Architects of Discrimination
The so called Modernisation of the Surrey & Borders NHS Partnership Trust's work services was not project managed independently as the Trust claims as Dr Bob Groves , who advised on the project and Dr Helen Lockett , who managed it over 18 months and produced the Outcome on the Building on the Best Public Consultation in May 2006 are both employed by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (SCMH) an organisation that for much of the projects life had a boundaryless relationship with NIMHE, a Government quango whose website is even owned by SCMH.
Following complaints from members of the public about projects funded or overseen by SCMH not being properly audited for effectiveness and complaints to its funders, the Gatsby Foundation , about this failure to audit properly and examples of misuse of funds and resources by a charity SCMH's Director was involved with and through SCMH targetting Sainsbury money at , SCMH suddenly ditched most of its staff in an effort to distance itself from these allegations and the equally serious charge, made to the Charirty Commission that it was operating in a boundaryless way with and as NIMHE , a 'standards body' which , unlike its US counterpart, simply pushes Government policy without a shred of independence, particularly the policies of the DWP.
These Architects of Discrimination steamrollered the Surrey & Border Garden Centre workers out of their £3 a day payments and a service that was not perfect but certainly more appropriately configured around them. This wasnt done to ensure that they received the national minimum wage or benefit from permitted work rules payments if they were claiming benefits but never really likely to progress into full time employment. There was nothing independent or honourable about this so called 'Modernisation' of Work Services , SCMH's 'Hit Team ' Groves and Lockett were just parachuted in to hack away at supportive services behind the scenes and then run a sham consultation to ensure they were more in line with DWP policy and their own arrogant non-evidence based top down take on the problems people with MH issues face.
This whole exercise has been money in the bank for them with ' How we Modernised Work Services in Surrey ' lecture tours already underway.
posted by simply human @ 10:32 am
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It took me a while to work out all these different organisations you mention and how they relate to each other and I am still not exactly sure of it all but when I found Helen Lockett at Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health has for the last 18 months been working on 'modernisation at SABPT I had to write Helen the following mail. I sent a copy to her colleague Bob Groves who is said to have written a load of books and papers on employment for the disabled (I'd like to read these to see how often they do not mention paying the minimum wage and the disability discrimination act neither of which seem to be mentioned on their website at all) I also sent a copy to the centre itself and would have sent one to the Gatsby foundation who are said to fund them (although they all seem to be iterrelated in a jobs for the boys type way.) but they don't seem to have an email address. Anyway here is a copy of the mail I have sent. What is to say we won't get a reply or just the usual evasive nonsense?
To
Helen Lockett
email helen.lockett@ukonline.co.uk
Dear Helen
I see from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health Website that
for the past 18 months you have been project managing the
modernisation of employment and day services within Surrey
& Borders Partnership NHS Trust.
Since June we have been campaigning against the withdrawal of £3 a day payments to workers with disabilities at SABPTs Priority Enterprises especially the Old Moat Garden Centre. We have been told this £3 a day cut is part of this 'modernisation' excercise.
We believe the action to cut the £3 a day wages to nothing directly contravenes the Disability Discrimination Act and that all the Priority Enterprises schemes are not complying with the Minimum Wage Act. In fact a recent government report highlights this problem:
'Employers paying below legal minimum often use disability of workers as excuse
Posted: 21 August 2006 | Subscribe Online
writes Helen McCormack
Employers that pay people less than the minimum wage often say they are doing so because a worker is disabled, the government said today.
The excuse features in a Department of Trade and Industry list of the top 10 “unusual or outlandish” defences used by employers to explain why they have breached the national minimum wage rules.
It follows a government report earlier this month that warned a “worrying” number of employment providers were paying people with learning difficulties less than the minimum wage of £5.05 an hour.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
It seems to me that we require explanations from you and your
colleagues/employers at the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
concerning your policies for complying with the Disability Discrimination Act and the Minimum Wage Act. We feel that the disabled workers at the Priority Enterprises schemes have been disgracefully treated by having their already derisory £3 a day pay cut to nothing and that
this action cannot be justified on the grounds of 'modernisation'.
It certainly is not in the best interests of the disabled workers involved. I understand that your funding comes from The Gatsby Foundation who state on their website that they:
'Welcome to The Gatsby Charitable Foundation website. The Foundation makes grants for charitable activity which it hopes may make life better for people, especially those who are disadvantaged.'
The action to cut the wages from £3 a day to nothing is certainly not making life better for the disadvantaged disabled workers involved and so I suggest
your actions in this modernisation policy directly go against your funders policy.
Please reply with a detailed explanation of your policies and actions in this matter.
All replies or lack of replies will be reported on our ongoing campaign blog
at http://justice4sabtworkers.blogspot.com/
Yours Sincerely
Jill Goble
campaigner and psychiatric survivor.
I've posted your mail as blog entry Jill. I hope you get a response and that other people tak the time to ask Helen for one as well. I'm certainly going to.
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