English takeover plunges Scottish charity into crisis

SCOTLAND'S leading charity for blind and partially-sighted people has been plunged into crisis over an apparent take-over by an English counterpart. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is planning to transfer staff and services from Scotland to the organisation that runs its services south of the Border. The plan has left many fearing that its work and fundraising will be undermined. The group's Action for Blind People (ABP), which currently runs all the charity's services in England, is to take over the operations in a bid to triple the number of people the charity reaches. However, staff in Scotland say there has been no explanation of how the strategy will work or evidence provided that it will benefit the 180,000 Scots with vision problems who currently receive help. Unison's voluntary sector organiser for Scotland Deborah Dyer said: "There is a complete lack of transparency about the business rationale for this move, what it will mean for the general public or how it will be of any benefit to service users. People are utterly baffled about what is going on." The move also impacts on the charity's operations in Wales and Northern Ireland. A total of 468 staff in the three countries will be affected by the move. Although registered as a charity in Scotland, ABP does not currently operate north of the border. The RNIB, which was founded in the UK in 1868, will continue in name only in Scotland, raising questions about the transparency of seeking donations and funding under the RNIB Scotland brand. All of the charity's services in England are already delivered by ABP, which is part of the UK-wide group. The group says this means the plans do not represent a take-over. But the RNIB Group acknowledged many of the concerns in response to a fractious internal consultation exercise earlier this year, which laid bare the fears of some of the charity's Scottish staff. An internal document passed to The Herald appears to concede that country chairs from all three home nations, including Sandra Wilson, recently appointed chairwoman of RNIB Scotland, voted against the transfer. However, the boards of trustees from RNIB Charity, ABP and RNIB group all backed it. The first step in a major Customer Change Programme will see the Scottish teams transferred as "a business unit" to ABP, the information for staff states, with terms and conditions unchanged for the moment. The charities are not seeking cost savings and no Scottish services will cease, the document says. However, unease among staff is clear from the questions the document fields, for example one apparent suggestion from workers that RNIB Scotland remain part of a larger group alongside ABP and the Northern Irish and Welsh branches: "[this would be] Simple transparent and honest - something the new proposals are not". This option was considered and rejected, the document records. Staff are also concerned that they will be presented to the public as RNIB Scotland, even though they are employed by another charity. However, the group said the "Scotland brand is a valuable asset to our group of charities". There are also questions over whether the Scottish Government, or the public, will be happy funding an English-based charity. The group insists the Scotland brand can still be retained, while being transparent about the new arrangement. Questions are also addressed about ABP's lack of experience in running education services and a lack of consultation with RNIB members or "customers" about the shake-up. The document says: "Our approach is to consult our members on strategy, policies and services, not operational issues." Staff members have objected that no detailed risk analysis has been carried out: "This is highly irresponsible and sadly blind and partially-sighted people in Scotland will be the ones who pay the price." In response, the company said: "We believe the risks are manageable." Another issue causing concern is the fact that RNIB Scotland is unionised, but ABP, which will employ staff once they are transferred on Tuesday, September 1, is not. The group says it is in discussions about this agreement with Unison and Unite unions. However, trade union Unison said it was seriously concerned over the "unjustified" transfer. National officer Simon Watson said staff had not been kept informed, adding that "very little has been done to reassure them". He added: "Staff and service users feel very uncertain over the long-term future of the service and their jobs. RNIB is yet to give a convincing explanation for such huge changes." A spokesman for RNIB Scotland said: "The RNIB Group of charities are currently looking how we are set up across the UK so we can reach many more people living with sight loss. "Detailed consultation on proposals concluded last week and we are currently analysing the feedback. "This is part of an ongoing dialogue with staff and trustees on how we can best deliver more for more people," he added. Article reproduced from The Herald. Published on 17 June 2015