New Deal contracts end for local workers

by Mark Lankshear

At the end of March the contracts of the existing New Deal workforce will come to an end. The board have approved a new staffing structure which aims to bring in more expertise around regeneration and the New Deal themes of Employment, Education, Crime, Health, Housing and Environment. 

There will also be a new communications post, an overarching theme co-ordinator and a public services co-ordinator. Four existing posts of Project Development Worker will disappear in the new structure. On the advice of Transport and General Workers’ Union officials, the present workforce is taking out a formal grievance against the New Deal management for unfair dismissal and breaking the quality procedures of BCAT, their employer.

It seems clear that the priority is finding expertise to make the machinery of the New Deal run more smoothly and every effort has been made to encourage local applicants for the new posts. Frustration has been felt at delays and if the new team can deliver a clear, efficient, decision making process then this will be welcomed by everyone. 

18 months ago there were widespread calls for local people to get most of the jobs on the programme. At the same time, nobody really understood the level of bureaucracy that would be needed to spend money and little training or support were made available. As the emphasis is taken away from local employment and development work, the challenge will be ensuring that the community remains meaningfully involved in New Deal decisions.