Covid 19 was a shock to our system, a shock to our community and an unstoppable force that terrorized our communities’ right across Northern Ireland for well over a year. BBC news Northern Ireland reported on the 27th February 2020 the first case of Covid 19 confirmed by the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland. What followed was a rigorous track and trace and testing system whilst in its infancy, was subject to intense planning by government agencies.
Now let’s look at this from a local perspective. The Albert Basin site in Newry City has been subject to many arguments over the years regarding its desolate nature and the possibility of building a city centre park on the site. Covid 19 provided the opportunity to finally use the site for something productive albeit of an important health and safety nature.
With the testing facility at the Albert Basin site up and running for well over six months it was great to see a testing facility in the local Newry area employing local people and offering jobs.
Clanrye News and Sport can reveal that it received an email recently from a member of the public who stated that they were a former employee of the site. This person then told us that they worked for a local security company from the Newry and Armagh area who had the contract to provide security at this site. Again local work for local business provided by local men and women.
However what this person explained to us was, the local security company where dropped from the site a few weeks ago and replaced by an “out of town” security company called NW Security Ltd. So far out of town this company comes from Limavady (two hours out of Newry). It seems that these workers from Newry have now been made unemployed in favour of NW Security Ltd.
Since the Albert basin site belongs to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council we approach them for a comment.
A spokesperson for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said:
“The COVID-19 walk-in test site has been leased by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to the Public Health Agency (PHA) who have associated responsibility for the overall management of the leased area including security. As such, the Council does not hold details of PHA’s security provider or if they are hiring local people.”
As result of this we contacted the Public Health Agency for a statement.
A spokesperson for the Public Health Agency then said:
“This enquiry would need to be directed to the Department of Health and Social Care as they manage the contract for Mobile Testing Units (MTUs), you can contact their press team.”
Now following this response we believe at Clanrye News and Sport that it is important to let our readers know a little info on this referral by the Public Health Agency or PHA for short. The Department of Health and Social Care is NOT the devolved department that have been dealing with Covid 19 in Northern Ireland. The devolved institution is the Department of Health based in Stormont and led by our Health Minister Robin Swann.
Now let’s put that into context, the Public Health Agency within Northern Ireland is making referrals beyond our devolved institution and straight to Westminster and the Department of Health and Social Care in London.
Our questions now are why? Why isn’t the Department of Health in Northern Ireland dealing with this? Why is the PHA referring MTU management and contracts to the Department of Health and Social Care in London? We contacted the devolved Department of Health at Stormont and asked them why? There response is as follows:
“Symptomatic members of the public are tested via the National Testing Programme at test sites across Northern Ireland, including MTUs.
The National Testing Programme was established and is managed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in London. You will need to contact them in regard to your query.”
This issue has now become extremely concerning. We now know that a local business and several people in Newry have been made redundant at the expense of an outside company based in Limavady. However what is even more concerning is the decision to do this isn’t connected to our devolved administration, it is made in London at the DHSC.
We asked the Department of Health and Social Care in London the following:
“Hi, the Covid testing site at the Albert Basin, Newry…is there a security company being used at the site? Is it a local company? Are they hiring local people?”
Their response?
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said:
“Hi Kevin, It’s managed by Serco. I would advise approaching their media team with your questions.”
Very interesting development. It seems the Department of Health and Social Care has put the management of the MTU at the Albert Basin in Newry in the hands of a private company called Serco and they organise and manage the site.
The question now is who is Serco?
According to their website Serco is a massive corporation based in Hook, Hampshire in England. The following statement is based on their website.
“Serco Group plc’s roots go back to 1929, becoming Serco Limited in 1987 and in 1988 was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Serco specialise in the delivery of essential public services, with over 50,000 people working in defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and other citizen services across our four regions: UK & Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Middle East.”
Now let’s go back and retrace our steps. The Albert basin site is owned by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. They have leased the site to the Public Health Agency for the interests of developing a Covid 19 testing facility during the Covid 19 pandemic. Our Public Health Agency does not organise the contracts needed to help run this facility. In fact our very own Department of Health doesn’t organise these contracts either. That is done by the Department of Health and Social Care in Westminster who have given the management contract to a private English corporation called Serco based in Hampshire. Why wasn’t all this done by our own Department of Health and why wasn’t a local company tasked with the management of the site? This would have provided opportunities to local business and jobs for local people.
We have contacted Serco several times and have to date no response.
Furthermore we contacted the Limavady security company that replaced the local group and made the local workers unemployed and asked them for a statement. They were very short and cautious in their response,
A spokesperson for NW Security Ltd said:
“You will have to go through SSGC.”
Unfortunately it now turns out that Serco did not deal with the local security company directly in fact they didn’t sub contract the work to them or NW Security ltd. Clanrye News and Sport can reveal that Serco had further sub contracted this work to ANOTHER corporation whose responsibility it seems is to oversee the contract of security work to a local business.
Who is the SSGC?
According to the SSGC website they are a Swindon based corporation. Their website states the following.
“SSGC is one of the UK’s most advanced security guarding companies.
Holding SIA Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) status, we are one of the fastest growing security businesses in the UK based upon its niche capabilities and the development of a suite of technologies which make the management of a manned security service easier.
We are also a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and employ veterans as part of our highly-skilled team.”
So it seems that mobile testing units across Northern Ireland are not under the control of our own devolved Department of Health. It seems that falls under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Social Care and in particular any contracts associated with the MTUs. Furthermore we have discovered not one but two private companies one in England and another in Wales who oversee the management and sub contracting of security.
The SSGC gave a contract to a local Newry based Security Company and local Newry workers for the Albert basin MTU in Newry albeit only for six months. However this was cut short with the aforementioned Newry Company being sidelined at the behest of a company from Limavady. This occurred without any reasonable explanation. The question we leave with you is why?
At the time of print we have received no response from both Serco and the SSGC.
NW Security will not respond to our emails.
We also asked Newry, Mourne and Down District Council whether they have received any money regarding the leasing of the site. To date we have no response.
We also asked the DHSC if Serco has the contract for MTUs right across Northern Ireland. To date we have no response.
Unfortunately it now seems we are in a position whereby private companies and corporations are earning a lot of money on the back of Covid 19. These companies are being used as opposed to public services here in Newry and Northern Ireland. Used at the expense of local people and local jobs.
ENDS
By Kevin McAteer
Editor
CLANRYE NEWS 