Whatever happened to the Big Society?

[nickd]

Whatever happened to the Big Society?







Lost in a political undercurrent?


Of all the events where I would have expected a huge outpouring of 'big society' volunteering spirit to have freely emerged; I would have hedged my bets on Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee celebrations being the predominant player. I would have thought the mother of all commemorative events would have been a 'flagship' opportunity for government to show us how well fuelled we are by this wondrous 'big society' vision, by all accounts it should have been four days of big society at its very best. This was a golden opportunity for David Cameron to show us how a willing army of volunteers would jump at the chance of stewarding thousands upon thousands of people in and around London as they waited for the Queen. So how much of the real Big Society did we get to see?

Well I decided to hotfoot it from Devon to London to see the 1000 boat river pageant, I like boats and thought it would be a great chance to see something uplifting for a change. It was without doubt going to be a spectacular event and as it turned out it transpired to be well worth the somewhat torturous journey involved. I came with a small group of five, for one of us it was her first trip to London in all of her 20 years; I found myself apologising to her for the weather and unforgiving crowds; London is a frightening place for someone so young. Conditions were far from ideal, it was absolutely teeming with rain from our arrival and onwards. Fuelled with caffeine and food via a quick pit stop at Victoria Train station we walked our way down to Westminster and took up our places right next to the Thames with only trees and hastily brought umbrellas to protect us from the elements, we stood and waited for the Queen to arrive. I wondered if I would be able to wait as hypothermia set in, I was literally shivering despite the coat and scarf. At just before 8am the endurance test had only just began; I kept telling myself the 7 odd hour wait which lay ahead would be well worth the wait. Bear in mind this 'jubileeathon' of ours had started 9 hours beforehand when we had boarded a far from comfortable National Express overnight coach for the journey to Victoria, to anyone who envisages sleep on an overnight coach, can I just tell you - it won't happen.

Situated within the dreaded shadows of that Westminster Palace, I on more than several occasions, found myself reflecting upon the wicked injustices inflicted upon society by virtue of the recent enactments passed by her majesty in that place. It was a means of distracting myself from the frostbite which started to get the better of me; so I reflected upon the welfare reforms and those connected with legal aid and all the lost justice that goes with both, I also pondered upon the health reforms. Somehow the unforgiving rain and darks clouds seemed appropriate in making Westminster Palace appear a less than wondrous place. I was reminded to leave social injustice alone for the day and enjoy the festivities and that's what I did, none the less all the pomp and pageantry in the world can't make you switch off from all your thoughts, so I kept them to myself and enjoyed the day in a spirit of endurance. I got chatting to a fair few people suitably adorned in union jack face paint with flags to the ready for the moment ahead, there was a great spirit in the garden as I joined the ranks of ordinary folk who'd come to see something historic and something great. Despite the awful weather people were in a great mood, it was wonderful to see and to feel a part of it all. Of course some more 'privileged' souls would be spared the cold, those would be the people who didn't need the umbrellas. I suspect their feet would have been spared a few blisters as they got whisked around in comfort before arriving at suitable venues where they could go on and enjoy all the 'nice things' which go with corporate hospitality; I'm sure from the luxury of their high rise balconies and from behind all those plate glass windows they would have raised a little chuckle (or is it chortle?) or two at us lesser mortals down in the 'one and sixes'. However, to me the people I stood with were the 'real deal'. Yes to me those who stood the test of endurance could make claim to have properly entered the jubilee spirit rather than merely acquiring it by knowing 'the right people'.

And so it was that around just after 3 in the afternoon, boat after boat descended down the Thames in a flotilla such as I'll never see again. It was without doubt a magnificent site to see the boats of all sizes from canoes to the one we'd all been waiting for the royal barge ' Spirit of Chartwell' which came upstream to large cheers we caught a distant glimpse of her majesty. With so many pictures and articles on television, in memorabilia and elsewhere, I'll assume you've already had a peek at what was going on; but for those who haven't here's just a few pictures of the 4 day jubilee celebrations...



The pomp









The pageantry
















The people



By the time the 'Spirit of Chartwell' had arrived at our vantage point we were almost unable to move, the rain was putting no one off, people were pushing and shoving in all directions. Us ardent 'front-liners' had earned our territorial right to be right by the river side and we weren't giving it up at any cost! A few arrogant souls thought they could arrive bang on the moment and barge their way to the front, but none of us glued and pinned to the embankment wall were having it, few of us were prepared to forego our places after waiting all the time we had to end up losing them to those who felt they had a god given right to our riverside view. I reminded them that they could go and watch it on the nearby big screen; although to me that would have been no different to seeing it at home on a rather large television. I'm not sure what it is about a patient crowd but it brings out the best in people whereas a last minute rabble always ends up exposing the absolute worst in souls who think they don't need to follow the rules. With so many people in London for the big occasion you would think this would be a golden opportunity for volunteer stewards to help usher people into place to ensure crowd control and people's safety; I felt re-assured I would be in good hands. With an event like this safety and security were paramount so advance planning was something you would imagine would have been carried out months beforehand. From what I could see there was less than a dozen luminous jacketed individuals patrolling the park where we had situated ourselves, they did a cursory search of bags as we went in and appeared to be confiscating alcohol with vigour if it was found on entry; we assumed they'd be having a bit of a party of their very own later that evening - with plenty of free booze on hand!










But where oh where were all those big society volunteers?




Well not at Dave's ices just outside no.10....








"We had a great street party, but inside Downing Street rather than outside"

"We had elderly people, we had Scouts, we had Girl Guides, Brownies, people who had been organising the Big Lunch. The oldest 96, the youngest was four or five, so it was a great Big Society occasion and a real pleasure to be able to host this"

[/center][/color]











Mr Cameron's idea of a Big Society lunch looked frankly a little disappointing to me. Call me a cynic, but shouldn't we be expecting just a little bit more from the mastermind of the Big Society, surely he should have been right up there in taking on a key role as the most pro-active ardent Big Society promoter of them all? Dave doesn't exactly look gripped by his captive audience, come to think of it, those girl - guides look more captivated by all those cup cakes than their Prime Minister to me. Sorry Dave but you've lost the plot with this Big Society of yours and blown a golden opportunity to show us all how well all this volunteering stuff is going to bring about a new sense of responsibility in looking after one another. Bribing a few kids with cup cakes is hardly going to convince us you've got your hand firmly on the tiller of this Big Society of yours. Listening carefully to what's been going on throughout these celebrations the one element that Cameron should positively have seized upon; that of raising the spirit of volunteering to help out at a major event has received little if any attention. Where were all the major charities stewarding these events? I'm sure they could have used the opportunity to raise much needed cash for their respective causes at the same time? In truth it transpires our volunteers were distinctly conspicuous in their absence when it came to helping out in London on any grand scale. Don't get me wrong I'm sure they were all over the place in lots of street parties going on up and down the country but what I am talking about is the marshalling of crowds into the various venues around the capital. The term Big Society is meant to apply to the mechanism by which events like this are made to happen, how they are organised and stewarded - the vital ingredient of the Big Society being the engagement of volunteers. By volunteers I mean those who helped it happen rather than those who merely engaged in scoffing a big lunch; I wonder who paid for all those ice creams and cup cakes in Downing Steet? Please don't tell me it was us lesser mortals - the tax payer. Anyway back to tracking down our true volunteers, where could they be found?



So where was our Big Society volunteer army?


Find out more in the next post....


Reference sources:

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154103/Rain-stops-play-David-Cameron-moves-No-10-street-party-indoors--Nick-Clegg-tucks-cake.html#ixzz1wwAR2pkb

[nickd]

The 'army' had mustered at London Bridge

And they probably weren't singing....

"Rule Britannia! Britannia rule the waves! Britons never, never, never shall be slaves!"


The Guardian has broken a story about how a number of perhaps not so willing 'helpers' had been drafted in from Plymouth, Bath & Bristol to London to help marshal the event. It seems they were all Jobseekers on Work experience, some were paid a minimal amount and others were paid nothing at all. Apparently they were on a promise to bigger and better things in finding work as marshals during the forthcoming Olympics. Complaints have been made over the way the Jobseekers have been treated throughout their Jubilee work experience. I dare say some of these stewards may well have been those at our location; there was me thinking they were either being paid well or just very keen volunteers. In my mind this dubious exercise raises two key questions:


(a) Why were these Jobseekers (allegedly) treated in the way they were and what were the wider implications? (see Guardian article below)


(b) Why was it necessary to even draft in people at all from WORK programme contractor bases in Devon and Cornwall? - Surely, there would have been no shortage of willing 'Big Society volunteers' in a city as big as London?


Here's an extract from the Guardian article which throws more light on how the Jobseeker's were allegedly mistreated and taken advantage of in the work scheme:


Guardian Article extract


"Two jobseekers, who did not want to be identified in case they lost their benefits, said they had to camp under London Bridge overnight. The former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott has written to the home secretary to complain about a security firm that used unpaid jobseekers to steward the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations in London. He said he was "deeply concerned" by the revelations, published in the Guardian on Tuesday, that up to 30 unpaid jobseekers on the government's work programme were asked to sleep under London Bridge before the river pageant on Sunday. He is calling for Theresa May to investigate whether the company has broken the security industry's own employment standards and is urging the government to review the company's contract for the Olympics.


The firm, Close Protection UK (CPUK), has issued "sincere apologies" for what it called the "London Bridge incident", but insisted that it had not been exploiting individuals but providing work experience. Up to 30 jobseekers and another 50 people on apprentice wages were taken to London by coach from Bristol, Bath and Plymouth on Saturday before the pageant on Sunday as part of the government's work programme. Two jobseekers, who did not want to be identified in case they lost their benefits, later told the Guardian that they had to camp under London Bridge overnight, to change into security gear in public, had no access to toilets for 24 hours, and were taken to a swampy campsite outside London after working a 14-hour shift in the pouring rain on the banks of the Thames on Sunday.


In the letter, Prescott said the situation raised "very serious questions" about the "suitability of using private security contractors to do frontline policing instead of trained police officers" and that the company had shown a "blatant disregard for the care of its workers". He wrote: "It is totally unacceptable that young unemployed people were bussed in to London from Bristol, Bath and Plymouth and forced to sleep out in the cold overnight before stewarding a major event with no payment. "I am deeply concerned that a private security firm is not only providing policing on the cheap but failing to show a duty of care to its staff and threatening to withdraw an opportunity to work at the Olympics as a means to coerce them to work unpaid."


The 'recruiting' techniques deployed by Close Protection UK seems questionable in several ways, but really further questions need to be asked of the WORK contractor Prospect Services, they being the Prime Provider who worked with the sub contractor 'Tomorrow's People' who in turn arranged the work with Close Protection UK. It's a chain of communication which should be investigated with a view to identifying the source of the problem. The following questions seem appropriate:



(1) Is the prime provider 'Prospect Services' simply passing the buck to the sub-contractor charity 'Tomorrows People' and Close Protection UK, who seem to be bearing the brunt of all the bad publicity?



An article in the Guardian last year showed how the charity Tomorrow's People were scathing over the prime contracts going out to large firms rather than smaller charities. The Guardian ran the story under the headlines "Work Programme is a wasted opportunity for charities" & " Fallout from the government's Work Programme has angered welfare-to-work charity boss and Tory peer Baroness Stedman-Scott"


Read more here

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jun/21/work-programme-wasted-opportunity-charities-baroness-stedman-scott


Here's some television coverage of what has been perceived as a scandal with 'wider issues'..





Prospect Services only recently announced how one its subcontractors in the South West 'Groundwork' had gone into administration with the loss of 130 jobs. We covered this only recently on Mylegal. It seems the Work programme providers are fighting for survival with the prime contractors holding their own, somewhat more successfully than smaller charitable sub - contractors. Inevitably the question arises as to whether smaller sub contractors are suitably resourced to find work for the people they are meant to be helping. They are paid on a 'payment by results' basis which is undoubtedly going to put the pressure on cash strapped sub - contractors to get results. Prime providers are more likely to be able to sustain a cash flow until the results come in because they are much larger and no doubt better able to bank roll their finances until they get remunerated upon results.


Here's Prospect Services latest promise to carry out a full investigation into what happened over the London Bridge saga...

www.prospects.co.uk/News/pressrelease/tabid/807/False/Default.aspx


(2) Did Close Protection UK properly vet the jobseeker's for the security work they would be taking on to the standards laid down by the Security Industry Association?


Read more of the standards here..

www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/Documents/acs/sia_acs_terms.pdf

Here's what they pledge on their website..

"Our staff are all screened and vetted to BS 7858, CPUK also holds the BSI kite mark for event stewarding (ISO 9001-2000)."

BS7858 requires the following:(it was amended in 2009 to include financial checks)


* that the company should establish by direct reference to former employers, government departments, educational authorities, etc., with confirmation in writing, a continuous record of employment or history for 10 years or back to school leaving whichever is the shorter, on a month-by-month basis;


* the applicant is required to declare details of all cautions and/or convictions for criminal offences, including motoring offences and pending action not covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974;


* the company must obtain two written character references from two relevant persons with personal knowledge of the person being screened (one should be the most recent employer wherever possible);


* the employer should see original birth certificate and marriage certificate (where relevant), or military service documents or valid full passport; and


* employment should not commence until 5 years screening has been carried out (by telephone if necessary). This provisional employment should last no longer than 16 weeks.


www.close-protectionuk.co.uk/html/services_stewarding.htm


Close Protection UK's financial position in 2011 barely looks as though it would be able to meet the costs associated with transporting the Jobseeker's to London and satisfactorily looking after them....

Their accounts show their net worth has plummeted since 2010 to only being worth minus £-185,861 in 2011 when their cash in bank figure was just £,317.

companycheck.co.uk/company/05750805

You can read more about Close Protection UK and how its director has something of a failed record in the security industry by following some excellent detective work by Political Scrapbook and Boycott Workfare who have also uncovered accounts of the firm's boss Molly Prince apparently has a conviction for perverting the course of justice and who operates out of sub standard premises on a university campus..

politicalscrapbook.net/2012/06/close-protection-uk-molly-prince-companies-struck-off/


(3) Were the jobseeker's afforded their basic safety, appropriate accommodation, working hours and given the correct advice on how refusing work may affect their entitlement to benefits as well as being given appropriate contact details in the event of an emergency?


Well we will just have to see what comes out in an enquiry, although so far Downing Street seem to be treating it as no more than a storm in a tea cup: presumably a response drummed up by Dave over one of his cup cakes. Our Prime Minister seems oblivious to how the Jubilee stewards had a role to play in ensuring the safety of huge crowds watching the pageant & jubilee events which would include keeping a watchful eye out for any potential threats which could have jeopardised a key royal occasion. Certainly from where I was located the bag searches were at best cursory, there was a distinct lack of Police presence in the park itself and from where I was standing someone could have taken a shot at those on the water; we said as much in conversation as we waited.


(4) Were the jobseeker's given misleading information over potential future employment opportunities if they undertook the jubilee work; notably were they given false promises over employment at the Olympic events?[/color][/b]


Who knows what these Jobseeker's may have been led into believing about their prospectives futures with Close Protection UK. There has been a mixture of views from the Jobseekers concerned, some anonymously have said they were treated in the most appalling manner whereas others have come forward in the Daily Mail to say they were treated well by Close Protection and look forward to working with them soon. If people were treated so well by Close Protection I'm a little bit puzzled as to why so many apologies have been made over the treatment of the Jobseekers concerned. The biggest questions must be around the vetting & training of those involved. Any enquiry should track what actually does happen to these people in terms of whether they end up gainfully employed and if so for how long. After watching the following video some of these disillusioned Jobseekers may well have thought an endurance test with a good few hours in the cold & rain, without food, changing facilities and adequate protection would all be worth it as they moved one step nearer to a career as budding MI5 like 'Bodie & Doyle' protection agents...



Go, Go, Go!.....







'Enslaving' volunteers in this
appalling way is hardly
Big Society is it?



Why are we even having to 'force' volunteers into volunteering?

[nickd]

Why no 'Big Society' volunteers?





Are they all in a land of make believe?


Various claims have been made to promote the Jubilee event or rather the 'Big Jubilee Lunch' as a 'big society event' with claims that up to 6 million volunteers were involved being made on Twitter. The spirit of the big lunch event was actively promoted by Eric Pickles who's report extols the virtues of the Eden Project initiative that brought together 2.4 million people for community lunch events in 2011 and aims to attract even more in the jubilee-themed feasts which have just taken place. Pickles sees the lunch initiative as worthy of his stamp of approval..


“Events such as the royal wedding and the big lunch show that community spirit is thriving,” Mr Pickles said.


But is it really thriving or are people just enjoying a big lunch? A serious question mark has hung over the Big Society long before all of this. It was launched in a blaze of glory but seems to have fizzled out as more and more charities and people seem to have lost interest in the whole concept. The Jubilee event was the event where Cameron had a golden opportunity to re-ignite a lost cause by proving how TRUE volunteers would rush to maintain the event. Forgive me for being cynical but does Eric Pickles and Dave Cameron really think enticing a few girl guides round to number 10 with ice cream and cup cakes really fits with the whole 'love thy neighbour' theme of the Big Society Lunch? Are we really saying that the spirit of good neighbourly relations is to be found in waiting for an event like the Royal Wedding or Jubilee to come around and then throw open a street party so that all and sundry can be suitably fed and watered? One wonders how our not so well looked after neighbours manage their hunger pangs in between such wondrous occasions. Cameron's vision of all things 'Big Society' always seems to run parallel with the world in which he lives; he's just too far removed from the real world.

It is with some irony that we hear how Pickles and Cameron sheltered from the less than pleasant elements (believe me I speak from personal experience) with their Big Society guests whilst those unfortunate enough to have found themselves dragged into the whole sorry jubilee steward scandal had to endure cold and rain with seemingly little more than a pre-packed sandwich to see them through. The stewards were only round the corner from Dave's; - could he not have extended them an invite? I'm sure ice creams & cup cakes and a trip round number 10 would have made our jubilee steward's day - or are those on Jobseekers Allowance excluded from such events? Cameron's missing the point when it comes to the Big Society; it is meant to thrive on the spirit of 'voluntary' participation, no degree of Dickensian enslavement being necessary. He just doesn't get how people will flock to a street party on a national day off to share a bite to eat - I wonder how many went off knocking on the doors of those who couldn't get out with offers of food?

Now I would presume that if the jubilee stewards were the happy attendees that some like to make out then what we would have seen is some publicity before hand to show us how willing jobseekers were to come to London and help marshal the event; indeed it could have been just the golden photo opportunity the DWP needed in promoting work experience; it could have been taken right outside Downing Street with Pickles, Grayling & Cameron & happy jobseekers showing us how alive 'Big Society' volunteering dovetails with all of the WORK programme objectives. Truth is they clearly weren't willing volunteers at all; hence no publicity.


In truth the Big Society is failing badly
and a big lunch isn't going to fix it.





An Australian view..





Centre for Policy Development


It’s just over two years since David Cameron was elected as British Prime Minister. Since his election, Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ policies that have ‘redefined the role of the state’. By commissioning ‘any willing provider’, the UK Government has contracted corporations to play a dominant role in delivering a wide range of services that were previously managed by public servants or community groups. Other ‘Big Society’ changes have diminished the capacity of the public and community sectors. The impacts of the Big Society programs in the UK have included:

An £81 billion cut in public spending over four years including an average 19 per cent budget cut to government agencies,60 per cent cut to the budget for new public housing and £7 billion cut to the welfare budget.

The UK’s public service is expected to shrink by up to 710,000 public servants over six years.

Corporations and the largest charities have dominated the commissioning process: 35 of 40 Work Programme (employment agency) contracts were awarded to corporations.

Cameron’s budgets have dealt a £5 billion funding cut to the UK’s community sector and funding cuts of £110 million to 2,000 UK charities
The number of people employed in the UK’s community sector fell by 70,000.

Local government budgets were cut by more than a quarter in 2010-11 resulting in staff cuts of 10-20 per cent and widespread cuts to programs.

During 2010-11, public sector employment fell by 4.3 per cent. Private sector employment increased by 1.5 per cent.

In Australia, ‘Big Society’ ideas are generating interest and support amongst conservative think tanks and politicians. CPD’s report presents a comprehensive analysis of the UK’s ‘Big Society’ policies and programs and examines their potential impact if adopted and implemented in Australia. We hope the report contributes to an informed debate about the merits of ‘small government’ ideologies and policies that often receive less than critical media and political commentary.[/i]

cpd.org.au/2012/05/big-society-how-the-uk-government-is-dismantling-the-state-and-what-it-means-for-australia/


Lack of faith...





A HINDU group has pulled out of a government interfaith volunteering initiative celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee citing a ‘lack of financial transparency’.


Sewa Day, the Hindu initiative which encourages social action, formed part of the reference group for A Year of Service – launched by Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Secretary Eric Pickles - which links faith-based social action projects in the Jubilee year.
But the Hindu group member dramatically pulled out on Monday (28 May) claiming its repeated requests for allocation details of a £65,000 grant to the project leader, Jewish representative Mitzvah Day, were met with silence.

Speaking to Lapido, Arup Ganguly, chairman of Sewa Day, said he was forced to pull out after the DCLG ignored his ultimatum.

‘I thought that in times of austerity when a lot of people are losing their jobs, £65,000 is a lot of money,’ Mr Ganguly said. ‘It’s not a problem in itself, but as a registered charity we thought that for our own due process we should ask what the money was being used for.

www.lapidomedia.com/uk-hindu-sewa-day-pulls-out-government-jubilee-initiative


Prime providers starving Work Programme subcontractors of referrals






"The Government’s flagship Work Programme has come under fire from a number of the organisations responsible for its delivery"


Under the scheme, launched earlier this year by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), providers are paid by the Government for successful placements, with fees increasing the longer a participant stays in work. Contracts to deliver the Programme are held by ’prime providers’ who pass on referrals to small, local subcontractors – an approach intended to provide what the Government has termed a “boost for the big society”.

However, the Programme has already come in for significant criticism over the way it has worked in practice, with concerns that many of these subcontractors are finding their role in the scheme unsustainable.

Last month, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) claimed that some subcontractors had not yet received any Work Programme referrals from their prime provider and, in some cases, had not even been given a contract. The NCVO also said that some voluntary organisations felt they had been used as “bid candy” by prime providers during the tendering process."

cobwebinfo.com/prime-providers-starving-work-programme-subcontractors-of-referrals/


Third of small charities can't cope with volunteer demand, survey finds







"unable to meet this demand due to limited resources and budgets"


More than half of English and Welsh small to medium-sized charities have seen interest in volunteering rise, but nearly a third are unable to cope with the demand, a survey has revealed. Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, which surveyed 660 charities, has found that 56 per cent have seen interest in volunteering opportunities increase, with medium-sized charities with incomes of between £101,000 and £300,000 receiving the greatest level of interest. However, 28 per cent said that they are unable to meet this demand due to limited resources and budgets. This is particularly the case for smaller charities.

Eighty-five per cent of those surveyed have also seen an increase in the need for their services, but just under half said they cannot cope with the demand due to the extra pressure on available resources. Linda Kelly, chief executive of the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, said: “These results reflect the fact that volunteering is not ‘free’ and while volunteers may themselves be unpaid, they still require support, training and expenses so they can assist their organisations to the fullest extent. We recognise this, and through our community programme, invest in the development of volunteers in these organisations.”

www.civilsociety.co.uk/fundraising/news/content/12552/third_of_small_charities_cant_cope_with_volunteer_demand_survey_finds?utm_source=6+June+Governance&utm_campaign=6+Jun


Finally a little test...





Let's see if there's any substance behind all the hype...











Groundwork is a large national entity which is subdivided into different regions across the country with various projects; it all sounds very much like the kind of work which would go hand in hand with the Big Society agenda. On the Groundwork main website they promote 30 of their projects:


"To mark Groundwork’s 30 years of changing places and changing lives, we are showcasing 30 of our projects around the country where you can help us to continue making a real difference. Take a moment to read about what we are doing and how you can get involved."

More here:
www.operationgroundwork.org.uk/home

They also tell you how you can 'take action' by either donating or volunteering. Here's what they say..


"Want to roll up your sleeves? Right here is where you can find out how to transform your own neighbourhood from grey to green – or help others to do the same. Thanks for taking such an interest in Operation Groundwork! "

More here:
www.operationgroundwork.org.uk/take-action

It all sounds very inviting, especially if you've got some cash to donate or some free time to volunteer. So now let's take a look at what's going on in your area. Let's look at the South West. Visit the site here and click on 'South West' where it tells you to 'sort by region'..

www.operationgroundwork.org.uk/support-a-project


What you will see is an artists impression of some modern buildings with tidy groundwork. It tells you 'there's more' which takes you to the following wording:


"Further exciting projects will be profiled in this section of the site as Operation Groundwork grows. Please call back…"



Regrettably you won't get very far -
Groundwork South West are now in administration!







Instead you will find 130 Groundwork South West staff at the Jobcentre!


Mylegal view



Yes that's the sad reality of it all. You would think welfare to work contractors would be an absolute safe haven for their very own employees but the reality is far from it. It comes to something when in a day of massive unemployment, even those helping people to find work are finding themselves down at the Jobscentre. What is becoming abundantly clear is the Big Society charade just isn't going to happen. It's fairly obvious why really, squeezing people's finances dry & starving the voluntary sector of liquid cash is an absolute recipe for a drop in the level of 'true' volunteering. How can anyone realistically pin their hopes on economic recovery by imposing upon society an expectation that people do something for nothing?


When you start to place an element of compulsory expectation upon prospective volunteers you kill off the whole spirit of what it is all about. If people want to volunteer then they will but when you tell them they have to they won't; it's a simple question of protecting yourself from being exploited. Starving the voluntary sector of cash will starve it of volunteers, ultimately austerity measures will simply kill off any truly long lasting voluntary enterprises because they run on 'spirit'. All manner of agencies are facing difficulties caused by lack of funding and the implementation of cost effectiveness strategies such as the introduction of telephone help lines. The biggest single area of volunteering is in the filed of giving advice. According to an ONS Citizenship study in 2008/2009 The most common activity undertaken by volunteers was the ‘giving of advice’, - 45 per cent being undertaken by regular informal volunteers. They will be turned off in their droves if volunteering turns to call centres where a box ticking culture becomes the norm; - volunteers want to help people, they too like the face to face contact with the people they want to help and like to chat freely with their fellow volunteers rather than find their heads stuck in acoustic booth like tunnels waiting for the next call light to glow. The modernisation of the voluntary sector could potentially be the death of it.


Let's also not forget the hard times faced by us all, people are seriously having to question whether they can freely volunteer, especially as now retirement becomes more distant, the need to bring in the money is greater than ever. So it's hardly surprising that the Big Society isn't taking off like a rocket from the launch pad, indeed it is becoming all too clear that the Big Society agenda isn't compatible with economic hardship in terms of sheer practicality. Cameron had the golden opportunity to show how well the Big Society could work at the Jubilee celebrations but he failed miserably in recognising the opportunities. The one time hug a hoodie leader of the Conservative party should have spent proper time with the unemployed, the disabled, offenders & the lost youth of today - these are the people he needs to engage with; these are the people who the Big Society should be embracing rather than alienating.


Cameron is his own worst enemy, he's made an enemy of the voluntary sector. His language is all to do with 'philanthropist' - the image this brings to mind are the wealthy amongst whom there are no doubt genuine givers but the wider suspicion is that their involvement is more to do with creating nice niche tax avoidance receptacles. Some charities are undoubtedly a way of ensuring tax liabilities can be reduced, few of them are stand alone, they generally are in some way incorporated with large commercial entities. Let's get back to talking about proper charities and putting money into meeting the needs of the many genuine causes which they provide for. Large corporates have utilised this trendy philanthropy tag to assist them in gaining some credibility for possessing a social responsibility commitment - it's only credible if it's genuinely aimed at those in need.


The jubilee steward saga raises many issues most of which have already been covered in this article as regards vetting and violation of the workers concerned. But to me the deeper questions are those which expose government's WORK programme for what it is. The programme has already been comprehensively covered on Mylegal in many previous articles. My research shows that a derisory number of referrals and attachments are being made in respect of the truly long term welfare claimants. It's all too clear that providers in the programme are struggling with very limited numbers of higher value sustainment payments and my guess is that it is the sub prime contractors (such as Groundwork South West) who are losing out. On the other hand Groundwork London appear to have satisfactory levels of funding as shown in their 2010/2011 accounts.


You can view their accounts here..

london.groundwork.org.uk/who-we-are/financial-information.aspx


Government says it is committed to helping smaller charities and yet Groundwork is clearly a large national concern. An enquiry should be conducted into precisely why the South West division of Groundwork has had to enter in to administration. However the bigger question is over the Prime Provider Prospect Services, they are a common thread to both the Groundwork redundancies and the engagement of Tomorrow's People who in turn arranged the Jubilee placements with Close Protection UK. Is it because sub contractors are simply so starved of potential sustainment payments passed on from their Prime contractor base that they are doing anything & everything to try and secure their claimant base some form of work? - I think that is the reality.


The WORK programme is one which is paid upon results and what appears to be happening is that sub providers are finding it a lot tougher than the prime providers; thus it's becomes very competitive - let's not forget that the commodity at stake here are thousands of people, the majority of whom are desperately in need of a job. People simply cannot survive on benefits with the high cost of living. The media portrays an image that all claimants bring in thousands upon thousands of pounds per year but the reality is that a single person on Jobseeker's Allowance over the age of 25 has to survive on just £10.14 per day (£71 per week) (£3692 per annum). Some would argue that on top of this most claimants will get their rent & council tax paid but let's not forget that this goes straight back to the Local Council for Council Tax and in most cases the Housing Benefit goes straight to private landlords. In many cases the benefit doesn't meet the rent so the claimant ends up having to take extra money out of their personal allowance of £71 per week; it leaves them living on well below what the law says is 'the minimum amount of money you need to live on'. Surviving on benefits is no picnic, especially if you've previously earned around the national gross average salary of £26,200 per year for a full time worker (2011 ONS figure). There are far more home owners these days so people are desperate to get into work to keep the roof above their heads - they can hardly do this when the maximum the DWP pays is 3.63% towards the interest element only; nothing being payable towards the repayment part.


The employment minister Chris Grayling recently announced in a parliamentary meeting into the WORK programme that it's up to providers to deliver; if they can't deliver, his message is 'that's tough'. The impression you get is that it will be a lot tougher on the charitable sub - contractors that it will be for the primes who can carry the cash. It's survival of the fittest and the biggest casualties are once again going to be the voluntary sector - hardly Big Society is it?


All of which leaves our welfare dependant job hopeful claimants increasingly reliant on the more commercial side of the WORK programme network; we have all seen what happened with A4E; they are quite possibly just the tip of iceberg. The media has seized upon those who have criticised the treatment of the jubilee stewards as simply raising left wing anti-royalist propaganda, it's a nonsense - are we seriously suggesting all those crowds in London were ardent right wing royalists; I think not. There's a certain irony in the queen passing under London Bridge to a triumphant fanfare whereas only hours before hand a group of disillusioned jobseekers had been sleeping under the very same bridge wondering about the day ahead. I don't think Her Majesty would be best pleased if she's known how these people had been treated, nor do I think she's be too chuffed to know how her safety and that of others was potentially being put in jeopardy. The more sinister side to all of this is how Cameron & co are blatantly using enforced 'volunteer' opportunities as a means of plugging the Big Society Gap left by true volunteers who frankly don't want any part of it; unless of course it involves a free lunch!


Keep your eyes peeled as we look into the WORK programme with a particular regard to the remuneration of the providers!




A big thank you to the Guardian, Boycott Workfare & Political Scrapbook for some of their excellent work on this and for the information they have so far uncovered.

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Links used

www.compactvoice.org.uk/sites/default/files/the_compact.pdf

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154103/Rain-stops-play-David-Cameron-moves-No-10-street-party-indoors--Nick-Clegg-tucks-cake.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

www.tomorrows-people.org.uk/work-for-us.html

www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/1547056.pdf

www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=1064

Government cuts to front line services contributed to 2011 riots

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/05/2011-riots-octavia-hill-social-reformer?CMP=twt_fd

Too many city connections influencing provider links?

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7C0A217F-BBCD-460A-8703-C85FA6590FC0/0/BC_PR_PartnershipsnewsletterJan2011.pdf

www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9739189.Charity_cash_crisis_hits_garden_project/

[theyoungjane]

I want to be all 'Big Society' and train as a welfare rights adviser but I can't find any organisation locally (New Malden/Kingston, SW London/Surrey) to support me in my training and provide supervision and insurance when I've qualified. I consider myself to have a very suitable background - I'm a disabled person (wheelchair user), have a law degree (Southampton, 1982) and a postgraduate certificate in Disability Studies (Leeds) and I have worked in the field of disability for 11 years, both in the voluntary and statutory sectors. Anyone any ideas how I can qualify and volunteer locally to me?