Search Results for: one barnet
For A Better, Fairer, Democratically Accountable Barnet.
Barnet UNISON has been involved with many campaigns involving the Community over the years. We do not see a contradiction between the provision of good services and good terms and conditions for the workers we represent. Our members often use the services our colleagues provide. Our key campaign has been the opposition of outsourcing which we warned would deliver inferior services to the Council, with a higher cost to residents and with less accountability for the money spent.
Unfortunately we appear to have been proven right. The following quote is from the Council’s own recent External Audit report:
“As at 31 March 2017, the Council has a prepayment balance of £44.7 million in respect of its Customer and Support Group (CSG) contract. This contract covers a number of front line and back office services including finance, ICT, HR, customer services, revenues and benefits, procurement, estates, and corporate programmes. As this is a significant prepayment, we challenged management with regard to its basis“.
Barnet UNISON has agreed policies we would like to see implemented by the next Council administration. We may alter or add to these policies and positions following discussions in the coming months.
Barnet UNISON (Local Government Branch) calls on those parties and candidates contesting the local Council election in May 2018 to support (and implement if elected) the following:
AGENCY STAFF/CONSULTANTS
- End the Council’s over reliance on agency staff and consultants, replacing these with Council employees.
- Review Unified Reward and consider returning to GLPC.
CARE
- Adopt UNISON ethical care charter.
(https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2013/11/On-line-Catalogue220142.pdf)
COLINDALE MOVE
- Address and alleviate the problems caused by the forthcoming relocation of Barnet Council and Partner organisation staff to the new Colindale Office building.
HEALTH & SAFETY
- Bring all the Council’s Health & Safety responsibilities back in to in-house control and monitoring.
- Review Health & Safety arrangements in the Borough.
HOUSING
- TBG Flex employees to be employed on Local Government T&C’s, Pay with access to Local Government Pension Scheme.
- The Barnet Group to be brought back in-house.
- End short term 2 & 5 year tenancies and reintroduce secure life time tenancies for all tenants.
- End or limit Right to Buy and the subletting of Right to Buy properties
- Increase Council home building.
- Widen the availability of social housing within the Borough.
- Resource the monitoring of housing where necessary to ensure it is fit for habitation.
LIBRARIES
- Restore the pre-April 2017 level of staffed opening hours, with sufficient Library workers (in numbers, qualifications and experience) and resources.
- Review the use of lost Library space with a view to returning to Library use.
- Bring the Partnership Libraries back in-house.
- Work with all stakeholders in the Library Service to produce a strategy that will maintain and improve the quality and accessibility of Barnet Libraries.
OUTSOURCING
- No more Council services to be outsourced.
- Work towards bringing services already outsourced back in-house including NSL.
- Review Capita and other contracts with the aim of bring services back in-house.
- Ensure that while outsourcing contracts are running they are properly overseen and these services are provided to the contracted level without incurring further cost to the Council.
PAY
- Support the Trade Union (UNISON, GMB, Unite) NJC PAY CLAIM 2018 – 2019
- Ensure that Council, partner organisation and contractor employees are paid at least the London Living Wage.
- End Performance Related Pay.
SCHOOLS
- 52 week contracts for TAs and other support workers.
- Oppose the establishment of academies.
STREET SCENE
- Instigate a search within the Borough for a site (or sites?) for a depot (depots?) suitable for all Street Scene’s long-term needs?
- Commit to the retention of Street Scene services in-house.
“Ey up Barnet what you doing about this debt?
FAT CAT PROFITS
In the context of ‘Austerity’ and the constant cuts it has brought to frontline services and staff, it is important that the employer is doing all that it can to ensure it doesn’t lose any income.
Recently the External Auditor had not signed off the Councils accounts due to a number of serious issues.
I attended the Extraordinary Audit Committee on Tuesday 19 September 2017 yo listen to some of the discussion.
Below is an extract from the External Auditors report http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=144&MId=9401
The use of bold and underline is mine.
“As part of the review of aged debts, we noted that the Council had excluded two older debts from the calculation of the allowance for non-collection or for impairment as management was of the view that these were recoverable.
The first relates to The Barnet Group at £296,000 that is in excess of one year old. Management has stated that as The Barnet Group is a wholly owned subsidiary that this debt is secure. However, we have not seen evidence of why this amount is considered to be a valid debtor.”
“The second relates to Comer Homes at £925,711 that is in excess of two years old. Management believe this is recoverable and relates to energy costs paid on the North London Business Park premises that should have been paid by Comer Homes. We have seen correspondence in 2015 suggesting that this will repaid at £50,000 per month but we have not seen any recovery to date. The case has been passed to HB Public Law.
Due to the aging of these debts and lack of recovery action to date, we are seeking a specific management representation to confirm that these amounts are recoverable.”
http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s42287/Appendix%20A%20-%20Audit%20Completion%20Report.pdf
I am currently involved in a consultation in Street Services Cleansing services. Approximately 25% of posts are being deleted in order to make a £600K saving.
Imagine my disbelief and then anger that we can let the above debts go without a fight.
Furthermore I have since learnt from a post by Barnet Blogger Mr Reasonable “Capita have claimed a saving of £942,000 made up of actual annual energy savings of £111,071 plus £202,420 of “corrected overcharges”.”
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/gainshare-contract-clause-that-keeps-on.html
How does that work?
We are owed £923,711 from energy costs yet I read we are paying Capita a bonus for making savings on energy costs.
How does that work?
How much are Barnet Council paying Capita?
The above list of payments by Barnet Council to the two Capita contracts has been produced by Barnet Blogger Mr Reasonable. In both contracts the Council appears to be paying more than they said they would have to pay when they first signed the contract.
The difference is quite shocking and when considered in the context of vital frontline services facing cuts and/or closure it is difficult to understand where the money is coming from to pay all this money.
If you want more detail here are some links to some of Mr Reasonable posts on #BarnetCouncil spend
Barnet Audit Fiasco Part 2 – Capita penalised £55,000 but disaster looms after 2020
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/barnet-audit-fiasco-part-2-capita.html
Barnet’s Payments to Capita – the external auditor challenges £44 million pre-payment
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/barnets-payments-to-capita-external.html
Barnet Council Agency Staff Spend – reducing but still very high
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/barnet-council-agency-staff-spend.html
Is Peterborough the new Luton – Barnet outsources its homeless
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/is-peterborough-new-luton-plight-of.html
Barnet Payments for June – Capita earn a fortune and a booze up on the Council
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/barnet-payments-for-june-capita-earn.html
A Night of Shame But Who’s to Blame – Last Night’s Audit Fiasco
http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/a-night-of-shame-last-nights-audit.html
“Should we be worried about Barnet Councils contracts with Capita?”
A number of our members have privately raised concerned about the an increase of worrying reports about Capita, who appear to be experiencing some difficulties.
Barnet Council chose to outsource a large number of Council In House services to Capita in 2012 and 2013.
Last week Capita began two restructures which are likely to lead to redundancies for many ex Barnet TUPED staff.
A simple Google search has revealed some worrying news about the health of the global giant Capita.
Capita drops as first half underlying revenue declines although profits rise, restructuring on track.
EXTRA: Capita Shares Fall As Underperforming Divisions Weigh On Profit
Outsourcing firm Capita’s shares slump 10% amid falling profits and pensions dispute strike
How’s that ‘turnaround’ year going, Capita? …Sheesh, sorry I asked
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/09/21/capita_h1_results/
Capita stripped of key contract running MoD military estate early
https://www.ft.com/content/3eb508ec-9eb2-11e7-8cd4-932067fbf946
FTSE’s biggest loser: Capita staff vote to strike over pensions as the FTSE 250 firm is stripped of a Ministry of Defence contract
http://www.cityam.com/272475/ftses-biggest-loser-capita-staff-vote-strike-over-pensions
FCA fine looms for Capita over failed Connaught fund
https://www.ftadviser.com/Articles/2017/09/22/FTA-capita
Capita staff in Birmingham to strike for six days in pensions row
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/capita-staff-birmingham-strike-six-13659665
What do you think?
Update on Barnet UNISON Family Services Drop-Ins
In order to find a way to support our members working in Family Services Barnet UNISON is offering two lunchtime informal drop in opportunities.
Every Tuesday from 12.30 – 1.30 Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair, will be in the canteen in Building 3 in order to meet with any Family Services member wanting a chat and or some advice.
Every Thursday from 12.30 – 1.30 John Burgess, Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary, will be in the canteen in Building 3 in order to meet with any Family Services member wanting a chat and or some advice.
Beverley Berrick, Family Services UNISON rep, will also attend some of these Drop Ins.
To view flyer click Family Services Flyer V2
Performance Reviews Update – Barnet UNISON
Barnet UNISON Family Services Drop Ins
oBarnet UNISON initial response to Ofsted report for Family Services
It is really disappointing and disturbing to read this damming Ofsted report.
I have been working in the London Borough of Barnet for 22 years.
I have a long history of knowledge of our social services.
Back in 2008 our Council celebrated being a five star Council. They actually hung the stars from the high ceiling in our Atrium (posh for staff canteen).
At this time we did not have any serious issues in social work. Barnet had a good reputation for social work and had no reliance on agency workers.
In May 2008 something changed.
The Council announced a major policy change called Future Shape later to be known as “easyCouncil” then “One Barnet” and finally “Commissioning Council.”
Barnet UNISON quickly recognised this change as mass outsourcing ideology.
Barnet UNISON has written much on what has transpired over almost a decade of ideological obsession with mass outsourcing.
For this press release it is not the outsourced contractors that we are focussing on, but the impact on those remaining Council services, in this case Family Services.
Over the past decade to ensure delivery of the outsourcing programme the senior management had to change.
I watched as managers who were good at delivery were replaced by strategic managers. Often they were replaced by interims who would later become permanent. The Council then looked to consultants to prepare services for outsourcing. This led some to argue the Council was becoming “consultant dependent.”
Corporate knowledge was not seen as a positive.
What has happened in Family Services is, in my opinion, a long time coming.
This is why I would say to those looking for heads to roll, to reflect on those architects that have long since left.
Where is the accountability for those who have left and those who took their eye off the ball?
What needs to happen now? Barnet UNISON has already begun discussions with our members in Family Services and the Council.
We want to make Barnet a safe place to work which will translate into better services for children.
This means a change and recognition that staff and UNISON need to be fully involved in changes in Family Services.
There must be no repeat of past mistakes.
Barnet Council must listen to the workforce and their representatives.
The life of the child must and always be at the heart of Family Services.
To achieve this you need a highly motivated skilled workforce that is well supported.
The next 12 months are going to be critical and Barnet UNISON is going to make sure we are there for our members and those children who need Family Services.”
(John Burgess Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON).
End.
1. OFSTED inspection findings
2. Inspectors rap ‘inadequate’ Barnet Council children’s services
3. Barnet children’s services condemned as inadequate by Ofsted: ‘Serious failings put young at risk of harm’
Barnet UNISON: Pay and Grading communication 2016 to present
How we consulted over Pay & Grading review for all Council staff including schools.
To view the complete number of posts produced for our members going through the report please click on the link below.
Apart from the posts there were work place meeting, 1:1 meetings, flyers etc.
Click GRADING HISTORY