We have received extensive views, emails, phone calls, steward discussion.
We also arranged three joint Consultation briefings for all staff both trade union members and non members, these venues covered North, Central and South.
Approx 120 plus staff attended these meetings.
The Project Manager Pete McGavin took questions, concerns views and opinions from the floor.
Each session ended with members providing feedback to the Trade Unions.
I have seen many of the reports /feedback members have sent into Pete McGavin, and I feel to repeat these comments will serve no purpose.
I therefore do not wish to go into detail, however I will compliment all members views in a brief statement of facts as they have been raised with the Trade Unions and also comments from a general Trade Union perspective.
Management Budget Savings:
· Yes it is true the financial problems due to lack of Government funding requires a fresh look at how we Commission and Provide Services.
· Money has already been saved, so how much?
· Unison would like to see a full breakdown of how many 1st, 2nd and 3rd Tier Management posts in ASC&H have been cut, offset with what appears to be some increase in 3rd Tier Management posts in “New Area’s”.
· Unison is also requesting a full breakdown of the current savings made through the vacancy control process/ staff underspend.
· We are also requesting an urgent and detailed update on the savings made within our department with the Absence Monitoring Process.
· Unison requests the ongoing departmental decision to employ a Consultant at £750.00 per day plus VAT, and its present cost to the department with over a year’s salary plus extension of contact until March 07, be reviewed .We would request that the department should be able to show this expenditure as “value for money” whilst our members loose there jobs. Do we not have excellent staff within the department who could have equally completed this work, or at the very least issued a fixed term contract to consultants on much more reasonable terms.
In light of some of the points I have just raised, and whilst waiting for the details of above requests we would wish to arrange urgent discussions with Senior Management regarding some of the proposals which are currently being considered.
As I believe some of the proposals will deplete the current structures without considerable care and accountability and may cause Budget Over Expenditure the like of which we encountered a few years ago (2003/2004)
From what Unison was led to understand at that time, the Budgets became over spent due to inconsistent and not enough joined up practice. Monitoring did not flow and had little coordination between, Managers/Services etc.
From members discussions and fears, we believe the removal of several Team Managers and over stretching Services Managers the management of budgets could once again come under pressure.
Over the past few years Budget monitoring has also become much more complex, and varied.
Therefore Unison believes staff reductions should be a matter for concern.
Bureaucracy / Over Management Of Procedures:
There is overwhelming agreement within all staffing areas, that present practices and procedures, presently require more Senior Management oversight than is necessary.
Qualified workers would welcome new measures to be put into place which speed up decisions, and there appear some areas (direct payments etc) where several staff groups are required to deal with a single case.
All staff feel a working party to investigate improved working practices would benefit both staff and the department.
However it does need noting that everyone has stated in the forums, this alone would not amount to a huge decrease in Team Management workload.
Reducing supervision of qualified staff raises concerns for Unison, as this theology appears only to be being suggested at the Adult Care Teams.
We agree with a very poignant and vital point raised at Boughton Pumping Station, that for the department to consider that Adults either under 60 or over 60, are less vulnerable than children in our opinion is not acceptable, and that due to the high increase of Adults with Mental Health and Learning Disabilities who live alone in isolated communities and with fewer services available, lowering the levels of supervision appears inequitable in line with other departments.
There is also an increase of POVA cases, and with the deep concern Unison has with Direct Payments where individuals are presently employing staff with no experience CRB checks etc, this is placing our SM/TM/SW under more pressure.
This I believe has also been raised at a National level.
We feel reducing Supervision would reduce case discussion between Team Managers and Qualified Workers, which could result in valuable oversight being missed.
This from a Trade Union Perspective tackles the broad view in relation to the central view of TM reduction.
Menbers points I can highlight in bullet form.
Concerns:
Consideration to agreeing (ring fencing) specialised posts within each team as a requirement eg- OT’s, ASW etc.
Supervision – Increased decision making could devolve to Un Qualified staff if the department does not address its current practices.
Qualified staff feel, TM involvement in casework to be vital.
New Localities and fewer TM’s could create fragmentation of service and supervision, with some workers having more opportunity to discuss than others.
What risk assessments have or will be done to change the present supervision policy.
Self allocation of work already exists in some areas, and especially in Hospital situations where maybe only one CCO/ SW on duty!
UNISON- has serious concerns regarding the allocation of difficult cases continuing to be taken on by non qualified staff, and although some experienced CCO’s may wish to undertake these duties, this may not be the case for all.
UNISON- has serious concerns that the department has not monitored the present situation of case work, to level of either SW/CCO/RO etc, and that there needs a fundamental work and employment ethic to be present in the proposed new structure.
UNISON –has concerns for its members, and that they will only get paid, what a contract says, and not the reality of work they are assigned to.
UNISON- believes this could lead to dissatisfaction, and at a time of huge change staff will require support from TMs.
UNISON- believes the department will need to consider Job Descriptions for most of the new posts within the proposed structure. Under the proposals Fair Pay may need to be addressed for CCO’s/ Reviewing Officers.
Concise and relevant JD’s required.
Goodwill of staff needs readdressing.
UNISON – also will expect Managers to address the workload of staff who it appears may well have worked above salary grade.
UNISON- strongly does not agree to diluting the Qualified Staffing requirements any further, and wishes the department to uphold a commitment to maintaining Training for ASW and SW.
UNISON- feels the creation of some posts has sort to undermine the skills of qualified workers, and is very mindful, of policies which mean reducing skilled staff, and asking staff on lower pay to take on more responsibility, and pay them much less, is not acceptable.
Concerns of specialist workers not being supervised by specialist management.
Concerns for loss of support and contact with appropriate mental health colleagues.
RO- views throughout County is spilt regarding changing roles, some prefer to cover all ACMT roles, others have specific contracts.
UNISON- would insist on appropriate support and extra training available.
Concerns over reorganisation that places all RO’s in one large team.
Concerns that the proposals will increase SM responsibility.
Concerns of the increase to SW, and what Risk assessment does the department suggest putting in place.
Where and how would there be an easy way to devolve budgets.
A concise and detailed report needs completing to assess the full function of the TM, as it was felt by the majority from the proposal the TM has been misunderstood, and miscalculated in its responsibilities.
UNISON welcomes the 2 year implementation period which it suggested in JCNP, but it would like to further suggest during this period, if other savings are found then no proposal should be concrete.
UNISON- requests the department continue to look at other ways of saving money rather than cutting jobs and services.
UNISON- requests full risk assessments to be completed before it restructures or places our staff / service users at risk.
Self Allocation – could pose huge problems with “who verifies” “who checks if work is picked up” “who monitors if all allocation is fair and equitable”, and should TMs be accountable under these proposals.
Move away if possible from the term “older people”.
Trade Union (UNISON) Expectations:
Full and ongoing meaningful consultation with the TU.
The setting up of Project Groups of staff, to consider individual service areas, eg SM/TM/ SW/CCO/RO etc.
Continue to look for other methods of budget savings instead of cutting Staff and Services.
Maintain the County Councils current commitment to NO COMPULSURY REDUNDANTICES
Commitment to VR in effected posts at risk.
Final Report with FAQ to be placed on the Big Issue
Transparency regarding full and detailed submission of all queries from staff.
Immediate Urgent request for extra funding/training to tackle the inconsistencies of Framework/ Pimms. It will not be possible for staff to engage in any of the new proposals without the Departments commitment to solve the many problems surrounding the IT packages we currently use. Up dating, and shortening some of the processes used, which at present do not join up to the Health Care IT processes. They appear to consume more of the TM/SW/CCO/RO time than should be required.
Changing its mind or direction when meaningful suggestions are put forward.
Staff need to be reassured that consultation means consultation, and not just a sound bite.
Report Compiled by Grace Perry from views and opinions expressed by members etc, and support from my colleagues within ACMT, Ged Talty and Steve Ainsbough.
Grace Perry
UNISON Convenor ASC&H
13th January 2007
15 January 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment