Social Services: What does a crisis look like?
In early September this year UNISON requested information on how many workers in both Adults’ and Children’s Services have left social services and how many have joined since December 2014. We know that during the year from April 2014 to March 2015 53 qualified locum agency social workers for Adult Social Care and a further 50 for Children’s Social Care, were employed by London Borough of Barnet. However, we think this number may now be higher.
We believe the total number of social worker posts is some 115 for Adults Services and 200 for Children’s Services. This number also says nothing about the problems of recruiting and retaining occupational therapists, who are critical in terms of identifying aids, adaptations and techniques for people with physical disabilities to enable them to live as independently as possible.
We are seeing large numbers of colleagues leaving for a variety of reasons. In fact almost no one with a senior leadership position in children’s social work three years ago is still here today.
Once upon a time – and not so long ago – the one thing Barnet Social Services had going for it both in Children’s and Adults’ Services was a fairly stable workforce. This meant that, despite all of the changes, experienced staff stayed and were able to ensure continuity with vulnerable people and their families as well as services linked to those people and families.
For a London setting this was refreshing and rare. The worry is that we now have the same difficulties as other London authorities. This is borne out by the fact that the latest figures shared with UNISON show that we have 20% vacancy rates across the two services – now comparable to other London authorities.
This is bad enough, but demand for those services is rising at the same time as the colleagues doing that work are leaving. UNISON has raised the social work crisis to the attention of the senior council officers.
We are clear that this crisis is one of the unintended consequences of pursuing mass outsourcing ideology, our members are telling us why they are planning to leave and it is all about growing employment insecurity. It is one thing to promote Commissioning Council as a solution to the financial crisis; it is irresponsible to pursue a policy that is pushing the future of social services in Barnet over a cliff.
UNISON is very concerned staff and the community are being exposed to risks which do not need to be there. These services mean people live, die or thrive. Our members work hard to make sure people thrive. Many now live with a constant fear that what they are doing is not enough and there will be a serious incident. It is the nightmare of any worker in Social Services.
UNISON is extremely concerned about the effect on morale and safety for our members and the community. One thing is clear: we will not stand by and allow our members to be scapegoated for systemic failings. Another is that we will continue to fight outsourcing and all the risks it brings to our members and community!
That is exactly what our UNISON members had to say on the picket line on Wednesday 7 October. Our members are rightly concerned about the future of the service as they have been identified as another service to be outsourced. Members revealed they have been concerned about the increasing reliance on agency drivers and loaders and the impact it is having on the quality of the service to residents. 
To view letter from Mark Serwotka General Secretary PCS please click 
The Barnet Group, where our branch members in Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet are, is hoping for the go-ahead from 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON Library response to 70% cut in staffed hours by Barnet Council.