the Pavement

Residents look ahead to staff upheaval

Carinya Sharples, 31 December 2011

Residents of Grange Road hostel in Bermondsey have raised concerns after it was announced that management of the hostel is to pass from St Mungo’s to charitable housing association Look Ahead.

Long-term resident Jakki Sheehy said all the 39 residents are depressed about the news: “It’s the best hostel, the best staff I’ve ever been involved with – they’ll all have to leave their jobs... and they’re trying to bring new people in.”

The Grange Road building will still be owned by St Mungo’s, but from February onwards the support services it provides will be run by Look Ahead – most recently mentioned in The Pavement as one the supporters of Westminster Council’s doomed soup run bylaw.

Mike McCall, St Mungo’s Executive Director of Operations, confirmed this, saying: “St Mungo’s Grange Road will continue to be a hostel providing accommodation for homeless people, although there will be a change in the agency providing support.”

The Pavement was unable to get through to anyone at Look Ahead to speak to about the plans. However, according to Ms Sheehy, Look Ahead have already been ruffling feathers at the hostel: “They came here the other day to ask us questions – we all walked out of the meeting. They don’t even have a manager, they couldn’t answer anything ... They couldn’t even relate to us. You know what they’re calling us? Customers. Call us residents or call us people but don’t call us customers.”

According to the South London Press, St Mungo’s has had its funding from Southwark council cut by £10,000. St Mungo’s would not comment on financial details or confirm any link between the cuts and the change in service provider at Grange Road hostel.

Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) or TUPE regulations, staff are protected from losing their jobs following a change of service provider – such as when contract is assigned to a new contractor during a re-tendering process, as in this case.

The legislation is designed to protect staff, guaranteeing them a job transfer to the new company, the transfer of their employment terms and conditions, and continuity of employment.

St Mungo’s spokesperson was unable to say whether any St Mungo’s staff at Grange Road have applied to continue working in the hostel under Look Ahead, and said it would be up to Look Ahead what contracts and terms and conditions they agree.

More stories from the latest issue...

Cold cuts

Elizabeth Barker, 09 December 2011

Birmingham City Council’s extensive public consultations disclose plans to reduce funding for ‘at risk’ groups. Services for vulnerable people seem set to face the brunt of Birmingham City Council’s proposed 2012/13 budget cuts, announced at a community consultation meeting in King’s Heath last month.

The meeting - one of a series being carried out across the city ¬ took place in a community centre on 7 November. Intended as an opportunity for residents and community leaders to have their say on the shape of Birmingham’s budget, the meeting descended into disarray as council representatives struggled to calm tempered locals who voiced concern over the planned savings.

Tensions were high as residents vented their frustration towards the lack of political representation present and the inconsistencies in the consultation documents, which called for the protection of the city’s vulnerable alongside plans to severely cut funding for vital services.

The proposed savings, part of the government’s priority to reduce the national deficit over a period of four years, sees Birmingham City Council - the largest in Europe - having to save a further £65 million, totalling £350 million by 2014/15.

As well as reductions to children and young people’s services, the Supporting People Programme, which is funded by central government but administered by Birmingham City Council, seems set to lose almost a third of its funding, way above the 11 per cent recommendation. Supporting People provides critical prevention services to vulnerable groups across the West Midlands as well as sustaining vital housing-related support, stopping dependency on more expensive statutory services later on.

Community leaders expressed concern that the reductions would unfairly penalise vulnerable groups and significantly increase their risk of homelessness. Mark Barrow, Strategic Director of Development at Birmingham City Council insisted that the council still pledged to prioritise those most in danger, but added: “Supporting People used to be ring-fenced, meaning it was secure. The government has since reduced this protection, so it is no longer a statutory service which makes it more vulnerable to reductions.”

While council representatives acknowledged that making savings involved some tough decisions, they emphasised the necessity of local action to reduce the national deficit, adding that they are legally obliged to return a balanced budget at the end of the year. Their explanation was met with hostility however as residents questioned the political agenda of the Conservative-Liberal council, with calls that ‘savings’ are an unnecessary ideological attack upon the welfare state.

Taking an overwhelming anti-cuts position, audience members proposed that tax justice -ensuring a fair tax system and closing in on corporate tax evaders - would be a much less painful way of tackling the deficit and would protect the most vulnerable. Figures from the Tax Justice Network show that £25 billion is lost annually in tax avoidance and a further £70 million in tax evasion by large companies and wealthy individuals. Residents also called for the banking sector to take responsibility for the financial crisis through an end to fat cat bonuses and the ‘me me me’ culture.

Speaking after the event, a spokesperson from Birmingham Against the Cuts commented: “The entirely partial presenting officer took a transparently partisan stance on deficit reduction, and responded to the call for executives’ pay to be cut by observing that it is essential to pay the highest rates possible.”

The Kings’s Heath meeting passed two resolutions, firstly rejecting all the cuts that Birmingham City Council is proposing for the 2012/13 budget and secondly stating them to be politically motivated.

• The community budget consultations began on 12 October 2011 and will continue until 8 January 2012. The process includes community meetings and an online survey. Consultation documents are available for view and comment at: bit.ly/hhBqvJ

More stories from the latest issue...

Guilt caused rioter’s confession

Staff, 09 December 2011

A rough sleeper in Birmingham was jailed at the end of October, having turned himself in to police for looting during the riots.

Twenty-nine-year-old Lee Battenbough got 14 months, having pleaded guilty to looting from a Richer Sounds store during the unrest. However, this case at Birmingham Crown Court was unusual in that Battenbough had gone to the police on 29 September to confess his crime. The judge in the case made it clear that without Battenbough’s confession it was very unlikely that he would have been caught or subsequently prosecuted. Battenbough stole audio equipment, which he then sold for £30.

More stories from the latest issue...

• Back to page top