See also:

• Crocodile tears over job cuts (2 Feb 06)

• Meals-on-Wheels service to be farmed out (16 Jan 06)

• 2,300 jobs to go (7 Feb 06)

R.I.P. Devon Social Services

The benefits of working for a **** 4 Star Authority!

• ? 45% Social Services' senior managers - Sacked!
  
  
• ? 54% or up to 2,300 staff below senior manager - At risk!
  
  
• ? All front line service provision such as residential care staff, home care staff, day care staff - Outsourced!
  
  
• ? All community meals (Meals on Wheels) staff - Redundant!

UNISON advises the public not to become old or vulnerable in Devon.

Following the announcement of the planned sacking of 45% of senior managers in Devon Social Services to a totally unprepared staff group and without any consultation with recognised unions, UNISON demanded a meeting with David Johnstone, the Director of Social Services.

At that meeting, on Friday 3 Feb 06, he confirmed these plans and further, he confirmed that it was planned to also reduce the workforce by around 50% below the level of senior management.

In addition to the outsourcing of residential homes for older people across Devon that has already been announced, UNISON were able to discover that this position has also worsened. The specialist services which were to remain 'in house' are now also to be disposed of. Staff recently told that they were to remain DCC employees have yet to be told that their status has changed and they are now at risk - these are at the EMI and residential reablement units.

Home care staff and day care staff are equally at risk, as these services will be disposed of in a similar way to the residential homes.

The original planning was that the 'Modernisation', or outsourcing project, would be done incrementally over a 3 year period. That has now changed and it will be telescoped into a twelve to eighteen month period. This will put great pressure on the project staff to produce a workable timetable and will reduce the likelihood of staff being able to find alternative positions across the authority.

UNISON pointed out to David Johnstone that this process needs management support at the very time he is planning to drastically reduce the numbers of managers. He agreed that he was following a high risk strategy but it was being forced upon him due to the large budget shortfall within the directorate.

UNISON additionally discovered that due to the current uncertainty within the Primary Care Trusts across Devon as to their future, DCC would be withdrawing from joint funded posts at senior management level, placing at risk partnerships built up over long periods of time.

UNISON made it clear to the Director of Social Services that its membership would be supported in resisting the action he proposes to take. He agreed to ongoing meetings in order to discuss his plans further.

(10 Feb 06)