Your Choice Barnet offered a way out of its financial crisis by Professor Dexter Whitfield

In his report “The Way Out Of Financial Crisis” Dexter Whitfield States, “The core objective of this report is to set out the case for full and continuing engagement with service users, carers and community organisations, together with staff and trade unions and to show how YCB’s current approach is flawed, fails to provide value for money for the taxpayer and therefore unacceptable.” Please download and share Professor Whitfield’s analysis and recommendations below – this is a campaigning tool against similar plans in your local authority.

At present Your Choice Barnet has not engaged in meaningful consultations with service users and their families. Service users and their families have no direct representation on the Board of Your Choice Barnet.  Your Choice Barnet is very selective about what it chooses to disclose.

Dexter Whitfield urges Your Choice Barnet not to implement its proposed changes to management and staffing.  Service users and their families are concerned that these changes would cause a considerable deterioration in the quality of services provided.

Despite considerable financial difficulties Your Choice Barnet has agreed to new contracts with consultants.  Dexter Whitfield feels they will give little information that Your Choice Barnet does not already know.  He recommends these contracts should be terminated.Campaign Against the Destruction of Disabled Support Services (CADDSS)

Dexter Whitfield recommends that Barnet Council should return YCB services in-house, extend the block contract to ease YCB cash flow problems, and prepare a three-year service development plan with service users, carers, staff and trade unions.

A member of CADDSS voiced the concerns of many, “Carers are extremely worried about  the future care of their loved ones.  What will happen when we are no longer around to look out for them?”

Join Swan Now

We want to develop a network of service users, practicitioners, academics and students to support radical and progressive social work. We need a social work that is ready to challenge oppressive practice, that means working collectively across the country and internationally to advance Social Work.