Capita Week - The Summary

So Capita week draws to a close. There are some nice pictures of the Thursday protest Capita offices on Vicki Morris Flickr stream - http://www.flickr.com/photos/11722019@N03/sets/72157632299827582/

All of the Barnet bloggers have participated and there have been thousands of tweets & retweets. My blog has had hundreds of hits from Capita computers, so it is fair to say that the company have "taken an interest" in the week.

We are now working on a follow up Capita week in the new year. I have also had some tentative conversations with film Director Charles Honderick and backers about the idea of making "CAPITA! - The Movie". It seems that there are so many stories and so much ignorance about outsourcing that there really is a story to be told. Unlike the two Barnet films we've made this year, this would be a major undertaking. If nothing else, because of the geographical location of all of the problems. We have worked out a tentative budget and if we can raise the necessary cash, we will start production ASAP.

We've learned much from the two films we produced this year. Both received a good reception and much media coverage. As the Capita film would have a national audience, I suspect that we'd have to go for a West End Premiere, which might be fun.

When we started making "A Tale of Two Barnets" I originally thought it would be a ten minute Youtube piece that three or four hundred people would watch. I never expected it to get a premiere in the Phoenix or a showing in the House of Commons. We see "Capita - The Movie" as the next logical project. if we can find people who have the faith to back us financially, then we can make it. We will start fundraising in January, but if you have ten grand in your pocket for a vanity project and a credit in the title, get in touch and we can start today ! If you've read the blogs this week, you will surely know that the story should be told.

The Friday Joke - 21/12/2012

There is a great little bar, just round the corner from the North Pole. It is called "The Imaginary Friend". T'was Christmas Eve and Father Christmas, as is way, was nipping in for a quick livener, before going out on his rounds to deliver the presents to all the good children (not that I'm implying father Xmas is ever drunk in charge of a Sleigh and a team of reindeer). He walked in and at the bar was standing his good friend the Tooth Fairy. She looked at Father Christmas and said

"Have you seen this, it is hilarious" and showed Father Christmas this video clip -


After rolling about on the floor, Father Christmas turns to the tooth fairy and says "He really believes Capita will deliver savings of £120 million with their record! Some people will believe absolutely anything!"

This week this blog and all of the other blogs in Barnet have been highlighting the record of  Capita in delivering savings and services. Who would you trust about whether this will work? Richard Cornelius? The Tooth Fairy? Father Christmas? Personally, I just tend to go on the record of someone. If a mechanic screws up my neighbours car, I don't take my car their. If a cafe gives my aunty food poisoning, I don't eat there. If my wife orders a copy of War and Peace from an ebay seller and they send her My Little Pony instead, I wouldn't buy a book from them. When the bloggers of Barnet proposed Capita week, I was aware of three of four major problems with contracts they've delivered. As a result of all the tweets, other bloggers and the emails I've had from up and down the country, it seems there is an almost unendings tream of cock ups.

And the biggest joke of all is that Richard Cornelius and his colleagues in the Barnet Council cabinet actually think they are clever signing up to this nonsense and yes they really do believe that it will all be tickety boo !

(Thanks to the Barnet Bugle for the clip - http://www.barnetbugle.com/. Happy Christmas Dan and Frank)

Capita Week - Capita loses its lucrative CRB contract after a decade

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.

Barnet residents protesting at the offices of Capita to mark Capita week  (photo courtesy Vicki Morris)

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 the issue we look at is value for the taxpayer.

The Contract in question is Capita’s flagship CRB system.  Capita recently lost the contract. The Times reports that Kevin Lapwood, at the brokers Seymour Pierce, said: “There’s a suspicion that Capita has been earning too high a margin on certain central government contracts.”  One has to ask whether Barnet is geared up to avoid the pitfalls which Central Government seemingly couldn’t  avoid?

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/supportservices/article3557977.ece

Computer weekly reported about the contract “The Criminal Records Bureau contract was also beset by problems. Capita proved itself unable to administer the completion of criminal records checks for teachers on time, which caused problems for schools in the autumn of 2002. The contract was once again revised and revenues renegotiated. Capita incurred penalty charges for that one.”

http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Capita-the-story-of-where-UK-public-sector-outsourcing-began

Last night, the Barnet Alliance for Public Services held a protest at the offices of Capita. Whilst the Barnet Conservatives seem not to care about the issues raised, the ordinary residents and bloggers of Barnet do. Capita are now in the media spotlight.  Wheras previously these blunders and cock ups could be quietly swept under the carpet, Barnet is a completely different case. We have more journalists, TV executives and other media people living locally than anywhere else in the Country. Should a scandal break in Barnet, Capita run the risk of huge reputational damage. If they think that the protests will quietly die away, they are gravely mistaken. I'd suggest they'd better start getting used to protests at their offices.

Capita Week - Government urged to ditch Capita after ILA failure

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 implementation. Have Capita implemented  the systems that were promised? We look at the Individual Learning Accounts system How did the implementation of this program by Capita work out?

Capita won a £50 million contract to run the ill-fated programme, which collapsed amid mounting allegations of fraud among learning providers and concern over costs that went £93 million over budget.

A report on an inquiry by the education and skills select committee criticised Capita, which boasts in its annual reports of experience in handling government projects requiring tight anti-fraud measures, for failing to point out that a lack of safeguards in the ILA system made it "a disaster waiting to happen".

Barry Sheerman, who chaired the committee, said the contract between the government and Capita "did not spell out the balance of risk and responsibility". 

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=170259&sectioncode=26

Barnet bloggers have continually raised the issues of risk and responsibility. Our concerns have been completely ignored.

If you are worried, join the Barnet Alliance for Public Services , who are  holding a demonstration against One Barnet at Capita HQ on Tonight,  5-7pm, 71 Victoria Street, 

Capita Week - Sefton Council to end £65m technical services contract with Capita Symonds

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.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/11/25/sefton-council-to-end-65m-technical-services-contract-with-capita-symonds-92534-29838970/

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.”

http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Capita-the-story-of-where-UK-public-sector-outsourcing-began

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

Capita Week - Translators database "dogged" with problems

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. 

Installment two in todays tales of woe from Capita concerns the Court Translators database.

The Telegraph reports that this was so inaccurate that even someones pet dog appeared on it

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9742685/Total-chaos-after-pet-dog-counted-on-translators-database.html

Cases were delayed, hundreds of translators failed to turn up, and many more refused to work for Applied Language Solutions (ALS), which was taken over by Capita at the end of last year, the Commons Committee of Public Accounts said.

But Capita has only been fined a “risible” £2,200, sending the message that the ministry allows private firms “to get away with over promising and underdelivering”, the report warned.

Margaret Hodge, the committee’s chairwoman, said the project was an “object-lesson in how not to contract out a public service” as “almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong”.

“We heard that some names were fictitious and one person had even successfully registered their pet dog,” Mrs Hodge said.

Whilst Hendon is famous for it's MP Matthew Offord, who famously stood up for "human rights for dogs", we are sure even Matthew would find it a bit strange that a dog could be registered as a Court Translator.

As Capita week progresses, we'll bring you more tales of woe.

Capita Week - Capita blamed in schools' data loss

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.

The issue we investigate today is data security. Barnet Council has personal and financial details of every resident in the Borough. If these are compromised, every single resident could be at risk from fraudsters and criminals. How have Capita managed the data of existing public sector clients? Data security is the most important issue for service providers.

This article, in the highly respected publication Information age, details how Capita have been blamed for losing schools data. According to reports in the Guardian newspaper, Capita has lost irreplaceable school data after a botched software upgrade to Sims, the management system used in more than two-thirds of schools to keep staff and pupil records, finances and timetabling schedules. As a result of the corrupted records, some schools have been forced to move back to a paper-based records system until the problems are ironed out. Is this something we want to happen in Barnet?

http://www.information-age.com/channels/information-management/news/287036/capita-blamed-in-schools-data-loss.thtml

Have Barnet Councillors satisfied themselves that no such breach of data integrity could occur in Barnet? Are they convinced that the outsourcing of data and loss of control of data security poses no risk to the residents? Unless Barnet Councillors are 100% convinced that such threats cannot occur, then they should cancel the One Barnet program and have a solution where they have responsibility for the security of residents and tax payers.

 
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