PRESS RELEASE – Virgin Care pulls plug on Brook Advisory Service after investigation.

PRESS RELEASE

Virgin Care pulls plug on Brook Advisory Service after investigation.

Virgin Care held the contract from Bury, Rochdale and Oldham authorities to provide a range of sexual health education and wellbeing support for young people in Bury and Rochdale as part of Oldham, Rochdale and Bury Integrated Sexual Health (ORBISH), they then subcontracted this to Brook Advisory Service.

Brook employees operating from the above sites, contacted their trade union and through the Workers of England Union reported to Virgin Care possible breaches in Data Protection, and possible incorrect filing of reports by Brook’s Management.

Both Virgin Care, and Brook, immediately started their investigations, whilst the conclusions of these investigations are not known we do know that Virgin Care have since pulled the plug on Brook. Virgin Care have now taken the contract ’in-house’ and will be providing the range of sexual health education and wellbeing support for young people in Bury and Rochdale from the 21st July 2018. 

Stephen Morris, General Secretary of Workers of England Union stated “Poor management at Brook effected the quality of service delivery to vulnerable young people, their inability to fulfil their contract came as no surprise, not just with the possible breaches of Data Protection and reporting irregularities, but also with how the HR department failed to follow basic employment procedures, and a senior Manager blocking doorways to stop ill staff leaving the premises to visit their Doctor, all affecting the welfare of employees as well.

Our initial meetings with Virgin Care have been very positive, our members are upbeat and now looking forward with optimism to working with Virgin Care, and to be able to provide their services to our communities.”

 

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