London Living Wage accreditation

The Lambeth Council Cabinet meeting in October is due to formally adopt as policy the Labour administration’s commitment to tackling low pay and our ambition to become accredited as a London Living Wage Employer. The Total Facilities Management procurement contract agreed in July has delivered our first London Living Wage contract covering services that employ cleaners, security and maintenance staff. 

The council’s Pay Policy Statement lays out the aim that all council employed staff should receive the London Living Wage (currently £8.31 per hour) as a minimum. All but a few staff are paid at the LLW or above. We are reviewing our procurement policy to ensure Living Wage is paid on new contracts. This would be done at the point of re-letting or tendering for new contracts with a requirement that those contractors bidding for the work incorporate a pricing option that includes the payment of the Living Wage as a minimum, and will be agreed subject to affordability. In some cases there will be significant costs for council contractors to bring their pay in to line with the LLW. For example, in adult social care lots of workers (e.g. carers) are paid the minimum wage. The estimated annual cost of implementing the LLW across all existing contractors in Lambeth is £10 million per annum. About 60% of this is social care.

Living wage employer accreditation is managed by Citizens UK and provides employers with a licence to the living wage employer mark. Lambeth Council will be a fully accredited Living wage employer soon.

Lambeth stands united

Thankfully we have not seen any more of the violent disorder that we saw two weeks ago. However, the police and Lambeth Council remain on high alert. The emphasis has been on keeping services running and ensuring that everyone is as safe as possible. All sections of the community have said the same thing - that there is absolutely no justification for this vandalism and looting. What has been heart warming is the positive community spirit and willingness of people to help each other. Some of the positive initiatives that have come from the disturbing events have been:  

·  Cleaning up and getting back to normal – the job of Council staff is to get the borough back to normal as quickly as possible so people can get on with their lives, and they have risen to the challenge. The council will offer all the support it can to the police with their investigations, and to local residents and businesses that have been affected to get them back on their feet.

·  Re-invigorated our ‘Community Freshview’ scheme - if you would like to take an active role in improving your neighbourhood, you could get involved with a Community Freshview. These activities are led by residents who want to make a difference in the local area. All ideas are considered, as long as the activity will help to renew a sense of pride in your neighbourhood.  If you want more information or to find out about groups in your local area contact the Freshview team on 020 7926 0524 or email freshview@lambeth.gov.uk or talk to one of your ward councillors.

·  Lambeth Champions - In order to show that Lambeth is about recognising success and the great work that people do the Council has launched a ‘Lambeth Champions scheme’. This is an opportunity to recognise individuals that have made a difference to their community or neighbourhood. If you know of anyone that you think deserves to be recognised then send their name and about a 150 word supporting statement to Lambethchampions@lambeth.gov.uk or send to me directly.   

Stay safe

You may notice an increase in the number of police officers but this should not be cause for alarm. It is important that residents can keep safe and we are working with the police to bring people involved in violence and vandalism to justice. We have already provided a large amount of CCTV coverage and a number of those arrested have already been through the magistrates’ court. The best advice we can give residents is to

·  Keep yourself safe and keep an eye out for neighbours and relatives – make sure you plan your journeys before setting off and avoid confronting people on the street

·  Make sure that you know what your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces are doing so that they are safe

·  Support your local businesses when doing your shopping and make sure they are alright

·  Contacting the police - In the event of an emergency, call 999, in a non emergency, call the police on 101

·  If you are aware of the identities of anyone involved in the disturbances or looting and you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Councillor Paul McGlone

Ferndale ward