The Secretary of State announced today the merger of the Disability and Carers Service (DCS) and The Pension Service (TPS).
PCS were informed of this announcement the day before it was made. The Chief Executives of each organisation have promised full consultation on the changes in organisation. We are naturally concerned about job cuts and further site closures as well as a potential deterioration in our members’ conditions of service.
PCS are concerned that there will inevitably be the resultant “economies of scale” at management level, support service functions and estate. We will argue strongly for those affected to be accommodated according to their wishes, offered best possible redeployment opportunities or other options where appropriate.
However, given the closures that have taken place in TPS and DCS recently we remain to be convinced that management will not use this merger to exploit further so called efficiency savings.
Management say it will be business as usual for a considerable period and we welcome that measured approach rather than the big bang.
This will give us the opportunity to raise important issues and find acceptable solutions.
We will keep members informed as things develop.
PCS believes that there may be some advantages in the merger. There is, as management have pointed out, a similar customer base and this will, hopefully lead to a more coherent and progressive strategy to address poverty for pensioners and disabled people.
We hope that we can work with management to develop a strategy that addresses the many social and economic issues facing this client group in a way that maintains, if not increases, staff numbers and job satisfaction.
Management state that they want to “deliver products and services designed around our customers’ needs”. So do PCS members in both organisations but they have been hampered in doing this by poor IT, the failings of Lean Processing and staffing reductions. There is significant room for improvement. There needs to be a fundamental recognition that a significant proportion of this customer group are uncomfortable with a telephony/call centre organisation. We need to work with customer representative groups such as the NPC and the Disability Alliance to increase face to face contact and develop other more user friendly practices aimed at reducing poverty.
The service that this acutely disadvantaged client group deserves can only be delivered by a properly staffed, trained and motivated workforce backed up by fit for purpose IT.
We look forward to working with management to achieve these aims and objectives over the coming months.
