Jane in history

Jane speaks

Jane addresses the rally on June strike day

Open Day

Islington UNISON retired members

International Day of Disabled stall

At the international day of the disabled

In Manchester

Jane in Ashton Under Lyne 

saving the Whittington with Eric Hill and Conor and Danny Davin

Homecare Letter to councillors

Published: 6 March, 2015

• ISLINGTON Council signed up to the Ethical Care Charter in December 2013. This charter was set up to defend and promote homecare services and homecarers. Islington was the first to sign it and in doing so promised to ensure its agents paid the London living wage and travel time. 

Travel time for in-house carers is still an issue, with little time being given between visits to clients. Islington’s treatment of its complex needs in-house service falls short of the principles of the charter. As part of a recent reorganisation, homecarers are being forced to undertake split shifts.

Management is claiming that homecarers have downtime over lunchtime; our members say differently. It is our belief that our members are getting contradictory information from management. This is causing undue stress and concern. 

A group of homecare workers met this week with their trade unions, Unison and GMB. Not all were present as some were at work – those present made up 460 years’ worth of experience and service to this council. Their commitment and dedication seems to mean nothing to management. This is disgraceful. 

We also have concerns about the amount of clients being transferred to London Care. We have asked management about this but our members are telling us something very different. We have been told that clients are being forced to London Care without consultation with the individual clients or their families’ consent or views.  

If this is the case, it is outrageous and negates the charter. 

Councillors, be assured: we will take you to task and not let this go. You need to ask questions about this service. You also need to listen to your staff and not just your managers. You need to listen to the trade unions. Your managers need to deal with us transparently in the spirit of the charter and the staff manifesto.

JANE DOOLAN
Branch secretary, Islington Unison
VAUGHAN WEST
Branch secretary, Islington GMB

Academy Shunned

Academy Shunned

Published: 11 January, 2013

• STAFF, parents and carers at The Bridge school celebrated an amazing victory when the board of governors met on December 18 to give children, staff, carers and parents the best gift possible – complete rejection of the Gove-style academy proposals.
Governors were not aware of the fact that trade unions had conducted a ballot of members and had totally rejected the proposals as this had been kept secret from them.

The three trade unions at the school, Unison, NUT and GMB, worked together in a really well-co-ordinated and concerted manner to oppose the proposals.
The Bridge is a special needs school and our steward at the school, Jenny Densham, deserves much of the credit for the success in rejecting the proposals.
This is what happens when the major trade unions work together. We say: ‘Well done to all our members who fought this proposal.’

Mike Calvert
and Jane Doolan
Islington UNISON

Jane in action fighting for members

Fighting cuts in Islington

Islington UNISON AGM 2015

Islington UNISON AGM 2015

women in UNISON

Union warning that split shifts will force care workers to leave

Cllr Richard Watts, Mike Calvert, Jane Doolan and Cllr Andy Hull at the launch of a staff manifesto
Published: 6 March, 2015
by PETER GRUNER
CARE workers in Islington are warning that the service will deteriorate if they have to split work over longer periods and different times of the day.
Unions are blaming management for the introduction of complicated split shifts which take no account of travel times, and family and other commitments.
The situation is so bad that Unison and GMB trade unions are saying that many of the most experienced care workers are threatening to leave the service.
Split shifts are where working hours are divided into two blocks or more. A shift might start at 8am and go on until 11am with a five- or six-hour break before workers have to come back for another four-hour stint.
The row is particularly embarrassing for the council coming a year after it signed an Ethical Care Charter with the unions which put an end to “poverty wages”, banned the infamous 15- minute care visits and stopped clients being put to bed by busy care workers at 5pm.
Unison branch secretary Jane Doolan blames management for not listening to the complaints of the borough’s 40 care workers.
“Many of our care workers are suffering anxiety and stress,” she said. “They worry about the amount of time it takes to get to a client and whether they can provide a proper and professional service.
“Remember, our care workers are helping clients live at home and ensuring they don’t need to go into full-time care.”
Unison’s deputy branch secretary Mike Calvert fears the new system could be the beginning of “creeping casualisation”.
He said: “It could mean staff given less flexibility and less employment protection.
“We know the council wants the Care Charter to work but some managers are not interpreting the word of it.”
Islington commissions homecare services for vulnerable residents with moderate care needs to enable them to keep their independence by living in their own home as long as possible.
The Care Charter sets minimum standards to protect the dignity and quality of life for people who need homecare.
It commits councils to buying homecare only from providers who give workers enough time, training and a living wage so they can care properly.
It also bans the use of zero-hour contracts, pays the London living wage and  matches the time allocated to visits to the particular needs of a client.
Welfare chief Councillor Janet Burgess said: “I’m sorry if our care staff have problems over their shift systems but this is an issue they should discuss with their managers.
“We are proud of our Ethical Care Charter, which should mean good working practices. It should also mean there are no rushed 15-minute care slots and people being put to bed at 5pm.
“It’s a difficult problem and I hope it can be sorted out. We need continued good quality of care.”