Workers at Barnet Solace Advocacy and Support Service have been balloted for industrial action amid “severe overwork” and “broken promises”, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Solace staff in Tower Hamlets (credit UVW)

Domestic abuse support workers in Barnet are planning strike action amid “unmanageable workloads” and “broken promises”.

Workers at Barnet Solace Advocacy and Support Service (SASS), from the charity Solace Women’s Aid, London’s largest domestic abuse and sexual violence charity, have opened a strike ballot amidst “severe overwork” and “broken promises” by the charity’s leadership.

This is the second strike ballot Solace has faced this year, a highly unusual occurrence in the violence against women and girls sector, where strike action is rare. A dispute took place between the charity and workers in Tower Hamlets earlier in the year, who are now also poised to take strike action.

The Barnet team, who are members of the trade union United Voices of the World (UVW), are calling for a reduction and cap on caseloads as currently workers manage up to 20 “complex and distressing” cases.

The support workers are also calling for the hiring of a duty or peripatetic independent domestic violence advocate (IDVA) “to ensure adequate cover and continuity of care” as well as formal recognition of UVW “for collective bargaining purposes”.

A spokesperson for the Barnet SASS team said the strike action had come in response to a lack of a “psychologically informed management approach” which was impacting the “entire team”.

They said: “In our view, management has not adequately addressed these issues or acknowledged the time-consuming nature of our additional duties. We are calling for a healthier work environment—for ourselves and for the survivors we support—and a real say at work through our union, UVW.”

UVW assistant general secretary, Isabel Cotés, reiterated the dispute now spanned both the Barnet and Tower Hamlets Solace team which she described as two “critical sites” in the UK.

Isabel said: “Despite every opportunity to engage meaningfully, they [Solace] have chosen to deny their workforce a voice at work. Our members are left with no alternative but to take industrial action. It is concerning that many workers feel unable to speak openly which raises important questions about the environment they are working in.”

In response, Solace, which works in partnership with organisations including the police, schools, and social services, said supporting and protecting staff wellbeing was its “top priority”.

Chief executive, Nahar Choudhury, said the charity had adhered to “safe caseload levels” that were “inline” with national standards set by the UK-wide charity Safe Lives.

Nahar said: “We recognise that supporting survivors is demanding work and therefore provide a comprehensive wellbeing offer to support colleagues, alongside a regular review of caseloads for each staff member and service.

“We continue to reach out to Barnet SASS team members, both individually and as a team, to better understand the issues raised on the ballot and remain open to discussions. We believe getting around the table will create the best resolution for staff and survivors.”

In terms of recognising UVW, Nahar said Solace had been “open” to exploring a ‘voluntary recognition agreement’ but following “careful consideration” had concluded an agreement was not currently in the “best interest of Solace colleagues”.

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