EC Meeting March 2017

Resolution 9

Oppose the Privatisation of Children’s Services

(1) Government have planned for the marketization and privatisation of children’s social services, including child protection investigations and assessments, since early 2014. After huge public opposition to initial proposals, Government moderated regulations to limit transfers to not- for-profit mutual or charities. (2) This U-turn is a sham. Similar rhetoric was constant throughout the part- privatisation of probation, with the Cabinet Office spending around £2.5 M promoting not-for-profit and mutual bids. The outcome saw the 3rd Sector excluded apart from a few minor partners in for profit multi- national consortia - Interserve and Sodexo winning over half of all probation contracts between them. (3) The DfE are actively encouraging big corporates to set-up “charitable not-for-profit fronts”, who they control, direct and ‘sell’ their support services to, justifying their corporate investment. Privatisation fails to deliver what’s promised for users and taxpayers. Expected savings are unrealistic and user interests become secondary to reducing costs and maximising profits. Services become less accountable as local, regional and national politicians shift the blame when things go wrong and the companies blame poor contract design and management when they get caught ripping off the public (e.g. Serco and G4S in prison and tagging contracts). For these profiteers negotiating with Government is like playing cards with a drunk. a. The new Children’s Minister demanding that all plans for the marketization and privatisation of children’s services are stopped. b. All unions with an interest in children’s services to work together to campaign in the public and parliament against this threat to ensure that resources continue to be directed at providing good public services for children and families on a “not for profit” basis. (6) This biennial Conference is appalled the Government proposed wholesale privatisation of Children’s Services. Decisions about vulnerable children, including removing them from their families, are some of the most difficult and sensitive that child protection professionals have to make. (7) Conference believes establishing a market in child protection would create perverse incentives for private companies to either take more children into care or leave too many living within dangerous families. Napo is already witnessing the chaos, confusion and increased risks arising from Government efforts to privatise a huge part of the Probation Service despite the work/staff being awarded the gold standard for service provision. The Government repeated the same argument about private companies providing children’s services to “encourage innovation and improve outcomes for children”. (8) (4) But most importantly, morally some things should just never be sold for a profit. Support and help to our most vulnerable young people should never be for sale. (5) The GFTU calls for:

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