Scotland inUNISON Stories1

Action plan on Social Work crisis

By John Stevenson

UNISON is calling for urgent meetings with minister Cathy Jamieson and a local authorities' task group as Social Work members kick off a campaign to confront the crisis in recruitment and retention of staff.

Fifty reps from 29 of Scotland's 32 local authorities reported on the work they were already doing locally and forged the joint action plan at a conference in Glasgow on 29 August.

And, because low pay is a key element, an action group will urgently consult branches on how best to push for better pay across the board. It will also collate information on resource problems which are leading to stress and workers leaving the job.

"We need to tackle pay head on", said Stephen Smellie, Local Government Group vice chair. The 'golden handshake' response by some authorities was only redistributing the problem, creating a vicious circle and sapping the morale of existing staff.

There was broad agreement that reviews of social work pay and structures were needed - not exactly like the McCrone Report in Education but perhaps a range of initiatives to address deep seated problems.

And UNISON will use its voice to combat the demoralising 'blame culture' that pervades the press.

Crisis, what crisis?

Mike Kirby, UNISONScotland Convenor told the conference, "Vacancies are running as high as 25%, fewer people are coming through colleges and only one in ten want to go into children and families".

80% of staff were unqualified, wages had fallen behind dramatically and violence to staff was on the increase, especially in residential child care. Absences were higher than in all other areas.

Challenging those who question whether this was a 'crisis', Mike said, "In the dictionary a crisis is a time of danger... but another definition is a turning point". The problems certainly pointed to a crisis but the initiatives the union could get involved in also offered a turning point.

Among the opportunities Mike listed was the CoSLA 'Recruitment and Retention' task group set up under Edinburgh Councillor Kingsley Thomas.

"This is an opportunity for us to pick up the issues with employers", said Mike. We also need to influence the Action Plan for Social Services Workforce launched in April by Cathy Jamieson, Minister for Education an Young People - who has a social work background herself - with targets varying from nine weeks to nine months.

"We broadly welcomed this but we are concerned at the extent of the plan and the fact that it does not address pay", said Mike. The nearest the plan gets to pay is 'an economic study of the labour market of children's services'. This is welcome in part but Mike warned that it would only create further problems if they only target that area.

The plan also aims to improve access to training for experienced but unqualified staff. "Many staff may not feel comfortable going straight into further or higher education and there is a role here for the Return To Learn initiatives", said Mike.

This was a key area, with many branches reporting inappropriate use of Social Work Assistants left carrying what was in effect a qualified worker's caseload.

Delegates also highlighted the problem of the pressure on core services already at breaking point as staff moved away to new more attractive - but time limited - projects funded by the Scottish Executive.

But pay remained central to the discussion. When asked by an employer whether people were moving away to new projects, Stephen Smellie noted "They're moving away to Asda". Astonishingly they can get more money there with less stress.

What branches must do

Look out for the consultation and start the debate in branches - everyone agrees we need to move fast
Get into discussion with employers about CoSLA task group and the Scottish Executive's action plan
Feed back on problems and developments in your area
Use local media to highlight the problems - contact your full time officer or Scottish Communications Officer Chris Bartter (0845 355 0845) for help.

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Catch up!

Scotland inUNISON comes out six times a year and this is our first issue after the summer (what summer?) - so a lot has happened.

Conference

Conference reports are on the website at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/conf2002. If you don't have web access contact the editor (see back page).

Local Govt strike

England, Wales and Northern Ireland local government members are being consulted on a two year pay offer of between 7.7% and 10.9% - in Scotland we won a four year deal in 2000 for about 14% which ends in 2004.

Latest Submissions from UNISONScotland

* Gender Equality & Best Value Inquiry

* Scottish Higher Education Review Second Consultation

* Fire Service of the Future

* National Education Debate

see them at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/ respons.html

Latest Briefings

- Disability Leave Scheme

- Audit Scotland Report on PFI Schools

- Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill

www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/briefings.html

Courses Coming Up

- Magazine Editors 25-27 October

- Handling the Media 13-15 December

- Building a Website - date to follow

Contact Chris Bartter for details 0845 355 0845

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£5 an hour, its time has come

The latest victories in the Health Service, especially for a £5 an hour minimum wage, are a 'wake up call' to the Scottish Executive.

Following the Lothian Acute branch success reported in the last issue of SIU, there have now been victories in Argyll and Clyde and in the Sodexho dispute at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Of the Argyll and Clyde deal, Jim Devine, UNISON Regional Organsier (Health) said, "After days of protracted negotiations, lasting well past midnight, we concluded a deal that will see many low-paid workers receive an increase in excess of £20 per week.

"The barriers against £5 an hour for Health Service Workers have now been ripped down in both Lothian and Argyll and Clyde Health Boards. "

This agreement is a wake-up call to the rest of the Scottish Health Service, that in the year 2002 £195 per week, at the top of your salary, is a reasonable reward for the vital job these staff do."

Glasgow Royal

On 15 August, members at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary celebrated victory after action won a £5 an hour minimum pay deal (click here for more details).

The hospital ancillary staff - including cleaners, caterers, domestics and porters - agreed to accept an offer made by Sodexho management following a day of negotiations.

The deal also included a phased return to former NHS terms and conditions of employment, guaranteed to take place by April 2004.

This includes increased sick pay and overtime rates and the introduction of a shift allowance and an extra public holiday.

Carolyn Leckie, UNISON Branch Secretary said, "This was a sweeping victory for trade union organisation. We balloted 222 and now have 342 members, well over 90% density and many new, but now invaluable, activists."

Frank Morgan, the Sodexho stewards' convenor, was ecstatic. "We've been kept down, exploited and bullied for profit for too long. Now that we've won, Sodexho will know they won't get away with it ever again."

Conditions scandal

Earlier in the month, Jim Devine had called on the Scottish Executive to introduce a £5 per hour minimum for healthcare staff. While slamming low pay in the NHS, he pointed out that directly employed staff have sick pay, extra duty payments, and pension schemes.

"That is not the case in the private sector", said Jim. "If you work for ISS in Lanarkshire you 'enjoy' the following terms and conditions:

£4.18 an hour for new starts doesn't change whether you work for the company for 5 or 20 years.
No overtime payments.
No shift enhancements
No night shift allowance
No additional payments for working weekends
No bonus scheme
Annual leave entitlement does not accrue with continuous service.
Sick pay is accrued at the rate of one day per month - provided there has been no absence.
No pension.

"Lothian Health Board, other Trusts and some private contractors have shown the way forward. A minimum of £5 an hour for a 39 hour week is not an unreasonable rate of pay for vital public Health Service workers.

"Therefore, I am writing to the Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm today asking him to instruct Trusts to help eradicate low pay in the NHS by paying at least £5 per hour", added Jim.

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Social Work: Get ready for workforce regulation

Branches are being urged to get into talks with local employers on how they will implement new plans for registering the social work workforce.

This was another issue examined at the Social Work conference on 29 August (see front page) and the new legislation - while it is likely to phase in - will impact on all social care staff at some point.

It makes demands on practitioners about standards but also on employers and it is essential branches look at the procedures closely - not least suggestions of 'probationary' periods.

Staff could be open to open and public disciplinary procedures, unlike current disciplinary procedures with employers and UNISON will have to gear up for how it represents its members.

Branches need to be talking to employers now, not least about who will pay the registration fees. The conference was clear that these must be met by employers.

Employers will also have to improve access to training to meet the need of staff to evidence professional progress.

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Grading deficiency is leading to nursing crisis

UNISON has launched a grading pack for Scottish nurses, midwives and health visitors - warning that low pay is leading to a care crisis.

UNISON has cited as evidence a briefing from the Director of Nursing at Lanarkshire Acute to his Board colleagues in which he says "The situation is so serious at Monklands that curtailment of services may have to be considered".

"Recently UNISON launched a grading campaign for Scottish nurses." said Jim Devine, UNISON Scottish Organiser (Health). "We said many nurses were working at too low a grade throughout Scotland" .

"We warned that this was leading to recruitment and retention problems and unless this issue was resolved, patient care could suffer.

Losing nurses

"Our campaign has been vindicated in a report to today's meeting of Lanarkshire Acute Trust by the Director of Nursing, Paul Wilson.

"In his paper, Paul Wilson states: 'To illustrate this we are losing D and E grades from accident and emergency, acute receiving and other critical care areas to F and G grades in NHS 24. Similarly we are losing Nurses whom we have trained over several years in chemotherapy to the centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh. 'The situation is particularly acute at Monklands Hospital where there has been an 82% turnover of Nurses in the last 12 months but where the replacement staff are not skilled in chemotherapy and other techniques. The situation is so serious at Monklands that curtailment of services may have to be considered.'

"Similar concerns have been expressed by both Glasgow and Argyll and Clyde Health Boards. If the establishment of a relatively small, new NHS facility is having this impact on three of Scotland's largest Health Boards then there are clearly major issues relating to the grading and subsequently the pay of nurses throughout Scotland.

"UNISON has written to the Scottish Health Minister asking for a review of all nursing grades in Scotland and asking to ensure that D Grade nurses only remain in post for six months and E Grade nurses in post for 18 months."

Copies of the pack are available from UNISON House (address back page) and on the website at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/nhs/nursing In the first two weeks, over 90 visits were made to the pack pages.

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400,000 plus reasons to join UNISON Scotland

Personal Injury Settlements ranging from £400 to £84,000 were won by UNISON for members in Scotland in June and July.

The total figure topped £412,000.

One of the cases was the important Glasgow Health case reported in the last Scotland inUNISON, but other cases came from across Scotland.

Yet more examples to use when trying to convince potential members how important it is to join UNISON.

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UNISONScotland's newest branch

July 23 saw the inaugural meeting of UNISONScotland's newest branch, reports CHRIS BARTTER.

The 250 or so members who work for the newly created Scottish Regulation of Care Branch set up their structures and elected office bearers including Paul Johnstone as the Chair and Catherine Hitchings as Branch Secretary.

The branch has been formed by and for staff working for both the Scottish Social Services Council and the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, the new Social Work professional registration body and the commission that will set and ensure care standards.

A newsletter has already gone out and an organising training course is taking place for activists. Key negotiators, including full-time official John Gallacher, have already been involved in discussions setting up Grievance, Disciplinary policies and service conditions such as travel and subsistence claims, car leasing.

In addition UNISON has been actively raising objections to attempts to sell members conditions short and making sure that the views of staff at all levels are heard.

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Scottish branches top Communications Awards

Renfrewshire Local Government Branch has won this year's UNISON Communication Awards for best newsletter in the UK.

John McNaughton picked up the prize of £500 on behalf of the branch and co-editor Aileen MacDonald at National Conference in June.

The judges described the magazine UNISON Feedback as a 'great achievement' and a credit to the branch and the union.

Runner up and winning £250 was another Scottish branch, City of Edinburgh, "an excellent example of a well-designed newsletter with lots of news". Editor John Stevenson picked up the award.

A Special Merit Award went to South Lanarkshire's Branchline edited by Jane Aitchison, especially for a 'clear and reader friendly table' explaining conditions changes to members.

Lothian Acute Health branch also lifted £50 for its "great email bulletin".

Also winning a £50 Merit Award was Ayrshire & Arran Primary Care (Ed. K. McLeod) particularly for its excellent contact details providing a "really good service to the branch members".

Best Website

There was a double for John Stevenson when Edinburgh also picked up the best website award. The site was described as "a veteran site that has been re-designed" with a clean and simple design and lots of information. This is the second time John has won the award.

The Best Article Award was won by Leeds Branch for their excellent story "PFI, what do our Leeds MPs have to say", which was 'worthy of any professional publication'.

Has your branch got a newsletter or a website? If not, why not get started - contact John Stevenson at webmanager@unison-edinburgh.org.uk

Index

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Run win for Salud ambulance

Anne McGinley Anne McGinley, a UNISON steward in the Glasgow Health branch clutches her celebratory bottle after completing the Scottish Women's 10K run on 19 May.

Anne finished the course in one hour nine minutes, and was running to raise money to purchase a reconditioned ambulance for Cuba via Salud International.

Anne said, "I was pleased with my effort - both because it was the first time I have ever run a 10K and because it meant the amount I have raised for Salud went up to £450.

"If anyone else wants to assist me reach my target of £950 they can contact me at the UNISON Glasgow Health Branch Office, 2 Fitzroy Place, Glasgow G3 - 0141 243 2119."

For more details on Salud International, see www.unison-scotland.org.uk/salud.html