WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER – WHY SOCIAL CARE WORKERS SHOULD SUPPORT THE PCS STRIKE

On Thursday 30^th June education, public sector and civil service workers from four unions will go on strike over pensions and service cuts.

In Edinburgh the workers at the forefront of this strike are Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members working in job centres and government departments. The PCS have made it clear that as well as taking this action to defend attacks on already meagre pensions they are also striking “for the alternative to the Con-Dem government's savage cuts in public services and jobs”.

This aligns Thursday’s strike action firmly with the interests of social care workers, service users and their parents and carers. Social care services are being hit hard by the government and local authorities’ cost cutting and privatisation drive subjecting some of our society’s most vulnerable people to sub standard care and in some cases, neglect.

In Edinburgh workers, service users and campaign groups successfully fought off attempts by the Council to sell off vital care and support services to poor quality, low cost companies with questionable track records. Since then however the existing providers of these services have been forced to absorb substantial cuts in funding that are beginning to impact on the quality of care they provide. Support workers are being cut back and the use of low cost, unqualified causal staff increased leading to vulnerable people with severe disabilities receiving a poorer quality of service from staff they don’t know. Pay and conditions of the care and support workers that perform arguably one of the most important roles in our society are being cut back. Union representatives at an Edinburgh provider of services for people with learning disabilities recently calculated that in 5 years their wages have lost 10% of their value. This is not an exception – in many other organisations without worker representation the situation is worse.

This is against the backdrop of recent high profile revelations about low cost, private care companies such as the neglect suffered by elderly residents of the Elsie Inglis home here in Edinburgh or Southern Cross Healthcare, the company that put the care of thousands of service users at risk by selling its care home properties for private profit.

As we suffer the double pain of falling income and poorer services so do the people we support.While cutbacks endanger the support services used by adults with mental health problems and physical or learning disabilities their income is also being threatened as the Government seeks to cut 20% of the benefits they receive. The scrapping of Disability Living Allowance and allowing private contractors, rather than medical specialists, to assess claimants’ eligibility for its replacement further demonstrates the Government’s intent to make the most vulnerable in society pay for the excesses of bankers and politicians.

This point brings us back to the PCS workers taking part in Thursday’s strike. Although these workers are walking out over attacks on their jobs, pensions, pay and conditions they are also taking a stand for disabled people on the benefits they administer and for all of us suffering the pain of service and job cuts. The PCS articulate very well that the Government’s excuses for cuts and privatisation are not justified. Businesses and wealthy individuals evade or avoid £100 billion in tax every year and the UK Government holds £850 billion in bailed out banking assets – more than the total national debt.

On Thursday workers from the PCS union UK wide and the education unions in England and Wales will strike the biggest blow so far in the fight against the worst attack on the welfare state since its creation. It is essential that workers everywhere stand beside them but especially social care staff, service users and their parents and carers. We stand to lose as much as anyone.

See below for full details of Edinburgh picket lines and rallies that you can join on the 30^th.

Danny Oliver

Edinburgh Support Workers’ Action Network (SWAN)

www.swanedinburgh.org.uk
Edinburgh Support Workers' Action Network (SWAN) is a network of care and support workers set up to fight the budget cuts and competitive tendering being imposed by Edinburgh Council which threaten our jobs and our service-users' quality of care.

PCS Picket Lines – 6.45 - 10.15am - Thursday 30^th June 2011

Victoria Quay (Leith)

St Andrews House (Regents Road)

Registers of Scotland (Meadowbank)

Saughton House

Student Awards Agency (Gyleview)

Forestry Commission (Corstorphine)

High Riggs Job Centre (Tollcross)

HMRC (Revenue): Haymarket House

National Museum of Scotland (Chambers St)

Sheriff Court (Chambers St)

PCS Rally at the Mound 10.15am - Thursday 30^th June 2011

Edinburgh TUC Rally at the Mound 5.30pm - Thursday 30^th June 2011

Edinburgh Support Workers’ Action Network - Press Release 1st Feb 2010

CONTROVERSIAL CARE AND SUPPORT TENDER COLLAPSES

Campaign groups call for resignations over ‘shambolic’ process and vow to continue fight for fair funding for people with disabilities

The tender process for care and support services which has drawn heavy criticism from campaign groups, service users and their families and carers was finally dropped today.

The process, which would have seen the transfer of vital services for 800 people with physical disabilities, mental health conditions and learning disabilities transferred to new, cheaper providers, was suspended in December pending an independent evaluation.

Council Chief Executive Tom Aitchison today concluded that the findings of the report left the Council with no other choice but to drop the whole tender process.

The report, which is being kept confidential, found that that the process was not sufficiently “meticulous” as well as casting doubts over the “quality assurance process”.

The collapse of the tender has led to campaign groups and opposition councillors calling for resignation of Paul Edie, the City’s health and social care convener, who has faced complaints for his behaviour towards service-users and campaigners during the process.

Danny Oliver, a member of Edinburgh Support Workers’ Action Network (SWAN) said

“We have been saying this process was flawed all along. This has now been verified by an independent evaluation but were it not for the tireless campaigning of service-users and care workers the tender would have been pushed through months ago. Paul Edie described the process as “robust” as recently as December. Now the Council has spent £80k of taxpayers’ money on this independent report. £80k could provide a 10 hour support package for 10 vulnerable people for a whole year and yet it has been wasted on discovering that Paul Edie’s process was not as ‘robust’ as he has been telling us”. *

Unelected Council officials, who earn over £100k, have also come in for criticism for overseeing the process and making recommendations which are now seen as discredited. Jessica Mackin, also a member of SWAN told us

“This entire shambles has caused huge amounts of stress for the people we care for which we’ve had to support them with despite facing uncertainty over the future of our own jobs. We think that it’s time for Paul Edie to seriously consider his position as health and social care convener and the unelected, overpaid Directors behind this process; Mark Turley, Peter Gabbitas and Donald McGougan should also be brought to account for their actions”.

Whilst they are celebrating this victory campaign groups say their fight is not yet over. The Council still intends to use Direct Payment rates based on the flawed tender process to reduce funding to services. With continued protests and legal challenges promised this is proving to be an issue that will not go away for the City of Edinburgh Council..

* Based on proposed new Direct Payment rate of £15.04 per hour

www.swanedinburgh.org.uk

Edinburgh Support Workers' Action Network (SWAN) is a network of care and support workers set up to fight the budget cuts and competitive tendering being imposed by Edinburgh Council which threaten our jobs and our service-users' quality of care.

CARE TENDER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED AT FINANCE MEETING ON THE 21ST JAN

See latest update from Council Chief Exec below;

Dear Councillor

CARE AND SUPPORT TENDERS

At the meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on 3 December 2009, the Convener deferred consideration of the circulated report on Care and Support Services until an independent evaluation had been undertaken and therefore adjourned the meeting in terms of Standing Orders 17(2) and 51, to reconvene at 10.00 am on 21 January 2010.

I am currently awaiting a copy of the independent evaluation by Deloitte which has just been received by the Council. Thereafter, the findings will require to be considered in order that recommendations can be made to Committee/Council in the light of this evaluation. It will not be possible to do so by 21 January 2010. The adjourned meeting will, however, still require to convene at 10.00 am in accordance with Standing Orders.

Every effort will be made to report to the Finance and Resources Committee or Council as soon as possible. Given the importance of this matter, I thought it appropriate to advise all members of the Council of the position.

Best wishes.

Tom

Tom Aitchison

Chief Executive

The City of Edinburgh Council

Waverley Court

4 East Market Street

EDINBURGH

EH8 8BG

THE REALITY BEHIND LOW COST CARE COMPANIES CONTRACTED BY EDINBURGH COUNCIL

Support Workers' Action Network - Press Release 15th Dec 2009



"Wages are low, training is poor and there is a high turnover of staff who are so rushed they are unable to provide good quality care"

This is the reality behind the City of Edinburgh Council's use of low cost, private care companies according to campaign groups that have been documenting the standard of privatised care services.
The policy of opening up care and support services for vulnerable disabled people to the private sector through competitive tendering was thrown into the spotlight two weeks ago when the Lib Dem / SNP administration's plan to put the services for nearly 800 people out to tender collapsed. This tender process is now being investigated by way of an 'external evaluation' process which is due to report back in late January.
Key to the argument put forward by Lib Dem Health and Social Care Convener, Paul Edie, was the assertion that current providers are too expensive and that the tender process established "tested market rates" some as low as £12.65 an hour.
Itay Idan, spokesperson for the Support Workers' Action Network (SWAN Edinburgh) pointed out that

"the companies that the Council intended to award contracts of £12.65 an hour to pay their support workers less than half that amount - little over minimum wage".

Despite this Cllr Edie has consistently argued that there are 17 care providers in Edinburgh currently providing quality services for even less that £12.65 per hour.
This claim has been thrown into question after SWAN Edinburgh - a group campaigning against the current tender process - went to seek information from the Edinburgh Homecare Campaign - a group that has been documenting the effects of tendering homecare services to private companies for over two years. Danny Oliver, a support worker from SWAN, told us

"Paul Edie claims that good quality services can and are being provided by companies for less than £12.65 an hour. When we put this to Marlyn from Edinburgh Homecare Campaign she showed us pages and pages of individual cases showing that these low cost private companies are letting down their service-users".

Marlyn Tweedie, of the Homecare Campaign continues

"We are alarmed at the increasing use of the private sector in the care of our elderly and disabled citizens.

The care may be cheaper but the quality is sacrificed.

We do not blame the frontline staff. They have an impossible task. Visits are piled on, staff are so rushed they're unable to provide good quality care.

Wages are low, training is poor and there is a high turnover of staff.

As the Panorama programme "Britain's Homecare Scandal" said it is "wilful shambolism"

Councillors need to ask themselves why they have contracted out care to companies which were heavily criticised in that programme.

Companies such as Carewatch who recently told their staff they would have to take a wage cut and who allowed the undercover reporter to work 14 shifts before her clearance came through.

We have consistently learned of service-users whose care has been poor - visits missed, frequently late, staff not knowing what the tasks are etc".

Mr.Oliver of SWAN Edinburgh stated;

"We have been shown individual testimony including an 89 year old man who went without being washed for 3 weeks and a 90 year old woman with dementia who was frequently left sitting in her chair all night when staff failed to turn up. These examples are not exceptions. There are many, many more. This is the kind of care Paul Edie is so keen to roll out to people with learning disabilities, mental health problems and physical disabilities.
It is time that people look at what has been done to care of the elderly in this city and what Cllr Edie is trying to do to other care and support services and we believe it is time for Cllr Edie to reconsider his position in the light of this appalling track record".

At the full Council meeting this Thursday there will be both protests outside and deputations within the meeting calling for a halt to funding cuts and the privatisation of services.

LATEST UPDATE FROM COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE 13TH DECEMBER

Here are some points worth noting (full briefing below);

1) It appears that the Council is questioning whether or not to proceed with the tendering process at all; "There is a substantial increase in the number of direct payment applications. A decision will need to be taken in due course as to the commerciality of proceeding, bearing in mind the changed circumstances".

2) The independent evaluation will be arranged through 'Deloitte'. From their website;

"Deloitte" is the brand under which tens of thousands of dedicated professionals in independent firms throughout the world collaborate to provide audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax services to selected clients. These firms are members of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (‘DTT’), a Swiss Verein. Each member firm provides services in a particular geographic area and is subject to the laws and professional regulations of the particular country or countries in which it operates. DTT helps coordinate the activities of the member firms but does not itself provide services to clients. DTT and the member firms are separate and distinct legal entities, which cannot obligate the other entities"

3) The evaluation will include 3 other contracts expected to be submitted to the Finance and Resources Committee meeting on the 21st Jan. These are described as "care and support for Lochend Housing, a homelessness housing support service and maintaining a home visiting support service".
See more info on two of these tenders by clicking on links below;
http://www.tendersdirect.co.uk/ourservice/TenderView.aspx?ID=%20000000002603137

http://www.tendersdirect.co.uk/Ourservice/TenderView.aspx?ID=%20000000002569719


4) It appears that the date of 21st Jan for the evaluation to report back is not defidefinite> "The aim is to be able to report to the Finance and Resources Committee on 21 January but it is not possible to confirm this at this stage"




Full briefing;


MEMBERS BRIEFING 147 - 15th December

Contracts for the provision of Care and Support Services

The previous update on the above was provided to members in Briefing 143 on 3 December. It advised of the deferment of a decision on the Council’s tender for Care and Support to allow for an independent evaluation of the tenders.

This brief is intended to provide you with a further update on activity to date and address some concerns which have been raised by members.

Why was the decision on the Care and Support Tender deferred?

New information emerged on Tuesday
1 December, prior to the special Finance and Resources Committee on 3 December which caused officers to review the prospect of legal challenge.

An enquiry had been raised asking whether or not there had been complete separation between price and quality. To ensure that the process was robust, further time was required in order to investigate this. As a result and upon the Leader’s instructions, an independent evaluation of the process has been instructed.

Given the proximity of the special meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on 3 December, and after consulting with senior officers and legal counsel, my advice to the Council Leader on Wednesday 2 December was to adjourn the special meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee to allow further consideration of a number of issues.

This advice was accepted by the Council Leader who immediately instructed me to obtain an independent evaluation of the tenders.

As members had been advised, tenders were open for acceptance until 5 December 2009. However, for the reasons outlined above, it was felt better to delay the award of contract, and judging the balance of risk, it was clear that the risk of proceeding with the award outweighed that of delaying a decision beyond the tender acceptance dates.

The Director of Finance is writing to all tenderers asking them to keep open their tender submission for an extended period. It is important to recognise that we cannot legally require tenderers to do this.

Communications with service users

On the afternoon of 3 December the Director of Services for Communities contacted the User Group Representatives advising them that the Committee had been adjourned. Letters to service users and to relatives and carers of service users were issued on 4 December which:

· informed them of the deferment of the decision on the award of contract
· advised them of the continuity of their current service provider and
· provided a contact number for enquiries.

Copies of these letters are attached.

Previously, an assurance had been given that all applications for direct payments received by 3 December would be excluded from any contracts pending their assessment. This approach had been recommended to provide a period of stability to allow the transition to new contracts. Since the contract award has been deferred, the Departments of Health and Social Care and Services for Communities have continued to accept and process direct payment applications.

Since 19 November 466 clients have requested a direct payment. 26 applications have been processed in addition to 69 previously processed.

There is a substantial increase in the number of direct payment applications. A decision will need to be taken in due course as to the commerciality of proceeding, bearing in mind the changed circumstances.

What are we doing now?

Utilising the Council’s procurement framework agreement, I expect to appoint Deloitte in the next 24 hours to undertake an independent evaluation of the tender process.

Their remit is to carry out two stages of work:

a) the first stage is to carry out an initial
assessment of the process undertaken; and

b) the second subsequent stage is to assess
the consistency of the approach and the
outcome obtained.

Three other contracts are currently scheduled to be submitted to Finance and Resources Committee in January. These are for:

· care and support for Lochend Housing
· a homelessness housing support service and
· maintaining a home visiting support service.

I intend to ask Deloitte to review these as part of their remit.

The consultants have been asked to report as soon as possible, while ensuring that the remit is thoroughly discharged. With the holiday period imminent, this will mean that the bulk of the work will take place in January. The aim is to be able to report to the Finance and Resources Committee on 21 January but it is not possible to confirm this at this stage.

A number of letters, seeking additional information, have been received from elected members and others. These will be responded to as soon as practicable but it will not be possible to deal with substantive issues until the consultants’ assignment is completed.

A further Members’ Briefing will be issued as soon as is possible.

Tom Aitchison
Chief Executive

Member's Briefing 15th December

MEMBERS BRIEFING 147 - 15th December

Contracts for the provision of Care and Support Services

The previous update on the above was provided to members in Briefing 143 on 3 December. It advised of the deferment of a decision on the Council’s tender for Care and Support to allow for an independent evaluation of the tenders.

This brief is intended to provide you with a further update on activity to date and address some concerns which have been raised by members.

Why was the decision on the Care and Support Tender deferred?

New information emerged on Tuesday
1 December, prior to the special Finance and Resources Committee on 3 December which caused officers to review the prospect of legal challenge.

An enquiry had been raised asking whether or not there had been complete separation between price and quality. To ensure that the process was robust, further time was required in order to investigate this. As a result and upon the Leader’s instructions, an independent evaluation of the process has been instructed.

Given the proximity of the special meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on 3 December, and after consulting with senior officers and legal counsel, my advice to the Council Leader on Wednesday 2 December was to adjourn the special meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee to allow further consideration of a number of issues.

This advice was accepted by the Council Leader who immediately instructed me to obtain an independent evaluation of the tenders.

As members had been advised, tenders were open for acceptance until 5 December 2009. However, for the reasons outlined above, it was felt better to delay the award of contract, and judging the balance of risk, it was clear that the risk of proceeding with the award outweighed that of delaying a decision beyond the tender acceptance dates.

The Director of Finance is writing to all tenderers asking them to keep open their tender submission for an extended period. It is important to recognise that we cannot legally require tenderers to do this.

Communications with service users

On the afternoon of 3 December the Director of Services for Communities contacted the User Group Representatives advising them that the Committee had been adjourned. Letters to service users and to relatives and carers of service users were issued on 4 December which:

· informed them of the deferment of the decision on the award of contract
· advised them of the continuity of their current service provider and
· provided a contact number for enquiries.

Copies of these letters are attached.

Previously, an assurance had been given that all applications for direct payments received by 3 December would be excluded from any contracts pending their assessment. This approach had been recommended to provide a period of stability to allow the transition to new contracts. Since the contract award has been deferred, the Departments of Health and Social Care and Services for Communities have continued to accept and process direct payment applications.

Since 19 November 466 clients have requested a direct payment. 26 applications have been processed in addition to 69 previously processed.

There is a substantial increase in the number of direct payment applications. A decision will need to be taken in due course as to the commerciality of proceeding, bearing in mind the changed circumstances.

What are we doing now?

Utilising the Council’s procurement framework agreement, I expect to appoint Deloitte in the next 24 hours to undertake an independent evaluation of the tender process.

Their remit is to carry out two stages of work:

a) the first stage is to carry out an initial
assessment of the process undertaken; and

b) the second subsequent stage is to assess
the consistency of the approach and the
outcome obtained.

Three other contracts are currently scheduled to be submitted to Finance and Resources Committee in January. These are for:

· care and support for Lochend Housing
· a homelessness housing support service and
· maintaining a home visiting support service.

I intend to ask Deloitte to review these as part of their remit.

The consultants have been asked to report as soon as possible, while ensuring that the remit is thoroughly discharged. With the holiday period imminent, this will mean that the bulk of the work will take place in January. The aim is to be able to report to the Finance and Resources Committee on 21 January but it is not possible to confirm this at this stage.

A number of letters, seeking additional information, have been received from elected members and others. These will be responded to as soon as practicable but it will not be possible to deal with substantive issues until the consultants’ assignment is completed.

A further Members’ Briefing will be issued as soon as is possible.

Tom Aitchison
Chief Executive

Swan Edinburgh Meeting 7/12/09

Present: Support Workers from : Action Group , Garvald, Deaf Action, Richmond Fellowship and Freespace.

Update: There will be an external evaluation of the tendering. In theory the finding will be presented to the finance committee on 21st Jan . Jude will try to find out what is the remit of the review. Andy will contact Maggie Chapman to find out more details.

Meeting with Councilors: We will keep up the pressure on the council and continue our campaign by organising support workers from different organisations (2-3 people for a meeting) to meet councilors. Danny will coordinate.

Press release: People expressed their disappointment that Cllr Norman Work’s letter was not published in the media. As well as the Evening News and the Scotsman that already being given the press release Herald Post and the Big Issue and Councilors will be also notified.

‘Fair wage and conditions for care workers’ Petition: So far we have more than 400 signatures (online and paper). Danny will check with Iain McGill about presenting it to the petition committee in the Scottish Parliament.
Contact with other campaign groups: Marlyn from the Homecare group called to say that everyone at their campaign is encouraged and motivated by the success of the campaign against tendering. We at Swan can learn from the way they use individual cases to argue their point of view.
*Parents and Carers Group at Garvald was interested in coming to our meetings. Jude will link with Lesley from that group to find out how it is organised and what is discussed. We hope to find volunteers to go to each of the above mentioned groups’ meetings.

Union Membership: The Union has not being helpful in the tendering campaign and the refuse workers dispute. However, some people think that if we will have a strong membership we can make the union work for us. That will require a greater involvement and participation. Further discussion is needed. Meanwhile some organisations have already started to extend Union’s membership. We will try to build this within our own organisations.

Independent Impact Assessment: Suggested by Martine to evaluate the impact of the tendering. Mary will check with Martine how far she is with the assessment and what help she needs.

Legal Advice: We will need advice about the legality of Direct payment cuts, limited choice for service users and people right to refuse entry to their home (human rights legislation). Jude will find out where we may get advice and will contact the law faculty at Edinburgh University to see if anyone wants to help us with legal issues.
Internet Site: We would like to make it more accessible. Danny and Elli will coordinate with Ben and Hesham.

*Next Meeting: in Slateford Green Community hall 7:30 pm next Monday 14th