Guest Blog - PREPARED STATEMENT TO THE BARNET GROUP BOARD, REGARDING YOUR CHOICE BARNET (YCB) - By Tony Solomons

I SPEAK AS THE PARENT OF MY 41 YEAR-OLD SON, WHO IS CLASSED AS HAVING PROFOUND AND MULTIPLE LEARNING DISABILITIES (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS PMLD) AND WHO HAS BEEN A SERVICE USER OF YCB AND ITS PREDECESSORS FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS.

MAY I START WITH A POTTED HISTORY OF YCB, AS I SEE IT. I PROMISE TO KEEP IT BRIEF.

YCB’S CREATION WAS ESSENTIALLY BASED ON IDEOLOGY AND QUESTIONABLE MORALITY. EVEN IF WE SET ASIDE THE ETHICAL ISSUE ABOUT A COMPANY HOPING TO PROFIT FROM SEVERELY DISABLED PEOPLE - WHICH MOST REASONABLE INDIVIDUALS FIND PRETTY DISGRACEFUL ANYWAY - WE JUST CAN’T IGNORE THE FLAWED ASSUMPTIONS ON WHICH THE ORIGINAL YCB PLANS WERE BASED.

YCB WAS GOING TO BRING NEW BUSINESS TO BARNET - WHERE WAS THE EVIDENCE? “CUSTOMERS” (SO-CALLED BECAUSE WE WERE NOW IN A COMMERCIAL MARKETPLACE) WERE GOING TO SWITCH IN DROVES TO DIRECT PAYMENTS - WHERE HAS THIS HAPPENED? AND WHO ASKED THE QUESTIONS REGARDING WHAT THE BOROUGH OF BARNET WAS PREPARED TO FUND AND WHAT IT WASN’T (FOR EXAMPLE NO-SHOWS.) THE ASSUMPTIONS WERE INADEQUATELY THOUGHT THROUGH AND NOT PROPERLY COMMUNICATED.

AND, AS A RESULT, WE HAD A BUSINESS PLAN AIRILY COBBLED TOGETHER BY A TROOP OF NUMBER-CRUNCHERS WORKING IN THE DARK.

MANY WISE AND COMPETENT PEOPLE PRODUCED TELLING EVIDENCE THAT THE PLAN WOULD NEVER WORK. AND - JUST TO PROVE THE POINT - AT A VERY EARLY STAGE IN THE PROCEEDINGS, YCB FOUND ITSELF HAVING TO BORROW £1M FROM BARNET HOMES. THE CHICKENS HAD COME HOME TO ROOST FROM THE VERY START.

HAD YCB BEEN STITCHED UP BY THE COUNCIL? PROBABLY, BUT WHAT’S SO POIGNANT IS THAT IT MAY WELL NOT HAVE BEEN CONSCIOUSLY. I’M PREPARED TO ACCEPT THAT NEITHER PARTY WAS AWARE OF THE MINEFIELD AT THE TIME. I KNOW SOME WILL DISAGREE, BUT WHEN IN DOUBT I USUALLY GO FOR COCK-UP OVER CONSPIRACY.

THAT’S THE BRIEF POTTED HISTORY I PROMISED. I DARESAY IT’S  KNOWN TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, BUT IT CAN’T BE REPEATED TOO OFTEN.

SINCE THAT DISASTROUS OPENING, YCB HAS BEEN IN A STATE OF DENIAL. THEIR HEADS ONLY EMERGED FROM THE SAND WHEN IT BECAME ONLY TOO APPARENT THAT THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS WOULD NEVER WORK. SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE. SO INSTEAD OF SUCCESSFULLY ARGUING FOR THE NECESSARY INCREASED  FUNDING FROM THEIR COUNCIL MASTERS, THEY WENT FOR THE SOFT UNDERBELLY OF THE ORGANISATION - THE CARE STAFF.

WE KNOW WHERE THIS HAS LED.  STAFF TERMS AND CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED, AGENCY WORKERS HAVE REPLACED GOOD AND EXPERIENCED STAFF MEMBERS, AND - UNLESS SOMETHING NEW AND POSITIVE HAS EMERGED FROM TODAY’S ACAS TALKS - STAFF HAVE SUFFERED A 9.5 PERCENT PAY CUT. NO WONDER THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO STRIKE, THEIR PATIENCE FINALLY EXHAUSTED.

AND THE STAFF ARE OF COURSE NOT THE ONLY VICTIMS. MY SON, AS A SERVICE USER (OR CUSTOMER, THE PREFERRED MARKETPLACE TERM) AT THE ROSA MORISON DAY CENTRE, HAS BENEFITED HUGELY OVER THE YEARS FROM THE SKILL, COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION OF THE TRULY AMAZING STAFF, WHO HAVE OUR FULL SUPPORT IN THEIR CURRENT ACTION. AND ALL THIS IS NOW PLACED IN JEOPARDY, OUR SON’S FUTURE WELLBEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMPROMISED THROUGH THE PAST MISMANAGEMENT BY EVERYONE CONCERNED.

THE COUNCILLORS (IN MY VIEW THE ULTIMATE VILLAINS OF THE PIECE) WON’T BUDGE. NEITHER WILL THE OFFICERS, EXEMPLIFIED BY BARNET’S CEO, WHO, I UNDERSTAND, REFUSES TO GET INVOLVED. IT SEEMS THE YCB CARE WORKERS WILL HAVE TO KEEP TAKING HAIRCUTS. MEANWHILE CAPITA LURK IN THE WINGS, WAITING FOR MELTDOWN, LICKING THEIR GREEDY CHOPS.

AS A PARENT, I SINCERELY WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP BREAK THE DEADLOCK, BUT I FEEL MARGINALISED AND IMPOTENT. IT’S A DESPERATE SITUATION, AND I’M HOPING AGAINST HOPE THAT YOU, THE BOARD, HAVE GOT SOME REALISTIC PLANS IN PLACE, WHICH ARE FAIR TO THE CARE WORKERS, AND WILL HELP GET US OUT OF THIS UNHOLY MESS. THANK YOU.

TONY SOLOMONS

22 SEPTEMBER 2014

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Tony Solomons is a Barnet Resident and a parent carer. Guest blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye