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“How bad must it get before Barnet Council terminate the two Capita contracts?”

Austerity, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

This report is a collection of published online articles in 2018 that relate to Capita failure and organisations taking services back in-house.

Barnet Council is currently conducting a review of both Capita contracts.

However, history of decision making in Barnet leaves Barnet UNISON with a feeling of dread.

Barnet Council likes to be different, to buck the trend hence the easyCouncil model was pushed through despite the best efforts of Barnet UNISON and community campaigners and Barnet Bloggers.

In 2018 Capita issued a Profit warning which saw their Share price drop over the cliff literally days after Carillion collapsed. We now know Government were still awarding contracts to Carillion even when it was clear their share price was going through the floor.

Today 26 October 2018 Capita Share price is £1.20

View our report here How bad must it get

 

Barnet UNISON: Urgent Pension information update 26 October 2018

Austerity, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON: Urgent Pension information update 26 October 2018

Dear member

Once again our Pension Administration service has failed and had to be reported to the Pensions Regulator.

“The London Borough of Barnet Council has reported itself to the Pensions Regulator after failing to produce 447 pension benefit statements on time.”

http://www.pensions-expert.com/DB-Derisking/Barnet-in-TPR-breach-as-Capita-misses-payments

This is second year in a row that this has happened.

Barnet UNISON has never known things to be this bad.

The in-house service never had these problems.

Furthermore the article reports:

“The committee also said that outsourcer Capita, which carries out a variety of services for the council and is the pension scheme’s own administrator, has failed to make requisite deficit contributions for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 periods of more than £2m.”

What does this mean?

It means that Capita have apparently not paid any Pension contributions to their own Barnet Capita workforce (CSG and RE) for the past 18 months.

What has Barnet UNISON done?

Barnet UNISON wrote to Mark Dally and John Hooton Chief Executive on 23 October seeking urgent conformation that the pension contributions will be paid immediately and that a communication to all staff is sent confirming that all contributions have been made.

Update:

As of today Friday 26 October 2018 we have not had confirmation that any Pensions contributions to the workforce have been made.

What you can do.

Please check your payslips. You should have a section on your payslip which shows your Pension contribution for that month. Please check to see if you can see if the Employers contribution has been identified. The period that you need to check is for 2017/2018 and 2018/19 to date.

 

If you have any concerns about your Pension and would like a one to one meeting please contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Barnet UNISON call-out for people to give evidence at the #KickOutCapita Inquiry

Austerity, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON call-out for people to give evidence at the #KickOutCapitaInquiry

If you are a Barnet resident or Barnet UNISON member and want to give evidence to the #KickOutCapitaInquiry  in person or want to provide evidence but remain anonymous please 
please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Already a number of people have already registered their intention to submit evidence to the #KickOutCapita Inquiry which is being held at the

Committee Room 10,

House of Commons Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.

On Tuesday 6 November 2018 at 7pm

Please arrive early as there will be a queue for security checks.

Meeting is sponsored by Barnet Alliance for Public Services and Barnet UNISON

Chair: Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian columnist and senior economics commentator

Purpose of Inquiry

To hear evidence from residents, trade unions, politicians on what Capita has done in Barnet and elsewhere and end with a set of recommendations.

How you can help.

  1. Please join #KickOutCapita campaign from 6 pm outside Hendon Town Hall,11th December, The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BG.
  2. Please sign and share our #KickOutCapita petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now

Background

A Capita employee managed to steal over £2 million from Barnet Council because neither Capita nor Barnet Council had control of financial matters.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukengland-london-45641513l

Barnet Council felt obliged to commission Grant Thornton to identify how such a large scale fraud was possible. This project could cost up to half a million pounds of tax payers’ money.

 

The review found no proper budgetary controls, no checking of basic banking details, inexperienced managers responsible for large amounts of Council money, no written financial procedures and check-lists.

Barnet Council agreed to pay Capita £252.54 million, but has already paid Capita £352.41 million with FIVE more years to go!

Barnet Council is in financial crisis with a budget overspend of £10.3 million this financial year and a funding gap of £66.8 million over the next three years.

Front-line services such as street cleansing, waste and recycling, libraries and social care are all facing more and more cuts that are already affecting Barnet residents.

Capita is having difficulty with its own finances

Their Share Price has dropped from £13 a share to under £1.50 a share in the last two years.

On 11th December 2018, Barnet Council Policy and Resources Committee will decide on whether to end both contracts. We are campaigning that they VOTE to end both contracts and begin the urgent process of taking back control of those services.

Support:

Please join #KickOutCapita campaign from 6 pm outside Hendon Town Hall,11th December, The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BG.

Please sign and share our #KickOutCapita petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now

 

 

 

 

 

Barnet #KickOutCapita Inquiry: 6 November 2018

Austerity, Local, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Date: Tuesday 6 November 2018

Venue:  Committee Room Corridor, House of Commons Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.

Time: 7pm

Organised by Barnet Alliance for Public Services and Barnet UNISON

Chair: Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian columnist and senior economics commentator

Purpose of Inquiry

To hear evidence from residents, trade unions, politicians on what Capita has done in Barnet and elsewhere and end with a set of recommendations.

Background

A Capita employee managed to steal over £2 million from Barnet Council because neither Capita nor Barnet Council had control of financial matters.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukengland-london-45641513l

Barnet Council felt obliged to commission Grant Thornton to identify how such a large scale fraud was possible. This project could cost up to half a million pounds of tax payers’ money.

The review found no proper budgetary controls, no checking of basic banking details, inexperienced managers responsible for large amounts of Council money, no written financial procedures and check-lists.

Barnet Council agreed to pay Capita £252.54 million, but has already paid Capita £352.41 million with FIVE more years to go!

Barnet Council is in financial crisis with a budget overspend of £10.3 million this financial year and a funding gap of £66.8 million over the next three years.

Front-line services such as street cleansing, waste and recycling, libraries and social care are all facing more and more cuts that are already affecting Barnet residents.

Capita is having difficulty with its own finances

Their Share Price has dropped from £13 a share to under £1.50 a share in the last two years.

On 11th December 2018, Barnet Council Policy and Resources Committee will decide on whether to end both contracts. We are campaigning that they VOTE to end both contracts and begin the urgent process of taking back control of those services.

Support:

  1. Please join #KickOutCapita campaign from 6 pm outside Hendon Town Hall,11th December, The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BG.
  2. Please sign and share our #KickOutCapita petition here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now

 

Barnet UNISON is supporting World Mental Health Day 10 October

Austerity, H&S, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON is supporting World Mental Health Day 10 October

As the song goes: “Everybody hurts sometimes”

 

In a number of our services stress and mental health issues account for the leading reasons for sickness absence. These are often services where our members have roles looking after the wellbeing of residents they serve so it can be difficult admitting you’re not coping when you are supposed to be the “strong one”. Please view this link where our own Branch Secretary, John Burgess, gives a personal account of his own experience.

Kick out Capita from Barnet Council now petition

Austerity, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

Kick out Capita from Barnet Council now

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/kick-out-capita-from-barnet-council-now

 

Why is this important?

The recent successfully prosecuted fraud case where a Capita employee stole over £2million from Barnet Council underlines the urgent need for the Council to take back control of all of the former Council services from Capita.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45641513

Barnet Council commissioned Grant Thornton (GT) to undertake a major review to identify how such a large scale fraud had been able to take place. This project, called Project Rose, was given a budget of “up to” £500,000 and has been on-going ever since.

The review found:
• Lack of budgetary controls
• Not carrying out basic bank detail checks
• Inexperienced managers responsible for large amounts of money
• Lack of written financial procedures and checklists

Barnet Council agreed to pay Capita £252.54 million

But, Barnet Council have already paid Capita £352.41 million with FIVE more years to go!

Barnet Council is in financial crisis with a budget overspend of £10.3 million this financial year and a funding gap of £66.8 million over the next three years.

Frontline services such as street cleansing, waste and recycling, Libraries, social care are all facing more and more cuts that are already affecting Barnet residents.

Capita Plc are in their own financial crisis.

Their Share Price has dropped from £13 a share to under £1.50 a share in the space of the last two years.

On 11 December 2018, Barnet Council Policy and Resources Committee will decide on whether to end both contracts. We are campaigning that they VOTE to end both contracts and begin the urgent process of taking back control of those services.

End
Details of the Grant Thornton Review on Capita
https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/council-and-democracy/finance-and-funding/Financial-controls.html

Is this the end of Capita in Barnet – Grant Thornton’s report is a devastating critique of Capita’s dismal performance
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.com/2018/09/is-this-end-of-capita-in-barnet-grant.html

Project Rose: the devastating report Barnet Tories didn’t want you to read
http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.com/2018/09/project-rose-devastating-report-barnet.html

Damning report slams Capita and financial management at Barnet Council
http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2018/09/damning-report-slams-capita-and.html

 

Barnet UNISON is supporting World Mental Health Day 10 October

Austerity, News, Solidarity

This year’s focus is on young people.

There is lots of material free to use for anyone who lives or works with young people

https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/campaigns/world-mental-health-day-2018

Find ways to support young people’s mental health in a changing world this #WorldMentalHealthDay, with the #HandsUp4HealthyMinds toolkit from MHFA England: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/campaigns/world-mental-health-day-2018/

 

 

 

Outsourcing in Barnet : “Thank God we didn’t outsource this time!”

Austerity, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

Roll back 18 months and Barnet Council were still fixated about outsourcing.

They had carried out two reviews of both Capita contracts and apart from minor issues the outsourcing was being given a big thumbs up by Councillors and senior officers.

The Passenger Transport Services (PTS) which provides transport for children and adults with disabilities was being reviewed to see if a private contractor could do it cheaper and better.

Barnet UNISON was seriously concerned at the prospect of this service being outsourced along with the rest of Street Scene.

We were preparing to organise strike action.

However, the Council saw the light and PTS was kept in-house.

One of the potential contractors who were being touted as a possible bidder if they wanted to outsource was STAR CARS LIMITED (02993937)

Look what has happened to STAR CARS LIMITED (02993937)

Petitions to Wind Up (Companies)

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3084556/

followed a week later by this:

Appointment of Administrators

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3091283

Luckily our in-house service was able to step in to provide services thus preventing children from missing their education provision.

In-house services, often underrated, overlooked but very much appreciated by Barnet UNISON.

 

Mr Reasonable on why residents need to #KickOutCapita from Barnet Council

Austerity, Local, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Mr Reasonable on why residents need to #KickOutCapita from Barnet Council

Come and listen to John Dix aka Mr Reasonable, explain the ramifications of the recent damning Grant Thornton audit review in language which is clear and easy to understand.

Meeting hosted by Barnet Alliance for Public Services (BAPS)

Tuesday 2nd October

6.30pm

Greek Cypriot Centre, 2 Britannia Rd, London N12 9RU

 Why attend the meeting ?

Mr Reasonable had this to say about the audit review:

“The Grant Thornton report highlights Capita’s repeated failure to get basic control systems right, allowing 62 fraudulent transactions to go undetected for 17 months. New systems to address this problem have now been put in place but the report paints a broader picture of institutionalised indifference, weak management and a lack of care. Barnet residents were forced to entrust critical functions of the council to Capita. Five years on, many residents believe that there is no longer any trust in Capita to deliver council services efficiently and securely. They must go.”

This is what John McDonnell Shadow Chancellor had to say about the audit review:

“The Grant Thornton (GT) review of the two Capita contracts in Barnet provides yet more evidence of the folly of privatisation of public services. When I read “significant financial control weaknesses…“poor accounting controls” in the GT review it summed up what I have been saying about the current Tory government. They have failed our economy by rewarding their friends in big business, leaving our communities and public services to suffer at the hands their brutal austerity policies. I want to send a personal message of solidarity from the Labour Party Conference to Barnet UNISON and the residents who have fought side by side against a right wing mass outsourcing ideology. I fully support your campaign to #KickOutCapita from Barnet and bring services back in-house.”

You can read the four reviews yourself on the Barnet Council web site

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/council-and-democracy/finance-and-funding/Financial-controls.html

Here is the Barnet UNISON Press release here

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2018/09/25/press-release-capita-out-capita-out-capita-out-out-out/

 

 

What more outsourcing in Barnet Council? Really?

Austerity, Local, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

“You couldn’t make it up”, is a phrase often bandied about here in Barnet. Sadly it is oh so true.

Last Friday the day the Grant Thornton review about Capita was published on the Barnet Council website I found myself sat in a meeting listening to an assistant director propose to trial outsourcing of the the bulk transfer service.

The bulk transfer service involves the transfer of recyclables to the tip. It’s a small operation but it is done well by hard working committed staff who are always around to help out if and when there is a crisis here in Barnet.

Guess what?

I don’t have the details of the amount of savings they are looking to make because they were not supplied at the meeting. The staff who had no idea this was coming were understandably upset. Not just because they see a pay cut coming but because they were not asked if they had any ideas and when they asked for details there were none.

That is the problem we have in Barnet.

I have sat in too many meetings with senior managers and or consultants who come up with ideas that have not been put to the workforce first. If I had a pound for every time a senior manager told me that they agree that they should consult with the workforce I’d probably be able to bail out the Council.

Back to the discussions.

The workforce without any time or resources immediately started brainstorming ideas for the service. It was impressive to see and management agreed that they would produce the information that had led to the proposal to outsource the service.

Have a guess.

Yes, to date Wednesday 26 September no data has been provided to the workforce and the trade unions. It will be pretty hard now to convince the workforce that this proposal was not dreamt up on the back of a fag packet.

What’s new?

Nothing, this is just another example into the sort of flawed decision making about Council services that I have witnessed first-hand over the past decade. The damning Grant Thornton review has exposed just how services can be vandalised by outsourcing.

The sad thing it is only the staff and the residents who suffer the consequences, the officers who come up with these ideas are never around when the “s**t hits the fan”.

Anyway, we have a meeting this Friday with the staff and management , as far as Barnet UNISON is concerned the idea needs to be dropped. There is a much bigger issue facing Waste and Recycling. The new routes are due to start on 5 November. It is imperative that the new routes work for residents and that is where resources need to be going first.

John Burgess

Branch Secretary

Barnet UNISON

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