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Stop Wasting Money in Public Sector RecruitmentOn the 22 October 2014 Jonathan Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, in a written question 211600 to the Secretary of State for Health about NHS spending on temporary workers? It was answered by Dr Daniel Poulter on 29 October 2014. Following the Francis report many trusts were required to increase their spend on temporary staffing to meet safe staffing levels. The Department expects trusts to have a strong grip on their finances, and manage their contract and agency staffing spend (including use of locums) responsibly through effective and efficient workforce planning and management and to minimise temporary staffing costs in future years. The amounts spent on agency and contract staff (including locums) in the National Health Service in each year since May 2010 are as follows: NHS Foundation Trusts 2010-11 - £854,700,000 2011-12 - £907,000,000 2012-13 - £1,101,000,000 2013-14 - £1,396,200,000 Total - £4,258,900,000 This means that over a 4 year period from 2010 to 2014 - £4,258,900,000 has been taken directly from the public purse and paid to privately run recruitment agencies for the hiring of contract staff within the NHS without any consideration for the effect this has on the end user. At a time when massive government cuts are being made to spending across the board on all public services, I think this is wholly wrong and quite frankly, obscene. When other public sector establishments such as schools and social care authorities and the exorbitant costs of hiring temporary staff in these places are also taken into account, this means that the only winners in this scenario are the privately run Recruitment Agencies. Similar comparisons can be applied to the Education Sector where schools are spending huge amounts of money on supply staff from private recruitment agencies. In response to the problem, I have developed a blueprint for change entitled ‘Share and Share Alike’ administered through a new social enterprise business called ‘Social Recruitment Solutions Limited’ that will recycle 60% of its Net Profit back into the system on a pro-rata, dividend basis and will also give a further 10% to charity. I want to make my vision a reality by garnering support from like-minded individuals who share my belief, to come together through the spirit of partnership and co-operation in order to make a real difference in the field of Public Sector Recruitment for the benefit of all UK citizens. We cannot affect the lack of council funding but what we can do is change the way recruitment is carried out through my New Social Enterprise Model. This model will save millions of pounds in the cost of temporary and permanent recruitment and at the same time ‘give back’ to the stakeholders who work within these sectors and also to charity. Using the figures provided by the government as mentioned before, £4,258,900,000, my new social enterprise business model will see the NHS get back £391,631,100 and the staff the same amount distributed on a pro-rata, dividend basis. In my area, the new Hexham General Hospital cost £54,000,000 over 3 stages. This means the money given back over the same 4 year period through using my model - 7.25 new hospitals could be built at no extra cost to the tax payer. I firmly believe that the time has come for change. We need to remember that privately run recruitment agencies have their place in the Commercial Sector but not within the Public Sector. Why should a hospital have to pay a £7,500 for offering a supply nurse a permanent contract? Multiply that by 100 (100 nurses) - £750,000. As far as education is concerned, I know that many supply teacher agencies are offering 2 for the price of one? How does that affect the professional status of a teacher? How does that make them feel? It makes them feel like a commodity to be bought and sold like a loaf of bread. These introduction fees that agencies charge for staff to be taken on full-time contracts can be up to 25% of their annual salary. It prevents schools and hospitals being able to offer permanent positions to temporary staff because they simply cannot afford to do so. This is part of the recruitment problem particularly in the NHS. My Social Enterprise model will not charge these introduction fees and as a result schools and hospitals and other public sector establishments will be free to offer permanent contracts to temporary staff if they wish to do so without being penalised by massive temp to perm fees. They will not have to think twice about offering staff contracts because it will cost them nothing. This model can be used by all NHS Foundation Trusts and all Schools and Social Care Establishments run by Local Authorities, across the whole of the UK with no geographical boundaries. It all depends on which local authority has the desire to change, the vision to make a difference and the courage to take the bull by the horns and do something about it.24 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Peter Moore
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Stop the Fire Support Network discrimination.Safety of vulnerable and poorer people of Merseyside. Possible exploitation of those vulnerable Unfair dismissal and silencing of staff and volunteers. We NEED a fire service which helps ALL the people of Merseyside to keep safe, not to place restrictions and make fire safety an issue only for the middle-classes only.11 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Gwen Summers
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Referendum on Public SpendingFor too long politicians from all the major parties have publically stated they would not sell or privatise areas of public spending on the run up to elections, only to then do so once they are in office. They clearly cannot be trusted. If any area of PUBLIC spending is going to be privatised, then it should be THE PUBLIC who decide, not politicians. It should be the public who have the last say on the matter. If it is the PUBLIC's money that is going to spent, then it should be the PUBLIC who decides how it should be spent.80 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Joshua Cooper
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Keep the EurostarThe small amount we receive in profit is apart of our Welfare State and should go back to the few public services we have left. Our Government seems to be trying very hard to privatise our NHS and ALL of our transport services and the ten million pound yearly profit from the Eurostar should play a small part in financing what our nation needs the most. The money made from selling it will disappear very quickly and we will never know how that money was spent. Every time we have privatised a public service, such as the Royal Mail, the estimated profit was never reached and it just so happens that George Osborn's close friend, Peter Davies bought the most shares. Interestingly, very few other share holders made any profit where Davie's is said to have made £18 million. It is important that our politicians realise that if they sell everything the State owns, then there will be nothing left to help the Nation in benefits, health and education. These are fundamental issues that are not being looked at enough by our Government and the Eurostar is just one example of how, little by little, our Welfare State is being shredded to pieces. Please sign this petition in the hope that this will play a role in saving our services. We shouldn't sell business's that generate any kind of profit which could be put back into our system.25 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Michelle Klein
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Do not academise Saint Margaret's CP School without consultationThe governors and head have been meeting in secret with REAch2 over the past months and have decided to take this community school out of council control and into the private sector without so much as asking the parents for their views. This is not lawful and not in the best interests of the children. Let's tell them that we demand to be heard. Let them make their case to us. Let's not let them dictate that our children's education should be privatised. We would like answers to the following questions: 1) Why was the decision to seek academy status made in secret and without consultation? 2) When was this decision made, by whom, and with what outside influence? 3) What advice has the school received from Local Authority with regards to consultation? 4) At what point in the process where REAch2 selected as the trust? 5) What other trusts have made representations to our school? 6) Why was the decision to select REAch2 made in secret and without consultation? 7) What influence have they had on school policy and communications over the last several months? 8) What communications have the school received from the DfE and the LA on this subject?40 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Gavin Morris
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Stop messing about with The ArchersThe Archers is very dear to me and I don't want the story lines being like the awful, sensational TV soaps. It is no longer the everyday story of countryfolk leading everyday lives.73 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Jane Steare
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Keep The Crossings CleanThe way that the shared spaces on The Crossings in Stafford are currently being left, with overflowing bins full of dog mess, and poorly maintained green space is unacceptable and a health risk to the people who use it - the people of the area deserve better.148 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Douglas Rouxel
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Keep our Fully Trained FirefightersThis is important to us the public, to keep us safe as well as this caring profession. These strikes are so unnecessary if only the Government would listen to the Firefighters AND the public. Present Terms of Employment and Pension Rights that these professionals signed a legally binding contract to - agreeing that they could fulfil the Conditions of Employment and in turn would be allowed to pay into their own pension scheme and draw that pension without penalties after fulfilling 30+ years service is now being altered by this Government to The Firefighters WILL work until they are 60 years of age - they can be called for a full fitness medical the day before they retire and if they cannot pass the physical tests that they signed up for when they entered into service - their contracts will be terminated and they then forfeit a large percentage of the pension they have paid into for those years. As "Joe Public" I stand with these people in saying that I do not want a 60 year old Firefighter, man or woman to be rescuing me from a hazardous situation. The physical efforts and wear and tear on their joints, hearts, and lungs over the years of having adrenaline rushes every time the bells go in, climbing 40ft ladders and crawling their way through terrific heat and fumes can only have a detrimental effect on the body. Let the present terms that these people signed up to and agreed that they could fulfill run its course. Then introduce the new ideas for the next generation of Firefighters to agree.24 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Shirley Harrison
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Balance the Books : Tourist TaxEvery major city both in Europe and the rest of the world have a tax added to the cost of hotel bedrooms. This does not need to be a huge amount £1 per night per room would have raised approx £28 million pounds just charging the tax in our major cities. We provide free museums, free parks and botanical gardens ( In Edinburgh), free art galleries. This extra money would help clean our streets (making it more appealing for tourists) and take some pressure off other services12 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Joan Beattie
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Free doughnuts for firefightersOver the last few months, the firefighters pension dispute has taken its toll and the current moral on the fire ground is extremely low. They have been lied to and made to believe a successful outcome could have been achieved. They are praised one minute for their heroism and courage before being let down again and treated a militant troublemakers... This small gesture would reinstate some joy and a sentiment of recognition for all firefighters across the country... Should this campaign be successful, I am willing to move further and extend this offer to other emergency services such as coastguards, police, ambulance and mountain rescue...22 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Fred Le Ouedec
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Hull Youth Motor ProjectsThese youth services are nationally recognised for their outstanding work with the young people of Hull and have served the community for 30 years. They are accessed by the city's most vulnerable young people and are highly valued by all of those who have used them. The councils current proposal will see the price rocket from £2 a session to £50 denying the young people from Hull's most deprived areas access.5 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Nikki Osborne
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We Need More Ambulances and Ambulance Staff and More Nurses and Doctors in A&EPeople lives are at risk waiting for ambulances and people are waiting on beds in corridors and people waiting in Casualty waiting rooms to see nurses and doctors and also ambulance staff are waiting for hospital staff to handover too.27 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Aaron Jack
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