Your Residents Association Newsletter

Faster Broadband in Hurn

The Superfast Dorset team has been continuing the rollout of faster broadband in Hurn and in other parts of Dorset.

In addition, they held a workshop at which residents and businesses were able to investigate the potential future of a digital Dorset. They heard how technology will hopefully reduce Dorset’s carbon consumption, provide career opportunities for school leavers and enable people to remain living independently as they get older.

Tricuro Care and Support

Tricuro Care and Support is wholly owned by BCP and Rural Dorset councils. It has been awarded ‘The Most Outstanding Care Provider in the UK in 2018’ in the UK Over 50s Housing Awards.

Tricuro delivers both short- and long-term care and support to adults, their carers and families, including residential and nursing care, day and community services, reablement and home care services.  

Tricuro’s Managing Director, Alison Waller, says:

“It was a privilege to receive the award and to take the opportunity, on a national platform, to recognise our achievements.   We thank all our staff who work so hard to support our clients and their families.”   

The award is in recognition of delivering significant success in maintaining and improving services to adults whilst introducing innovation and significant cultural change.  The award also acknowledged the company’s continued focus on meeting the support needs of people in wider communities through successful partnership developments with the local community and voluntary sector.  

DWP and Fly-Tipping

The Dorset Waste Partnership has had some success catching and prosecuting fly-tippers and private waste removers who fail to provide their customers with a Waste Transfer Note.

In a recent case, in addition to being fined, the defendant’s vehicle was also seized. It shows that DWP Enforcement Officers will pursue criminals involved in this kind of crime.

We understand how residents might be tempted to use rubbish disposal services from unverified businesses, especially those found online. However, if the price is too good to be true, the chances are that your waste is unlikely to be disposed of responsibly.

Always make sure you use trustworthy services if you need help disposing of waste, and always get a Waste Transfer Note from whoever you are handing it to that shows what the waste is, who is taking it and where it is going.

This will protect you from possible prosecution if your waste is found fly-tipped.

Find out more at the Tip-Off webpage

BCP Financial Performance

Just over two months after the end of the first quarter BCP has published details of its financial performance to date. Some of it is a sadly familiar story.

Overall, they are projecting an overspend of £5 million in 2019-20 including nearly £3 million in Children’s Services. The projected deficit reflects forecast growth in demand and delay in the implementation of new staffing structures. Indeed, there has been an overall delay in staff restructuring so that associated savings are not now expected to be realised in the current year (see below for more on this).

Also, the level of Children’s cases inherited from Christchurch is higher than expected and this has produced an annual additional cost of £353,000.

Rationalising BCP Staff

On 1st April 2019, employees from four employers, Bournemouth Council, Christchurch Council, Poole Council and Dorset County Council, transferred to the new BCP Council. They transferred on their existing terms and conditions, meaning that BCP has inherited a workforce operating under different contractual terms and pay structures.

There are inconsistencies between the sizes of roles, their level of pay and how the same role is described. For many jobs, documentation focusses on describing tasks and activities, rather than competencies. There is significant variation between contractual terms.

Equal Pay legislation means that BCP must ensure equal pay for equal work. The longer that disparate sizing and evaluation of roles continues, the higher the risk of “equal pay” claims. The current lack of consistent and robust job sizing would limit BCP’s ability to defend such claims, which are highly resource intensive to manage, can incur large costs, and result in reputational damage

It is estimated that approximately 62% of employees are currently paid below the market rate and 38% above. The net cost of introducing a proposed new pay structure is estimated to be in the region of £2.7 million a year.

Local Food Banks

Over the school summer holiday our local Christchurch food bank fed over 400 children. Stocks are now low. Urgently needed provisions include, tins of tuna, potatoes, carrots, meat meals and UHT milk.

Thanks, from our collector

Back in June we told you of the dreadful house fire that damaged properties in Chestnut Avenue. One of our long serving collectors (who for years has collected The Grove for us) was rendered homeless and now faces months living in rented accommodation whilst the house is repaired. A close neighbour and ex-chairman of our association Roger Hamilton organised a collection on her behalf.

She would like to send her thanks to everybody who kindly contributed and to all those who have sent her, and her husband messages of support and goodwill and we would like to endorse those sentiments – thankyou.