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Why we must ‘care for’ our care workers and stop the attacks on them

Care workers have been submitted to devastating treatment from Commissioners who wield their power through contracting out services. I say this because when we raise the issue of terms & conditions for our members working for the contractors, the contractors respond by saying it is the ‘Council who are responsible.’

In Barnet we have a dispute known as the Your Choice Care Workers dispute which you can read about here and here.  

But there is a wider issue that goes beyond Barnet Council, Social Care is in crisis but not just about the cost but what it is doing to the quality of service delivery. The key issue commissioning continues to ignore is that without staff there is no service and the race to the bottom will only lead to further scandals and allegations of abuse. Incredibly there are some people who believe that lower wages including zero hours contracts guarantees quality services!

Some members of the public condemn care workers for having the temerity to stand up to the ongoing attacks to their terms and conditions. These ignorant people and I mean ignorant try to argue care work is not an important role and are first to call care workers greedy for not accepting cuts to their pay.

They will condemn the Doncaster Care UK care workers and they will condemn Your Choice Barnet care workers.

BUT where would we be without care workers?

I would argue that the way we treat those who provide care is a measure of what sort of society we aspire to be. Social Care is in a crisis, not just because of funding but I believe because of the way we treat the staff who deliver the care.

How can it be right that care work pays less then working behind a bar or in a supermarket?

We will at some point all rely on a care worker whether it is for ourselves or for someone we love and cherish. The level of trust we place on the care worker is critical to the quality of care required by the person needing support.

Providing care is exhausting work both physically and mentally. It is critically important that those providing care are provided with the best training, support and supervision to ensure the care they provide is of the highest quality.

BUT ‘Commissioning’ has undermined the role of the care worker, it has led to zero hours culture, it has led to the ‘15 minutes’ of care culture where home care workers are forced to provide 15 minutes of care and move on to their next client.

The advocates of the commissioning model will throw up their arms and protest they have brought value for money and greater innovation but the facts are there to see

· ‘Social care commissioners should ditch zero-hours contracts’

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/25/social-care-ditch-zero-hours-contracts

· ‘300,000 people on zero hours contracts in social care alone’

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/300000-people-on-zero-hours-contracts-in-social-care-alone-8688796.html

· ‘Unscrupulous employers exploiting workers through zero-hours contracts’

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/scottish-affairs-committee/news/report-zero-hours-contracts-/

· ‘Are 1 in 5 social care workers on zero-hours contracts?’

https://fullfact.org/factchecks/social_care_workers_zero_hours_contracts-29039

· ‘Ending the abuse of zero-hours contracts’

 

http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/TUC%20final%20response%20to%20BIS%20consultation%20on%20zero-hours%20contracts.pdf

Barnet UNISON has spent 3 days in negotiations so far with Your Choice Barnet and we will continue talking. We are hopeful the talks will yield a positive change for our members but at the moment this has not been achieved.

Our members working for Your Choice Barnet delivered a100% vote for strike action and will not be taking strike action lightly but as one colleague said:

“In taking this action we are standing up for ourselves and service users so neither lose out”.

Background:

In February 2012 Barnet Council transferred Learning Disability and Physical and Sensory Impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) called Your Choice Barnet (YCB). About 160 staff (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.Following a restructure and cuts to pay on shift allowancesthere are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB.

This is a resounding ballot result and vindication of why Barnet UNISON has always said theadditional 9.5% cut was unacceptable both to our members and the future for these critical frontline services. It is not feasible to continually attack low paid workers and expect them to take it without a fight and our members are not prepared to put up with joining a race to the bottom that is now common practice in the social care industry. The business case for this outsourced service was flawed from the outset three years ago and to date we have yet to see any financial figures which demonstrate this service will be able to deliver new business.

Our members are taking a pay cut in order for YCB to repayBarnet Homes a loan borrowed at commercial rates of interest!

Last year Barnet Council brought back the recycling service because they felt they could do a better job, which is why we are asking them to bring this service back in house in order to ensure a safe and secure service for Adults with Disabilities in Barnet.

The last twelve months have seen a sharp increase in the numbers of agency staff and zero hours contracts being used to deliver these services. The attacks on staff haveunderminedmorale and led to an exodus of experienced staff. For many of our members this is a last chance to save the service.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Your Choice Barnet say they have no choice as Barnet Council is only prepared to pay a set market rate for the support provided by YCB, but YCB is owned wholly by the Council. Somewhere between the Council and YCB there has to be a solution which doesn’t mean our members and the service users are used as football between the two paying for the problem.”

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email:john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Links

1. Barnet UNISON response to Your Choice Barnet Consultation Paper

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20response%20to%20YOUR%20CHOICE%20BARNET%20March%202014%20FINAL.pdf

2. ‘The way out of financial crisis’ Analysis of Consultation Paper Your Choice Barnet Ltd The Barnet Group Ltd (Local Authority Trading Company), London Borough of Barnet

http://www.socialworkfuture.org/attachments/article/330/CADDSS%20analysis%20.pdf

3. Barnet UNISON Report: The Barnet Group Ltd, Local Authority Trading Company: Privatising Adults and Housing Services London Borough of Barnet

http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/news/2012/local-authority-trading-company-latc-for-adult/latc-analysis-2012.pdf

4. Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet petition

 

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-ongoing-destruction-of-services-for-adults-with-disabilities-in-barnet

Schools – ‘Teaching Assistants do make a difference!’

“Teaching assistants do have an impact and make a difference”

“TAs make a real impact in improving attainment They are not just a mums’ army; they are incredibly important and have a vital function in schools.”

Barnet UNISON understands growing worries among school staff about pay, workload and job security. That is why this year’s UNISON pay claim for £1 an hour for all is very important.

A massive number of people in our visits to different schools across Barnet tell us they find it difficult to live on the wages the job provides  they are concerned about pay, and they have a right to be pay rates are in many cases at poverty levels;

Level 1 TA post starts at pay point 10 – below the London Living wage!

Unlike teachers – School based staff including TA’s often have term time-only contracts.

Many term-time only staff have to take extra jobs and/ or summer jobs to cope. The low level of pay is having a massive impact on their day-to-day lives.

All School staff deserve to be rewarded for the tireless work they perform via a proper career structure better pay and good terms and conditions while at work

In June 2013, a report by right wing think tank ‘Reform’ argued that schools could improve value for money by cutting the number of TAs and increasing class sizes. UNISON strongly disagrees with this view.

We feel the only way forward is to organise ourselves, and clearly put our case. If you want to do something about improving you pay and conditions or any other school based issue then please get in touch.  We have vacancies for school based reps and it is our view that the best place to  start dealing with such issues is make sure you colleagues are in UNISON, holding regular workplace discussions and be prepared to fight to change things.

You may like to read an article in the Times Education Supplement Magazine

link here http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6400487

 

 

You can read UNISON response to the proposal here

Barnet Council agreed to carry out an inquiry into Your Choice and are due to hear a re­port on Wednesday 27 November at the Safeguarding Overview Committee.

CADDSS commissioned a report by Professor Dexter Whitfield on Your Choice entitled ‘The way out of financial crisis’ which you can read here

UNISON is asking our members to help by

1. Attending the Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Wednesday 27th November, 2013 7.00 pm, Hendon Town Hall NW4 4BG.

 

2. Signing our petition here