Council services including planning, highways and environmental health have returned in-house in Barnet, north London, following the end of its 10-year “Re” joint venture with outsourcing company Capita.
The move sees around 300 Re staff transfer to direct employment with the council.
The closure of the Re partnership marks the first phase of Barnet Council’s plan to return outsourced services from the private sector. Estates, building services and facilities are among the services set to return in-house in September.
The council has held outsourcing contracts with Capita since 2013, when it was Conservative-led. Labour took control of the council in May 2022. The outsourcing arrangement has been opposed by Unison from the outset. The jv attracted controversy in 2018 when it emerged that one of its employees had stolen £2m through 62 fraudulent payments relating to fake compulsory purchase orders.
Barry Rawlings, leader of the council, said: “We are committed to providing the very best services for our residents that offer value for money and are accountable to council tax payers. We thank our partners at Re and Capita and welcome the transfer of staff to the council’s in-house team.”
Systems used to deliver human resources and finance will return in-house in 2024, while IT, customer services and revenues and benefits will remain with Capita for the time being owing to the complexities and scale involved.
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