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News from UNISON Devon Branch (10 Apr 06)

UNISON queries council's actions

Reduced adult social services workforce could mean a bad deal to Devon residents and a reduced service

UNISON today expressed its concern about the future of Adult Social Services - just one day before Council Leaders meet to discuss management proposals that, if accepted, would mean that all of its current in-house services would be externalised to the private sector.

UNISON does not consider that the current proposals - the latest in a long line of management proposals regarding the future provision of care to the most vulnerable people in Devon - have been either thoroughly thought through or costed.

With a potential reduction in the directly employed workforce from approximately 4,000 to 1,000 and suggestions from recent presentations to staff that office bases in localities countywide could be reduced from approximately 160 to as low as three, the implications for both the care of the vulnerable and for highly skilled staff are huge.

A UNISON spokesperson Branch Chair, Roberto Franceschini, commented:

'David Johnstone (Director Adult Social Services) has admitted that these proposals are high risk - Will this indeed mean that some of the most vulnerable and neglected members of our society will suffer? In the end Councillors are responsible for providing adequate service to the needy in Devon.

Having sufficient committed staff with a properly managed service with an effective understanding and control of this provision by the Council is crucial to doing it right.

UNISON fears that the senior managers in their pursuit of cost cutting are at risk of losing control over the service altogether. It will then be the Chargepayer that ends up by paying higher bills, if things don't work out. Are DCC or Mr Johnstone and his senior colleagues sure that what is proposed will work?'

UNISON says:

'If the services to the client base are at risk then the authority is at risk itself of failing in its duty of care both to clients and staff. It is interesting to note that DCC states that this modernisation is a more effective way of spending public money yet in a potentially reduced directly employed workforce of 1,000, there is no mention of redundancies being sought at Director / Assistant Director Level.

Surely in such a reduced structure there is no need for a Director and three Assistant Directors - a reduction of at least one of these posts would cover the cost of six or seven low paid front line staff - perhaps more.'

UNISON is also concerned about the potential reduction in office bases across the whole of Devon. A spokesperson said:

'By reducing the office bases down to as low as three - as has been intimated to staff at recent presentations - the knock on effects are huge. The reduction in local knowledge and local service delivery, loss of direct contact time with clients because of increased travelling time, loss of offices meaning a lost opportunity for clients who can no longer visit the office - these cost factors do not seem to have been factored in. Devon is a large County with differing needs, and removing a workforce from a community can have massive implications even beyond that particular community.'

UNISON is calling on Council Members to scrutinise the options thoroughly at the Executive Meeting at County Hall on 11 Apr 06 to ensure that the future needs of some of Devon's most vulnerable people continues to be their first priority.

For further info contact:
Roberto Franceschini
Devon County Branch Chair
Tel: 01392 382269

Moira McDonald
Branch Secretary
Tel: 01392 382530