This week is “CAPITA WEEK” in the London Borough of
Barnet. Following the decision of the cabinet of Barnet Council to award CAPITA
a £750 million outsourcing contract, which will destroy 300 jobs in the
Borough, the local blogs are spending a week investigating the record of Capita
at other local authorites.
We are highlighting issues with outsourcing
projects run by Capita, Barnet Councils chosen supplier for the One Barnet
project. We are asking councillors to ensure that they are fully aware of all
of the likely issues, before they put pen to paper with this massive contract.
Today we look at delivery. Have Capita delivered
the savings that were promised? Our guinea pig council for today is
Sefton. Capita Symonds had provided the
council’s technical services remit – such as road maintenance, engineering,
property management and regeneration – since 2008.
But
town hall chiefs are to now activate an escape clause which will see up to 140
staff transferred back to the council.
Council
leaders claimed the contract was not delivering the savings which were
anticipated when the deal was stuck.
Computer
worryingly weekly reported “Capita
was found to have directly contributed to clients' maladministration in the Individual
Learning Accounts (ILA) contact. The ILA scheme was
implemented in 2000 and abruptly pulled in 2001, after fraudulent activity was
discovered. Credentials for individuals to access the scheme were being openly
traded by both individual crooks and corrupt service providers, and used to
cash out the accounts. People were still being prosecuted for fraud as late as
seven years after the ILA debacle.”
We have heard big savings bandied about. We are told they are
“guaranteed”. Has anyone from Barnet t Council spoken to Sefton Council to see
what sort of Guarantees they received?
If you are worried, join the Barnet Alliance for
Public Services , who are holding a
demonstration against One Barnet at Capita HQ on Thursday 20th, 5-7pm, 71
Victoria Street, London SW1H 0XA
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