Search Results for: mental health

Barnet UNISON COVID Update: PPE for care workers.

Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, UNISON Campaign

Recommended PPE for primary, outpatient, community and social care by setting, NHS and independent sector

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878750/T2_poster_Recommended_PPE_for_primary__outpatient__community_and_social_care_by_setting.pdf

Date: 14 April 2020.

The PPE guidance takes you to a table showing the types of PPE you need depending on your workplace.

For staff working in care homes you need to read to look at the fourth column down on the left entitled:

“Community and social care, care home, mental health inpatients and other overnight care facilities e.g. learning disability, hospices, prison healthcare.”

If you look at the guidance it states:

  1. Disposable gloves : Single use

 

  1. Disposable plastic apron: Single use.

 

  1. Fluid-resistant (Type IIR) surgical mask: Sessional use.

 

  1. Eye/face protection: Risk assess sessional use.

What do they mean by eye/face protection?

  1. This may be single or reusable face/eye protection/full face visor or goggles

What do they mean by Single Use?

“4.Single use refers to disposal of PPE or decontamination of reusable items e.g. eye protection or respirator, after each patient and/or following completion of a procedure, task, or session; dispose or decontaminate reusable items after each patient contact as per Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs).”

What do they mean by Sessional use?

“5.A single session refers to a period of time where a health care worker is undertaking duties in a specific care setting/exposure environment e.g. on a ward round; providing ongoing care for inpatients. A session ends when the health care worker leaves the care setting/exposure environment. Sessional use should always be risk assessed and considered where there are high rates of hospital cases. PPE should be disposed of after each session or earlier if damaged, soiled, or uncomfortable.”

What do they mean by risk assess?

“8. Risk assessed use refers to utilising PPE when there is an anticipated/likely risk of contamination with splashes, droplets or blood or body fluids.”

For more details click on link to Government web site below

(Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878750/T2_poster_Recommended_PPE_for_primary__outpatient__community_and_social_care_by_setting.pdf )

 

Three workers in the Dust truck is not safe

Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

The threat of COVID 19 both real and perceived is growing stronger every day especially amongst front line workers who are being asked to carry on a deliver services as normal.

But these are not normal times. We are in a global pandemic which is sweeping across the globe, some countries faster than others.

The response from workers in public services is incredible people are offering support to other services which are under serious pressure.

Once such service that needs to continue otherwise there will be another type of public health risk is the Waste and Recycling Service.

There can sometimes be 3 or 4 workers sitting inside a vehicle a clear contravention of the government advice on social distancing.

Earlier this week Barnet UNISON wrote to Barnet Council requesting urgent measures to be put in place to safeguard our member’s health and safety.

Our demands are as follows:

1. Cleaning regime.

The inside of the vehicles are subjected to thorough cleansing regime each day.

That Hand gel is provided for each team every day. Please note there are no toilets available for these staff to use therefore no access to water and soap.

Cleansing wipes to be provided to each team every day.

Gloves and masks to be provided to each team every day.

Provision of toilet facilities for the workforce

Procedure to change how they currently work to reflect government advice about social distancing.

2. Bonus/recognition payment

Workers have asked that the Council pay a bonus to the reflect the recognition of the work they are currently providing under difficult circumstances.

3. Mental Health

To increase awareness of counselling support for staff working on the frontline during this national crisis.

4. Food and supplies

It is well documented that access to supermarkets is proving problematic and for the key workers it will more difficult for them to access supermarkets as they are working. Barnet UNISON has asked Barnet Council look to secure means by which food and supplies can be provided on an order basis for key workers.

 

***** Barnet Council have responded see below:

Cleansing

Hand sanitiser gel has been issued to the crews and drivers have a supply of hand wipes for them and the crew to use.  Drivers can request more from the Supervisors once their supply has gone.  Drivers are also being issued with cleansing wipes so that they are able to wipe down surfaces, handles and steering wheels in the cab.  We have also progressed arrangements to implement a cleansing regime for vehicle cabs.  Nitril gloves are currently also available on request for those who may wish to use them.

We have sourced resource that will be undertaking a deep cleanse of the RCV cabs on Saturday this week.  Following this, we will have a team of four people working from Monday to clean the vehicle cabs.  RCV’s will be cleaned on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings and Street Cleansing vehicles will be cleaned on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Payment.

No bonus payment will be paid to key workers.

Mental Health

Mental Health First Aiders to be made available for staff to contact and discuss their issues.

Food and Supplies

No.

 

End.

Merry Christmas? Not a chance! Redundancies on the horizon

Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

The last big outsourcing took place in April 2016.

Education and Catering Services were outsourced to Mott MacDonald who transferred the services to Cambridge Education. Cambridge Education sub-contracted Catering Services to global giant ISS.

At the time of the award of the contract it was very clear that the Council was moving all of its staff, who would need a café based inside, to the new £50 plus million building in Colindale.

What happened next is yet another example of how you lose all control by outsourcing.

For some reason Barnet Council said it did not want the same service it had in the Atrium and wanted to hand it over to a franchise……Costa Coffee. ISS was to sort out the franchise and run a Costa Coffee inside the new Colindale office.

Who or why this was agreed we don’t know – it’s important to note there are loads of Costa Coffee shops around Colindale.

All our members were told by ISS that they would receive Costa Coffee training in readiness for the move to Colindale in June 2019.

That’s right, June 2019.

Then it all went quiet, staff started moving and the ‘white elephant’ – the lack of a café – became more apparent as the building started to fill up.

‘It would all be ready after the summer.’

No, it wasn’t, and the news was worse.

ISS was not going to provide a service.

Barnet UNISON said “let’s run an in-house service”. 

We were ignored.

Barnet Council went out to find a contractor to run a café in the Colindale office.

Bad news for our members

Barnet Council has failed to secure a contractor to run a café in Colindale office. We have been told that the Council is going back out to see if it can secure a contractor but time is running out. The Atrium service will close March 2020. This will give very little time to find another employer and then TUPE transfer staff to the new employer.

Yesterday Barnet UNISON had the unpleasant task of speaking to all of our members in the Atrium café in North London Business Park (also known as the staff canteen) to alert them to the very real risk of redundancy due to this news.

Outsourcing v In-House

Outsourcing has failed our low paid members and it has failed the staff who work in Colindale. The importance of a staff canteen is that it provides a space away from your desk to de-stress and meet up with work colleagues. It’s a space that helps promote mental health and wellbeing.

Barnet UNISON has formally written to Cambridge Education to hold ISS to the contract and ask them to provide a café service in NLBP.

What we do know is that if Catering had remained in-house there would already be a café in Colindale, just as it was ready when all the staff finally moved to North London Business Park.

Solidarity for our UNISON Atrium members.

More on this later in 2020.

End.

 

 

 

Hey Barnet, don’t cut front line services, the savings are here

Austerity, Local, News, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON advises Barnet Tories of savings which will not impact on frontline services and residents.

One of my biggest disappointments during the local government elections has been the complete lack of any discussions with the electorate about the end of local government in 2020.

By that I mean the direct assault on local government funding that was unleashed in 2011 and is set to continue up to 2020. After this there will no longer be enough money for social care never mind all the other council services such as waste and recycling, highways, libraries street cleansing, to name but a few.

It is important to note this is not something only being propagated by Trade Unions; the Leaders in Local Government have been banging on about the growing crisis as each year more austerity brutal budgets are passed and implemented across all public services.

In the absence of a “magical money tree” budget decisions are going to have to be made which will hit “frontline or not frontline services.”

Our offer here will not address the “2020 Armageddon” but it could buy some time for vital public services.

1. Delete all non-essential locum posts

Delete all non-essential locum posts in the Council which could generate several million pound savings immediately.

2. Re-negotiate the current agency contract with Capita.

Re-negotiate the current agency contract with Capita that removes the requirement to pay gain share.

3. Bring Barnet Group back in-house

Look at Barnet Group structure. It is our view that Barnet Group is not fit for purpose – there are too many senior management posts, starting at the top with a chief executive earning around 150k. In the current austerity climate and looming financial Armageddon the financial case for it to continue simply does not stack up.

Services in Barnet Group need to be brought back in-house.

4. Agency/Consultancy spend.

It is matter of fact that this budget has increased from

£7,732,269 million in 2010/11 to £17,980,842 million for 2017/18. #

A thorough audit of spend needs to be conducted in order to reduce the reliance on agency/consultants.

5. Capita contracts – bring them back in-house

It is a matter of fact that Capita has received £335.12 million in payments from Barnet Council. This represents an overpayment of £123.88 million. Due to commercial confidentiality there is no way to assess that this overpayment represents “value for money”.

Barnet UNISON notes that two internal audit reports found significant issues with the Capita contract such as the Pensions administration and Finance. These serious concerns were not identified in the two recent Capita reviews carried out by the client side service. It is our view that Council commences discussions to bring back services in house.

We note in a recent CIPFA article identified:

“Contracts reduce financial flexibility at a time when budget makers need to be fleet of foot: councils and other public bodies can’t afford to be locked into long term, unvarying contractual schemes. The old doctrine of risk transfer now sounds like deceit: the state retains ‘last resort’ responsibility and the reliability of contractors cannot be guaranteed.”

https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/opinion/2018/04/why-insourcing-should-considered?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term 

6. End the Commissioning Service and commence a senior management restructure

The Commissioning service (client side) revenue budget has grown substantially since the mass outsourcing began and is now approximately £35 million a year.

By bringing services in-house the commissioning service becomes obsolete. It would then follow the need for a senior management restructure which would offer up more savings which could be used for frontline services.

In conclusion it is important to re-state that the above proposals would not address the doomsday scenario for local government funding post 2020. The above proposals are an alternative to more cuts being handed out to already fragile frontline services. Any further attempts to cut and or outsource frontline will have a detrimental financial and mental health impact on the workforce and services.

If there is choice to cut frontline services and jobs or cut senior management and non-essential locums then there is only one choice.

Protect frontline services.

John Burgess

Branch Secretary

Barnet UNISON

Links:

Why ‘insourcing’ should always be considered, by: David Walker & John Tizard. 26 Apr 18

https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/opinion/2018/04/why-insourcing-should-considered?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term

Year End Supplier Payments – Where All The Money Is Going

http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/year-end-supplier-payments-where-all.html

Lord Porter: The government must address the growing funding gap facing local services

https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/government-and-public-sector/house/house-magazine/94547/lord-porter-government-must-address

 

“Conscious Brutality”

Austerity, Local, Solidarity, Trades Dispute

These are the words Ken Loach uses to describe the proposed cuts to our last 2 Welfare Rights Advisors.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2017/05/04/ken-loach-on-proposed-sacking-of-welfare-rights-advisors/

Shockingly this proposed cut is not about saving money! One of the biggest user groups of the service are those with Mental Health problems.

Of course it’s great that famous people are joining in to break the taboo of talking about Mental ill-health but what is the point if we just then kick these people in the face by removing access to an important service!

“I am bloody angry”– The Cruellest Cut to Welfare Rights advisors

Uncategorised

You would think that at my time of life and my experience of cuts that I would become immune to the brutality of Austerity cuts.

But today, my head exploded as I attended a statutory consultation meeting which is proposing to delete the only two welfare benefits advisors we have left in the Council.

I will post greater details about this proposal but needless to say the two staff concerned are highly skilled, motivated and totally committed to advocating for some of the most vulnerable families in our community.

Welfare Benefits is a nightmare to navigate even social workers refer to our welfare benefits advisors as do the few remaining voluntary organisations that are left after a series of cuts to the voluntary sector.

Our two members are providing service to vulnerable families with complex mental health problems. Mental Health appears to be attracting a lot of attention, a lot of warms words, but it is this sort of cut that exposes the words are empty.

The proposals to replace these vital two posts with a ‘Financial Inclusion Coordinator”.

I kid you not that the service is going and this post will sign post vulnerable to services, but the thing is there are no equivalent services for these families.

When Ken Loach refers to “conscious managed cruelty” I think I can understand what he means, who in their right mind in social services would want to do this or even think this is a good idea.

What makes me even angrier is the amount of money this proposal will save is negligible when compared with the amount of money Barnet Council is spending on agency and consultants. Since 2012, spend has risen incrementally from £7.73 million to just under £20 million by 2017.

Read it for yourself here http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/is-anyone-monitoring-capita.html

What about the damage to the families who will no longer receive the support they are currently being provided.

Before anyone says there are other agencies that can provide the same services. No there are not.

This proposal is appalling and must be stopped.

Barnet UNISON and our members will do our utmost to stop this from happening. The benefit system is too complex, there is no other provider we can’t let this cut destroy more peoples lives.

We need to save this service.

You can send messages of support to Barnet UNISON office at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Solidarity statement 4 John Burgess

Community, Local

Standing up against Bullies of People with Mental Health Issues

We know John made it public knowledge that he suffered a serious mental health breakdown last year. Whatever anyone may think about such a revelation surely it should not attract a vindictive attempt to undermine his mental health.

Unfortunately John has recently received an email seemingly calculated to undermine his mental health. We will not stand by in silence whilst someone in our movement is bullied in this way.

By signing this statement we are expressing our solidarity with John Burgess and our disgust at this opportunistic and calculated attack on someone recovering from a serious health condition.

Please go to this link to read a fuller story about this attack: https://johnburgess001.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hate-crime-why-i-reported-it-to-police.html

Name, Position,  Organisation or branch

  1. John McDonnell MP Shadow Chancellor
  2. Mark SERWOTKA PCS General Secretary
  3. ‪Ian Hodson President BFAWU ‬
  4. Petros Elia General Secretary United Voices of the World
  5. John Hendy QC
  6. Helen Davies Branch Chair Barnet UNISON and NEC.
  7. Hugh Jordan Libraries Convenor Barnet UNISON.
  8. Patrick Hunter Convenor Barnet Unison.
  9. Maggi Myland Barnet UNISON Retired member
  10. Chris Jobson Barnet UNISON Rep.
  11. Sid Ronayne Barnet UNISON Rep.
  12. Claire Locke Chair London Metropolitan University UNISON
  13. Claire Dixon Branch Secretary, UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
  14. John Harris Ex Chair UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
  15. Alex Lines Chair UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
  16. Jackie Taylor UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
  17. Sonya Howard Branch Secretary, UNISON Kensington & Chelsea, NEC
  18. Phoebe Watkins Branch Co-Chair Camden UNISON
  19. Hugo Pierre Schools Convenor Camden UNISON , NEC
  20. Amerit Rait Shop Steward UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
  21. Brian Debus Chair Hackney UNISON
  22. Alex Tarry Branch Secretary London Metropolitan University UNISON
  23. Tony Phillips Branch Secretary UNISON London Fire Authority
  24. Diana Swingler UNISON rep Homerton UNISON
  25. Tanya Murat Convenor Greenwich UNISON
  26. Sandy Nichol SOAS UNISON Branch Secretary
  27. Philip Lewis, Camden UNISON Vice Chair & Branch Health & Safety officer & Convenor supporting people directorate, UNISON Regional Health & Safety Comm. Vice Chair Unison NHSC
  28. Paula Peters DPAC activist, member of Mental Health Resistance Network and Equalities Officer SE London Unite Community
  29. Esther Rey Hounslow UNISON joint branch secretary
  30. Floyd Codlin, PCS Arms, PCS Culture GEC
  31. Tim O’Dell, Libraries shop steward, Lambeth
  32. Linda Burnip, DPAC co-founder and UNISON member
  33. Karen Raynor, Customer Support Assistant, Unison Steward for Bradford Libraries.
  34. Dave Honeybone, Doncaster District and Bassetlaw health steward.
  35. George Binette, Camden UNISON Branch Secretary & Chair, Camden TC
  36. Dean Ryan: Shop Steward Islington Unison.
  37. Sasha Simic, Shop Steward USDAW C133 Central Books branch.
  38. Ruth Cashman, Branch Secretary Lambeth UNISON.
  39. Brad Charteris, Psychotherapist.
  40. Gareth Lane BFAWU community organiser.
  41. Ben Sellers, Secretary, County Durham Trades Union Council.
  42. Dave Auger Wolverhampton deputy branch sec
  43. Sara Wright, Middlesex University Branch, Branch Chair.
  44. Roger Hutt, Doncaster and Bassetlaw steward
  45. Alan Wylie, Unison member & campaigner
  46. Bob Ellard, DPAC
  47. Arthur Nicoll, Communications Officer – Dundee City Unison, Scottish LG Cttee
  48. John Sullivan parent of an adult daughter with learning difficulties , John has spent years fighting for along with her peers and her support staff.
  49. Andy Squires Doncaster and Bassetlaw Health Branch.
  50. Jenny Compton-Bishop Middlesex University Retired Member
  51. Caroline Powls Member Brent Unison
  52. Janette Evans secretary Barnet Branch Unite community , member Mental Health Resistance Network.
  53. Sid Ronayne Barnet UNISON steward.
  54. Adrian Kennett Hull Unison
  55. Jon Rogers, UNISON NEC.
  56. Candy Udwin PCS National Gallery.
  57. John McLoughlin Branch Secretary/SGE Tower Hamlets UNISON
  58. Dan Sartin Branch Secretary West Sussex UNISON
  59. Ron Cohen CWU member
  60. David Ball Steward Barnet UNISON
  61. Theresa Musgrove Broken Barnet Blog
  62. Derek Dishman blogger “Mr Mustard”
  63. A.M. Poppy Barnet Activist
  64. Dave Knight Retired Waltham Forest UNISON
  65. Sarah Littlewood Deputy Branch Secretary Hull LG Branch
  66. Janet Bryan NEC Branch Treasurer Convenor Bolton UNISON
  67. Paul Couchman Deputy Branch Secretary Surrey County UNISON
  68. Sherril Johnston NSL steward Barnet UNISON
  69. Rebecca Call Women’s Officer Wirral UNISON
  70. Ian Davies Community Member Scunthorpe
  71. Ian Thomas Health SGE UNISON Wales
  72. Tony Staunton UNITE member
  73. Raymie Kiernan NUJ member
  74. Mike Calvert Deputy Branch Secretary Islington UNISON
  75. Martin Clark FE college steward Glasgow City UNISON
  76. Mark Evans Branch Secretary Camarthenshire County UNISON
  77. Florence Hill Retired Branch Chair Bolton UNISON
  78. Jane Doolan Branch Secretary Islington UNISON
  79. Steve Day Branch secretary BFAWU
  80. Kevin Ward Labour Link officer Middlesex University UNISON
  81. Ben Jackson Branch secretary pc Manchester Community and Mental Health UNISON
  82. Barry Blinko retired member Westminster University
  83. Karen Reissmann member/ NEC pc Bolton Salford Trafford UNISON
  84. Liz James steward Barnet UNISON
  85. Stephen Wood Hillingdon UNISON
  86. Osman Ahmed Sade ULR rep UNISON
  87. Suzy Franklin honorary President Plymouth Trade Council 2017 – former UNISON Health branch secretary (Plymouth Derriford Hospital Health branch)  NEC southwest and staunch John Burgess supporter
  88. Keith Wilcox Hillingdon UNISON
  89. Raymundo Obedencio Barnet Green Party
  90. Philippa Whitecross
  91. Matt Ratcliffe Branch Secretary Hillingdon UNISON
  92. Sharon Benjamin Assistant Branch Secretary Hillingdon UNISON
  93. Jo Cardwell Vice Chair Islington UNISON
  94. Gary Padgett Lincolnshire County UNISON
  95. Lorna Solomon Branch Chair Homerton UNISON
  96. Megan Charlton Secretary Durham Teaching assistants UNISON
  97. Liz Wheatley Assistant Branch Secretary Camden UNISON
  98. Roger Lewis Assistant Branch Secretary pc Lambeth UNISON
  99. Shirley Franklin Chair Defend Whittington Hospital coalition
  100. Theresa Rollinson Health SGE pc Doncaster and Bassetlaw UNISON
  101. Keith Martin Former chief accountant NALGO
  102. Jenny Leow Homerton UNISON
  103. Jordan Rivera Branch Secretary Homerton UNISON
  104. Jim Board Branch Secretary Doncaster UNISON
  105. Yunus Bakhsh formerly branch secretary Newcastle City Health UNISON; Northern region NEC and Health SGE 25 years a psychiatric nurse
  106. Sharon Campion Joint branch secretary/ SGE Sandwell UNISON
  107. John Woods Branch Chair Portsmouth City UNISON
  108. Tirza Waisel Adult social worker Chair Barnet Communities UNITE
  109. George Shaw Barnet Communities UNITE
  110. Phil Fletcher Barnet Communities UNITE; Friends of the Earth; Barnet Green Party
  111. Kathy Smith Bromley Unite rep
  112. Paul Gilroy Branch Secretary Newcastle City UNISON LG & UNISON NEC
  113. Max Watson, Unite the Union, SE London Community Branch (previously UNISON NEC, 2010-2015)
  114. Tracey Leith, Shetland Branch, Chair
  115. Jennie Haswell, Branch Health and Safety Officer, Wakefield District Branch of Unison
  116. Trish Fay member of County Durham Teaching Assistants Action Committee
  117. Louis Smyth Barnet Schools Officer – solidarity John
  118. Clara Paillard PCS President
  119. Professor Dexter Whitfield Director, European Services Strategy Unit
  120. Graham Eddy ex unison branch sec Northumberland lg and asst branch sec tower hamlets unison.
  121. Gemma Short, Workers’ Liberty. My solidarity.
  122. Ruth Nyman Barnet UNISON Retired member.
  123. Jonathan Dunning, UNISON NEC and Norfolk Branch Secretary. 
  124. Sandra Greenyer, Children’s Centre Manager
  125. Alphonsa M.K. Alby, Barnet social worker
  126. Hilary Price Barnet UNISON member.
  127. Tracey Lowe, Barnet UNISON Retired member.
  128. Tracy Cumberbatch, Underhill School and Children’s Centre.
  129. Izzi Azgadj
  130. Jan McLachlan.
  131. Steve North Branch Secretary, Salford City UNISON.
  132. Mary Beer-Cleasby, small business owner, BECTU member &Save Barnet Libraries.
  133. Andrew Travers, Joint Branch Secretary, Unison Medway Health.
  134. Vicky Perrin school steward Calderdale Branch, YH NEC member (pc)
  135. Craig Martin, schools convener, UNISON Dorset County.
  136. Eddie Rowley london met uni unison steward.
  137. David Summers London Met Unison Asst Branch Secretary. 
  138. John McDermott UNISON steward. Bradford.
  139. Vino Sangarapillai Camden Unison. 
  140. Polly Smith- chair Suffolk County UNISON ,nec (pc)
  141. Rena Neophytou, Barnet UNISON member.
  142. Nick Jackman, Barnet UNISON member
  143. Janet Mead, Barnet UNISON member.
  144. David Halls, Unison Birmingham Branch – retired member.
  145. Mark Dee Smith, Luton TUC.
  146. Sue Plain Southwark UNISON Branch Secretary.
  147. April Ashley UNISON Black members rep and Assistant Branch Secretary Southwark (pc).
  148. Bernie Gallagher, Bolton LG and NEC.
  149. Maddie Cooper UNISON.
  150. Fiona Monkman, Islington UNISON.
  151. David Mackintosh Unison rep for Assist Barnet homes
  152. Kieran Lynch Barnet UNISON Retired member
  153. David Lindsay, Lanchester, County Durham.
  154. Adam Driscoll Barnet UNISON member.

 

,

“Unsafe & Unsustainable”- Barnet UNISON speech to Barnet Councillors 

Uncategorised
The following speech was delivered to General Functions Committee,
on Tuesday 6th December at 7pm in Hendon Town Hall 

“Dear members of the committee

I addressing you as both the branch secretary of Barnet UNISON, but also speaking as a service user of mental health services, indeed without the support I was given and the ongoing support I still receive today there is a strong likelihood I may not of been speaking to you this eveningjohn-t-shirt

It is also worth noting much quoted statistic that one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.

I therefore speak not only as a worker but from personal experience of using mental health services.

I also want to make this point that I believe is often missed by elected members. I speaking to you all as employers not politicians. It is as an employer I am wanting to address our members, your staff concerns about the proposal before the committee this evening.

Firstly, I can confirm we are not opposed to the staff being brought back into the Council and we are fully supportive of the proposed social care model of intervention.

However when travelling across the borough it is impossible not to see the number of housing developments; and with it the increase in population; and with that the increased need for schools, NHS provision, social services to name but a few public services.

It is therefore highly dangerous to be proposing to cut Mental Health services at a time when the population is growing.

It is our view that the proposed cut of mental health social workers coupled with the increase in responsibilities will NOT lead to a safer service for service users, families and carers.

Barnet UNISON is extremely concerned about the reduction of social workers and the introduction of Assessment Enablement Officers (AEO).

In mental health staff are working with extremely complex and high risk individuals in situations where you need qualified experienced and knowledgeable staff.

Currently mental health social workers have significantly high caseloads (which includes the work connected to their statutory responsibilities in their Approved Mental Health Practitioner roles.

The cut in social workers will lead to greater pressure upon an already pressured staff group increasing the risk of more Serious Untoward Incidents (SUI) happening.

You will no doubt have been briefed that the Council is not making any social workers redundant, which is true; and you will have been told that the new proposal to replace qualified social workers with AEO’s will provide a better service.

With respect this premise is nonsense.

The proposal to cut mental health social workers is directly driven by NEED.

However, not by the NEEDS of service users and carers, but by the NEED to make Austerity cuts.

Lessons learnt

I would like to remind the committee that it was only two years ago when I addressed this same committee about the now infamous Family Services restructure. At that meeting I tried to convince members of the committee to extend the period of consultation as I was concerned the changes had been driven through in haste and that I feared there would be consequences for the service and the staff.  Unfortunately the committee chose accept the advice of senior officers who are now no longer working for the council. However I can report that the restructure had to be revisited as I predicted, there was a high turnover of experienced social work staff which then resulted in the recruitment crisis you now have in children’s social work.

 

Sometimes it is worth listening to UNISON.

 

We’ve been here before 18th February this year, Adults brought a similar proposal to cut social work posts, and use non-professionally qualified workers.

My members, your staff, describe feeling they are “flying by the seat of their pants”

The rationale put before this committee for cutting social work posts was that new Capita IT database “Mozaic” would deliver efficiencies. Well 10 months later this is not happening because “Mozaic”, once again has been pulled. There have been so many false starts with Mozaic if they had been a sprinter they’d have been disqualified from the Olympics by now.

 

Consultancy spend

I want members to take a look at agency/consultants spend.

Last year the council spent £18.2 million on agency/consultants. This figure is larger than the year before which was £17.9 million, which was significantly larger than the previous year which was £15.5million, which was previously larger than the previous year £13.7million which was previously larger than the previous year £12.5million.

In the last two quarters of this year the Council has already spent £13.7 million on agency/consultants which if the current pattern continues could see the Council break £20million.

It is our view that the Council needs to address this agency/consultancy uncontrollable spend in order to protect vital front line services and in this case drop the proposal to cut social work posts.

 

John Burgess

Branch Secretary

Barnet UNISON

 

 

Barnet UNISON respond to CUTS to Adult Social Services

Local

Summary

1) UNISON members have given a strong mandate to UNISON to register their disagreement with the proposals outlined in the document to the employer.

2) The proposals see around 18% of jobs in Adults and Communities excluding mental health being lost. Whilst this is offset by the creation of 22 jobs and the reduction then falls to around 9%, the majority of those new posts are in place of higher paid and professional posts. Whilst there are fewer hard redundancies there is huge concern as to how any consequent increase in workload can be managed in a safe way against a backdrop of a workforce already struggling to keep on top of managing the work safely. » Read more

STOP PRESS: 92% of Barnet Council staff now face outsourcing

Local

On Wednesday 25 November Chancellor George Osborne will announce details of his Comprehensive Spending Review. Barnet Council agreed at their Policy & Resources Committee, 9 July 2015 that their Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) needed to deliver £81.1 million in budget cuts.

A large part of the strategy is outsourcing and becoming a commissioning council, outsourcing their staff to other employers and asking them to deliver the staff savings.

On Wednesday 18 November councillors on Children, Education, and Libraries & Safeguarding Committee agreed to award a contract to global multinational giant Mott MacDonald.

This decision which still has to be ratified at a Full Council meeting on Tuesday 8 December 2015 will mean 476 Council workers transfer out of the Council to the private contractor.

At the same meeting councillors agreed to add staff working in Family Services to the ever growing outsourcing pipeline, aka Barnet Commissioning Council. This outsourcing project includes children’s social workers (child protection), children centre workers and youth workers among others.

At the Performance and Contract Management Committee, on Tuesday 17th November the following staffing figures were produced:

1. Education & Skills and Catering 300.93 full time equivalent posts

2. Street Scene services 428.46 full time equivalent posts

3. Library Service 114 full time equivalent posts).

4. Adults & Communities 235.71 full time equivalent posts

5. Family services 461.31 full time equivalent posts. Library figures have been excluded

6. Commissioning Group 147.87 full time equivalent posts

The decision to add all staff working in Family Services to the outsourcing project means that 92% (1,540.41 full time equivalents) of the current Barnet Council workforce are now facing the likelihood of being outsourced.

This would leave only council staff working in the Commissioning Group as Council employees. 

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: On Wednesday 25 November the Chancellor George Osborne will provide the details to his Comprehensive Spending Review. It is the worst kept secret that his review will lead to damaging future for social care and public services. The attack will be delivered by either cuts and or mass outsourcing.  The model for the sell-off of the NHS has been hatched and delivered here in Barnet. We have had 7 years of Future Shape, Easy Council, One Barnet and now Commissioning Council and we are finally at the point we predicted back in 2008, that the Council was looking to handover their staff to other employers, leaving behind a small core of workers. Whilst the Council will claim that decisions have not been made, staff in Barnet are fully aware of the ‘direction of travel’ for staff and will now be no doubt be making their own plans. This news presents a serious risk particularly for social services as social workers are highly likely to consider moving elsewhere. There is already a social work recruitment and retention crisis in Barnet this news is unlikely to help.”

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

Six years ago Barnet Council introduced a policy known as Future Shape which morphed into ‘easyCouncil’*.This imposed a series of tariffs on residents wishing to access a range of services. A basic service would be offered to residents at a fixed price, but ‘fast track’ services might be available if you paid extra.

This approach was quickly abandoned by the consultant driven One Barnet Programme, which led to the following Council Services being outsourced/privatised in the space of three years:

1. Social Care for Adults with disabilities to Your Choice Barnet

2. Housing Options to Barnet Homes

3. Parking Services to NSL

4. Revenues & Benefits, IT, HR & Payroll, Pensions, Health & Safety, Finance, Estates, Property Services, Procurement, Projects all now part of Capita CSG

5. Environmental Health, Planning, Building Control, Hendon Cemetery & Crematorium, Highways, Trading Standards & Licensing all now Capita RE

6. Legal Services

7. Registrars & Nationality Services

8. CCTV

9. Music Trust

10. Public Health

11. Mortuary Services.

Over the past three years our members have seen hundreds of colleagues transferred to other employers. This has often meant redundancy as the new employer moved jobs out of the borough and Greater London to places as far afield as Belfast, Carlisle, Coventry, Southampton and Darlington.

1 … 9 10 11 12 13 … 16