Category: contracting out

G4S admits its failures in the running of a prison amounts to breach of the Article 2 systemic duty – Garden Court Chambers

Posted March 31st, 2023 in chambers articles, contracting out, damages, death in custody, drug abuse, drug offences, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons by sally

‘G4S’s running of the prison failed to meet the standards of public service required, such that HMP Birmingham was put in special measures, and its running was taken over by the Ministry of Justice. The Chief Inspector of Prisons at the time, Peter Clarke, invoked the Urgent Notification process in respect of the prison.’

Full Story

Garden Court Chambers, 23rd March 2023

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

When is a contractor not a contractor? – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 13th, 2023 in contract of employment, contracting out, contracts, employment, news, taxation by tracey

‘It is essential that contractors, and anyone hiring contractors or consultants, in the UK understand what could give rise to UK employment law obligations.’

Full Story

OUT-LAW.com, 12th January 2023

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Council where Logan Mwangi was murdered ‘worryingly dependent’ on agency care – The Guardian

Posted October 6th, 2022 in care workers, children, contracting out, domestic violence, local government, murder, news, social services by sally

‘A local authority involved in the care of Logan Mwangi, the five-year-old boy murdered by his mother, her partner and his stepson, spent more than £1m on agency social workers in the year the child was killed, it has emerged.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th October 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Staff at Home Office contractors sue over discrimination and unfair dismissal – The Guardian

Posted September 22nd, 2022 in contracting out, disability discrimination, government departments, news, race discrimination, sex discrimination, unfair dismissal by sally

‘Dozens of security staff who detain and deport people for the Home Office are taking legal action over race, sex, disability discrimination and unfair dismissal, the Guardian has learned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st September 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mayor of Greater Manchester defeats High Court challenge over bus franchising and impact of pandemic – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 14th, 2022 in appeals, contracting out, coronavirus, local government, news, transport by tracey

‘Two bus operators have lost a High Court challenge to the decision by Andy Burnham, elected mayor of Greater Manchester, to proceed with bus franchising.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 11th March 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Andy Burnham’s move to bring bus services under public control ‘not unlawful’ – The Independent

Posted March 10th, 2022 in consultations, contracting out, local government, news, transport by tracey

‘Andy Burnham’s decision to reform bus services to bring them under public control in Greater Manchester was not unlawful, a High Court judge has found in a ruling against two bus companies.’

Full Story

The Independent, 9th March 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UKHSA considers legal action against privately run Immensa lab – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2021 in auditors, contracting out, coronavirus, freedom of information, health, news, ombudsmen, public procurement by sally

‘A government health watchdog is considering legal action against a private health company whose laboratory gave at least 43,000 people potentially false negative Covid-19 test results.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 8th December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Private firms working for UK government ‘should be subject to FOI rules’ – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2021 in contracting out, data protection, freedom of information, government departments, news, public procurement by tracey

‘Private outsourcing companies that win government contracts should be subject to freedom of information rules, according to the outgoing information commissioner, who warned the existing transparency law is no longer fit for the modern age.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 25th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Brook House detention centre whistleblower ‘abuse’ inquiry begins – BBC News

Posted November 24th, 2021 in bullying, contracting out, coronavirus, detention, drug offences, government departments, immigration, inquiries, mental health, news, whistleblowers by sally

‘A public inquiry into the mistreatment of immigration detainees has heard a BBC Panorama documentary revealed “shocking” treatment which had “no place in a decent and humane” system.’

Full Story

BBC News, 23rd November 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Capita pays compensation to family of woman who died after benefits cut – The Guardian

Posted November 3rd, 2021 in benefits, bereavement, compensation, contracting out, families, government departments, inquests, mental health, negligence, news, suicide by sally

‘A government contractor has paid out “substantial” compensation following the death of a young mother who took an overdose after her disability benefits were removed.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK bus privatisation breached basic rights, says ex-UN rapporteur – The Guardian

Posted July 20th, 2021 in contracting out, news, reports, transport by sally

‘Britain’s bus services outside London were so damaged by privatisation that people were unable to access basic needs such as work, education and healthcare, according to a scathing report by the former UN special rapporteur on human rights.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

MP questions transfer of children from Rainsbrook secure centre to youth jails – The Guardian

Posted July 14th, 2021 in children, contracting out, coronavirus, custody, news, prisons, young offenders by tracey

‘Children held in a condemned youth jail for vulnerable offenders have been moved into unsuitable alternative custody, a committee has been told. About 30 children previously held at the privately run Rainsbrook secure training centre are being transferred into alternative custody arrangements following calls for urgent action over problems at the unit.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 13th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

No more reward without risk – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 2nd, 2021 in contracting out, local government, news, pensions, waste by tracey

‘Nigel Bolton and Philip Woolham look at the lessons to be learned from an important High Court judgment for local authorities and contractors on pension exit credits.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 2nd July 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Nationalising probation service not enough to fix flaws, warns watchdog – The Guardian

Posted June 28th, 2021 in budgets, contracting out, Ministry of Justice, news, ombudsmen, probation, recidivists, rehabilitation, statistics by tracey

‘Renationalising the management of offenders in the community will not be enough to put right the flaws of disastrous privatisation reforms introduced by the former Conservative minister Chris Grayling, the probation watchdog has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Probation services return to public control in England and Wales – BBC News

Posted June 28th, 2021 in contracting out, Ministry of Justice, news, probation by tracey

‘Probation services in England and Wales will return to public control, seven years after Chris Grayling’s changes that were later labelled as “flawed”.’

Full Story

BBC News, 28th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Appeal court confirms validity of ‘contracting out’ statutory declaration – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 4th, 2021 in appeals, contracting out, landlord & tenant, leases, news, statutory interpretation by sally

‘Commercial landlords and tenants are not required to specify the actual date of grant of the lease when “contracting out” of the security of tenure provisions in the 1954 Landlord and Tenant Act (1954 Act), the Court of Appeal has confirmed.’

Full Story

OUT-LAW.com, 3rd June 2021

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Private Prisons Have Shown A Lax Approach To Human Rights – Each Other

Posted April 27th, 2021 in contracting out, human rights, news, prisons by sally

‘Private prisons may seem like an American phenomenon, but, statistically, UK prisoners are more likely to be held in one.’

Full Story

Each Other, 26th April 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Privatisation of children’s services is bad for children and bad for taxpayers – Transparency Project

Posted February 18th, 2021 in children, contracting out, news, social services by sally

‘When the Care Review was formally announced in January, one of the first actions of its chair, Josh MacAlister, was to ask the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate the children’s social care ‘market’ in England. This was announced even before MacAlister takes up his post, which is not until March.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 17th February 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

‘I don’t like acts of dishonesty by the state’: Jolyon Maugham QC on Covid cronyism – The Guardian

Posted November 24th, 2020 in barristers, contracting out, coronavirus, health, news, protective equipment, public procurement by sally

‘Over the past few years, Jolyon Maugham QC, founder of the Good Law Project, has become an unmissable presence on Twitter. But unlike most keyboard warriors – anonymously vocal about Brexit, trading memes over mask-wearing and gender politics – he has only ever seen the social media platform as a means to an end. “I really don’t like this phenomenon of disinterested observers pointing out things that are going wrong,” he says. “I want to be in the club of people who actually put skin in the game to make it better, rather than merely making clever observations from the sidelines.”’

Full Story

The Guardian, 22nd November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Getting off the hook: A guide to securing release from contractual obligations and varying public contracts in light of COVID-19 – 39 Essex Chambers

Posted November 10th, 2020 in amendments, contracting out, contracts, coronavirus, news, regulations by sally

‘Given the current challenging economic circumstances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, which the authors fear may worsen over the coming months as employers are weaned off the Government’s furlough scheme, contracting authorities and their contractors may want to be released from obligations under existing contracts (and/or to protect their position having already defaulted on their obligations). Similarly, contracting authorities may want to vary existing contracts going forward. However, for obvious reasons, notably the time and cost involved, the appetite for undertaking a new procurement exercise is likely to be limited. This article therefore provides a guide to the available options for achieving these objectives.’

Full Story

39 Essex Chambers, 16th October 2020

Source: www.39essex.com