Southport Forums - Sefton Council Give Out Redundancy Notices To Staff

Sefton Council Give Out Redundancy Notices To Staff
Sat 24th Jan 2004, 03:32 PM
Reported by: onthespot

One in ten of social services workforce to receive redundancy notices in 2004 according to Unison (Sefton Local Government Branch).

Millbrook, Birch Street, Southport set for the axe.

Sefton Council will meet on Thursday 26th February to vote on proposals to close down a significant number of services affecting the employment of 176 staff in the Social Services department. The department currently employs 1,607 staff.

The four homes being recommended for closure are Millbrook, Linacre Grange, Thornton Hall and Connolly House. There is also proposals being considered to close down one Day Centre and a Best Value review of services to Adults with Disabilities is considering closing down one Adult Training Centre.

This comes as a severe kick in the teeth to the staff concerned and is a further blow to residents and their families!

Below are letters of compulsory redundancies sent to staff (dated 7th January 2004).

Special points of intrest:

Sefton wants to save £3 million next year.

They propose to close four homes to save £1.5 million.

This will mean 167 staff to go.

The Chancellor has just given Sefton £1.6 million extra that is not ring fenced.

Below is a copy for Unison Stewards (dated 16th December 2003).

This morning Saturday 24th Jan 2004 Sharon Mercer (staff member at Millbrook) declined to comment and was unable to talk to members of the press.

Onthespot - your online reporter

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YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE

(8 comments)

daveball says:	Sat 24th Jan 2004, 06:15 PM

The Lib Dem Councillors and Tory Groups are unconcerned about the level and quality of care they are responsible for, yet they have been given an additional sum of just over one and a half million pounds by central government!

compiler says:	Sat 24th Jan 2004, 07:31 PM

I used to walk past Millbrook twice a day, on my way to and from school, and never knew what it was.

It is very sad for both residents and staff that services are being cut. Staff dedicate themselves diligently to the welfare of those in their care, and the threat of suddenly losing their job/vocation will be a kick in the teeth.

Residents and clients of these facilities are vulnerable people. Security and stability is a very important factor. An uncertain future can have a disproportionately negative affect on their wellbeing.

However, I do not believe that Unison can achieve their objectives. I read the letter from Mr Flanagan and noted the use of the word 'scabs'. This kind of confrontational, emotive and out-dated language will serve no positive purpose. We're no longer in the 1970's - the resolution of disputes cannot be achieved by name calling (did it ever?). It is my opinion that if Mr Flanagan is representative of those running Unison, they will lose.

duncet says:	Sat 24th Jan 2004, 09:11 PM

If Council Policy now is to buy in these services, rather than to provide them( i.e to pay for clients to be looked after in private care homes), then surely this policy relies on availability of beds in private homes. Because many private care homes are now closing down due to National Government legislation creating a situation where the care home business is no longer financially viable, we are in a position where a grave shortage of beds in the future could create a critical situation. This is worsened by -:
1) New constructions of retirement homes are attracting increased numbers of elderly people to our town.
2) The onus has been put on the Social Services Department to accept convalescent cases from the NHS to prevent bed blocking within the hospital service.
Where are we to look for Care Home beds in future ?

tonio says:	Sun 25th Jan 2004, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by daveball
The Lib Dem Councillors and Tory Groups are unconcerned about the level and quality of care they are responsible for,

how precisely do you differentiate this (unsubstantiated assertion) from the views councillors of the Bootle Party and the Labour Party?

john.lee says:	Sun 25th Jan 2004, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tonio
how precisely do you differentiate this (unsubstantiated assertion) from the views councillors of the Bootle Party and the Labour Party?

Could you please rephrase that please, Tonio?
I've no idea what your question means.

funtimefrankie says:	Sun 25th Jan 2004, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tonio
how precisely do you differentiate this (unsubstantiated assertion) from the views councillors of the Bootle Party and the Labour Party?

You dont refute the comments then?

Barrie says:	Sun 25th Jan 2004, 05:34 PM

When with elected members of the council realise that they are dealing with peoples lives and that the elderly need long term security.
Twenty five years ago my mother was a long term resident in The Haven in Peel Street when it closed. She was moved to a very nice home near Hesketh Park but within a month she had died, the disruption of the moved seriously contributed to her death.
I appreciate that the Haven was a private and not council owned but the conclusion was the same.

tonio says:	Mon 26th Jan 2004, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by john.lee
I've no idea what your question means.

You could have perhaps saved yourself time by omitting the last four words of your posting then?

Now then funtime f!

The refutation of incoherent drivel from certain sources is not always worth the candle. Can you suggest any reason why (when it is the Labour Government's privatisation policies which are causing this distress) this silly posting should have occurred?

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