: 860 0006 3608
Passcode: 147382
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Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86000063608?pwd=YmFxL3c2d0owRnpWeGVJMWY1NUxOZz09
Meeting ID: 860 0006 3608
Passcode: 147382
How to use Zoom guide click below for details.
Zoom meeting for all members in YCB 1st July
An opportunity for all members in YCB to come together and discuss what has been happening and what’s to come.
You are being heralded as heroes and clapped but is this enough for all you’ve been through over the last few weeks?
Also we can feedback on campaigns for care workers.
Topic: YCB UNISON members meeting
Time: Jul 1, 2020 06:00 PM London
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Meeting ID: 843 3648 0059
Password: 150476
On Thursday 18 June 2020 former Barnet Council staff working for Cambridge Education were summoned to a succession of meetings where they were informed that, due to the impact of Covid19, discussions are now taking place about ending the contract on 31 August 2020.
The staff are being told there are two possible options:
Consultation on the options started on Friday 19th June 2020 with a briefing for head teachers.
There will be a briefing for the Parent-Carer Forum sometime this week.
Consultation ends 30 July 2020.
The Council wants to start TUPE consultation on 6 July and end consultation on 20 July 2020.
Staff will be informed of the transfer arrangements on 30th July 2020.
Services and staff transfer on 1 September 2020.
“The private sector doesn’t like taking the risks for delivering public services and this is yet another damning example. Mott MacDonald is a global giant want out of this Education Services contract. Barnet Council has stood resolute in the face of the COVID challenge and has used its resources and staff to address the needs of the most vulnerable in the community. This latest crisis could not come at a worse time. The staff delivering this service have been valiantly supporting Barnet Schools to continue to provide for pupils during this pandemic. Now, at a time when they are mobilising to support Barnet Schools reopening in September, they are facing an unknown future. As someone who attended the outsourcing meetings with staff I remember all too well the staff concerns as to what would happen if the contractor wanted to end the contract. This concern was played down at the time, as it always is, by and assurance that they were dealing with a global giant and what could possibly go wrong?
If COVID has shown us anything it has to be that direct control of public services means you are more agile, more efficient and most importantly you have CONTROL.
The obvious and most common sense decision is to simply transfer the services back to the Council. This would enable staff and the service to focus on doing what they do best – delivering support for Barnet Schools.” (John Burgess Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON).
To view the report click on the link below
Future of ES – briefing for staff – 19.6.20 final
End.
Notes to Editors.
Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
History of the outsourcing of Schools Meals and Education & Skills services
Catering Services: “Jewel in the Crown”: Privatisation of Education & Skills and Catering in Barnet
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/Barnet%20Jewel%20in%20the%20Crown%20final.pdf
Education & Skills and Catering: Threat of large-scale subcontracting
Dear UNISON members, your family and friends
Below is a UNISON Care Workers petition with four simple demands I hope you can support and share widely.
1. Protect Our Health – Priority testing for care workers to limit the spread of disease to vulnerable patients and service users. Guarantee all essential training and personal protection equipment (PPE) to all frontline workers (e.g. goggles, masks, hand sanitisers, thermometers) in line with Public Health England guidance.
2. Protect Our Pay – Full normal pay for all those required by government guidance to self-isolate or who become ill because of COVID-19, in order to prevent unnecessary spread of infection. This includes all staff on zero-hour contracts, bank/relief contracts or multiple contracts.
3. Protect Our Employment – Ensure no-one is dismissed or laid-off for staying at home to care for themselves or their family. Absence due to COVID-19 should be excluded from absence management triggers.
4. Protect Our Families – Carers leave on full-pay for workers caring for a dependent who has COVID-19 or for whom childcare is unavailable.
Click on this UNISON link to add your name to the petition
https://action.unison.org.uk/page/58242/petition/1
Best wishes
John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.
It is really important that all staff have training as to how to put on PPE and to take it off.
This is a training video produced by Public Health England as to how to put on and take off your PPE. It is less than 7 minutes long. Watching it and following the guidance will keep you and the people you are caring for safe.
Please watch COVID-19: Donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment in Health and Social Care Settings
If you have not had training please speak to your manager. If you do not get training please contact Barnet UNISON 0208 359 2088 or email us at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
What happens if I take a break e.g. to have a drink of tea or water or go to the toilet?
You need to remove and dispose of your PPE safely, including the face mask. When you start work again you need to put on your fresh PPE for when you are carrying out personal care. You must not continue to use the same mask, apron or gloves.
Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair and UNISON NEC rep for London sent the email below to Dave Prentis UNISON General Secretary on Tuesday 14 April 2020.
If you are a care worker in Barnet please please click on the link below for details of the type of PPE you should be wearing in your workplace.
BREAKING NEWS: updated guidance from Public Health on COVID-19: infection prevention and control
For full details click on link here
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control
Main changes to previous guidance
The main changes are:
1. COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) Updated 2 April 2020
2. Additional considerations, in addition to standard infection prevention and control precautions, where there is sustained transmission of COVID-19, taking into account individual risk assessment for this new and emerging pathogen, NHS and independent sector
3. Recommended PPE for primary, outpatient and community care by setting, NHS and independent sector
4. Recommended PPE for healthcare workers by secondary care inpatient clinical setting, NHS and independent sector
TESCOs announced a few days ago that they are giving frontline staff a 10% bonus to recognise their invaluable effort to help feed the nation.
The majority of key workers being asked to go into work and face the risks of contracting COVID 19 are often the lowest paid workers such as:
In recognition of the risks they are taking every day whilst having to cope with the stress and anxiety of trying to cope at home with all the restrictions COVID 19 is bringing into their lives, Barnet UNISON has taken the following action:
Barnet UNISON have formally requested Barnet Council to adopt a similar bonus payment for key workers for the duration of this crisis.
The Council are considering our request.
Watch this space…………..
Please let the branch know what is going on with your employer by emailing
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