Suffolk council plans to outsource virtually all services

amcluesent

The Tory-controlled county's "new strategic direction", set for approval tomorrow, could see virtually every service outsourced to social enterprises or companies.

The aim is to turn the authority from one which provides public services itself, to an "enabling" council, which only commissions them. Libraries, youth clubs, highway services, independent living centres, careers advice, children's centres, registrars, country parks and a records office are among the first services that could be divested.

Ultimately only a few hundred people could remain directly employed by the council, primarily in contract management.

These proposals are regarded by experts as the first time a local authority has considered not directly providing any services at all.

FACT - That's the future after a decade of Clown's bungling of the public finances.

FACT - given the 'skills' in contract management within the public sector, looks like a free for all for the companies providing services! 40%+ margins easy, once you've completed replacing all the TUPEd staff with zero-hours contractors on min.wage.

michaels

It will be very interesting to see how it pans out.

I wonder if schools are also included?

Old_Slaphead

I expect the council taxpayer will keep the huge underfunded pension liability

carolt

Nightmare. So now we'll all pay more, as we'll also be paying (a) for all these companies to make a profit, (b) for all these companies' executives to be suitable 'rewarded', and, best of all, (c), all of their activities will be closed to scrutiny by the public, public audits etc.

So look forward to loads of backhanders, lots of Tory councillors and their mates and companies doing very nicely out of the taxpayers' largesse. And lots of minimum wage employees with no job security actually doing the front-line work = no interest in doing job, falling standards etc, as the OP points out.

Obviously, it will all cost more, and be less efficient and motivated by political dogma, but that's OK - the taxpayers will be footing the bill. :eek:

abaxas

carolt wrote: »

Nightmare. So now we'll all pay more, as we'll also be paying (a) for all these companies to make a profit, (b) for all these companies' executives to be suitable 'rewarded', and, best of all, (c), all of their activities will be closed to scrutiny by the public, public audits etc.

So look forward to loads of backhanders, lots of Tory councillors and their mates and companies doing very nicely out of the taxpayers' largesse. And lots of minimum wage employees with no job security actually doing the front-line work = no interest in doing job, falling standards etc, as the OP points out.

Obviously, it will all cost more, and be less efficient and motivated by political dogma, but that's OK - the taxpayers will be footing the bill. :eek:

However it's a great way of getting rid of staff. What will happen to people when the contract is not renewed?

robin_banks

With so many less staff and departments to manage I wonder if Andrea Hill will retain her £220,000 a year salary ?.

Yep that's £300 a day more than call me Dave.

robin_banks

abaxas wrote: »

However it's a great way of getting rid of staff. What will happen to people when the contract is not renewed?

If perm staff they'll be TUPE'd to another organisation, if not thery're temps and it wont matter.

abaxas

robin_banks wrote: »

If perm staff they'll be TUPE'd to another organisation, if not thery're temps and it wont matter.

However the new company can easily set a deadline for maintaining contract t&cs. Most I've been involved with set it at 18month or 2 years. After that, all hell breaks loose.

Blacklight

Welcome to the private sector.

Perhaps part of the plan is to kill them all off with the shock of actually having to work for a living.

Orpheo

michaels wrote: »

It will be very interesting to see how it pans out.

I wonder if schools are also included?

Schools themselves will not be included unless they become a privately run academy - this already happens, my daughter goes to one. It is a good school in terms of results, but then again they only take high achieving children from the local primary schools in spite of claiming to be non-selective. Their campus is amazing, sculptures, art, swimming pools, gardens. Lovely plush furniture in the head's office. It is a pity that money is spent on all that and yet my daughter had to write out the questions before answering them in a mock maths SAT test because the papers had to be re-used, it is a pity that her text books are tatty and coverless, it is a pity that we are constantly bombarded with letters asking for "voluntary contributions" £5 for this book, £3 for that book, £8 towards materials for tech, and so on.

The local authority uses a private company to manage its "people services." This private company has taken 6 months to clear me to work as a supply teacher in the authority (recently moved here) and I'm still waiting. All hoops have long been jumped through, successful interview, CRB check is clear (been CRB checked 6 times in the last 10 years, used to be £80 a pop, now £40, from the taxpayer to Capita), all my paperwork done, I'm just still waiting. I imagine the longer it takes to process, the higher the bill to the taxpayer. This company (not Capita) already dominates most services provided by the authority.

I am all for making the public sector more efficient and cost effective, but these contractors are not doing this, they are suckling at the teat. As for the schools, I want every penny spent on educating the children, not on outrageously luxurious leather sofas for the offices.

kabayiri

Sure, the changes are going to be painful.

But these councils have been set cost reduction targets, and on their own they just don't really know how to achieve it.

Is it any surprise they invite in the private industry outsourcers?

Change can be profitable for some.