Ramesys / Capita School Take-Over

[01hanstu]

Hi,

In September 2009 two secondary schools merged to make an Academy. Both separate sites would operate as normal (One site housing Yr7 & Yr8, and another Yr9, Yr10 & Yr11).

The project is on schedule, and the timeline for the predecessor schools to close and move into the new build is January 2012 (Site preparations by staff in December of 2011, not sure what that really includes).

We have found out that Ramesys / Capita are coming to take over the IT in the new build, and running there managed services. Both the sites have their own team, but we all work together as one. There is 1 Network Manager and 2 Technicians on one site and 1 Network Manager and 1 Technician (Me) on the remote site. We have been told that there are only plans for two technicians in the new building and we are all trying to find out if the two are from Ramesys / Capita or whether two of us are going to the new build and Ramesys accommodate them elsewhere. We are supposed to be TUPED to Ramesys / Capita. We have been TUPED from our old schools already to the new Academy.

Has anyone been through this process?

How long is the TUPE protection protecting our pay and conditions?

 

Any information would be excellent

Thanks,

- Stuart

[synaesthesia]

*ahem*

DO NOT DO IT.

 

Go job hunting! Working on trawler boats is preferable to working for Capita.

 

Can't offer any further advice though in case you really did feel masochistic enough to TUPE over to them

[01hanstu]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. Are they really that bad? I'm in a bit of a pickle ... Do I stay or do I go!

 

I have read various treads regarding how poor the service they provide is and how they have failed to provide such basic services to some schools. We are not even 'In-the-Loop' don't even know when they are supposed to be taking over, the school doesn't seem to know anything, apparently, and Ramesys don't even reply to any E-Mail the team have sent to them.

 

They should leave it all in-house and let us get on with actually being able to setup a system from scratch!

 

Thanks again for the reply.

Stuart

[synaesthesia]

Bad enough that I'm over the moon to get away from them. Things could obviously be very different up there but I doubt it; if you thought working for the Government departments was bad for red tape, Capita's way of working is just something else.

 

"Could do with some biccies for the office"

"Sure, just fill out this purchase order and release form for some petty cash....."

[FN-GM]

My school is in a very similar situation. From my understanding, all the IT staff will be TUPED over but if you are not needed on site they will find something alternative for you to do within the company.

[01hanstu]

Hi,

Yeah they only need two tech's on site, we keep thinking they are marked for two tech's in Capita, and we will be either onsite filling the printers up with paper , as they won't want us touching there system. They could make our lives hell by basing us somewhere stupid. Is there a rule or legislation that states when they take us on the can't have us driving hours in the morning to get there.

Thanks

Edited January 15, 2011 by 01hanstu
Typo

[GrumbleDook]

A couple of important things to take into account. The managed Service from the Ramesys section is still very much along the lines that it was before it was bought out, but with improved processes and a closer importance on educational need. Other support areas of Capita operate differently so synaesthesia's position (as was) will be different to what yours may be.

 

Saying that though ... if you have been TUPEd over to the new academy and are being told that you are being TUPEd again then I would check a few things. When you were originally TUPEd was the academy aware of the need to TUPE you again at another point? Did they raise this with you including the proposed structure and any possible redundancies? Have you spoken to a Union yet? Do they intend to bring anyone in from outside of the academy to work in the school or as part of a larger team.

 

If you have been moved over you cannot be summarily displaced by existing staff of the managed service provider. There are a variety of things they will be able to do due to financial restructuring, etc but they should tell you what is going on.

[synaesthesia]

Very good point indeed - I think I forgot about Ramesys themselves, a little red mist perhaps Worth checking who it's going to be though.

 

Grumbledook - is there any differences to bear in mind if TUPEing multiple times? Contract terms seem to change often as a result of a TUPE yet some seem to have to remain - how would that work if TUPEd again?

[pavlovs_dog]

I work in a school where Ramesys (now Capita) runs the ICT Managed Service. It has its good points and bad; I was fortunate in that I had a choice of whether to TUPE or not, I decided to stay as a member of SLT. Capita don't normally bring anyone from outside of the School, unless there are not enough staff to managed the service effectively (we are on a shared campus with 1000 pupils and 3 onsite engineers (was initially 4).

I don't know of anyone that worked for Ramesys (Capita) that has been made redundant; the onsite engineers usually stay with the same school for at least a minimum period of time. I know two technicians that have gained promotion fairly quickly and as in any school they have periods when there are ups and downs. There is a lot of red tape, but this in the main is due to how the Local Authorities negotiate the contract. It can be difficult, but we have managed to remove many of the obstacles that we initially had with discussions with both the LA and Ramesys.

 

I don't particlularly like the managed service concept, but on the whole the service they provide has been mostly good.

[MK-2]

Ramesys? Oh my.

They won the BSF for Nottingham, went into my old place to "recable" most of it and out of about 70 new network points, none worked, and another company had to come in, test and fix them and send the test results to Ramesys. They also tried to charge us £1700 for 3 wireless points and 15m of cat5 plus install, where other companies were quoting about 300.

[mthomas08]

Oh dear, you have my sympathy...

 

We were among the group of BSF to be started just before the government came along and scrapped it. Are we glad? Oh yes.

Our head was trying to just get the new "stuff" and keep us on site, he then found out he can opt out of that but no one told him (he found out secretly on the hush hush).

 

He hated the idea of paying per user basis, especially when he likes to accept students all the time. Also he wanted the IT Support side of things kept as they were, we have a quick response time on 95% of problems. Usually instant on the remote support problems as well (as soon as job reported its done).

 

He knows he will not get that with an outsource IT support, plus he loses more control over the ICT system. As for the job, I would start looking else where, what they fail to mention is in about 2-3 years time your job is reviewed. They only have to keep you on for a "length" of time, I believe it is 3 years. I might be wrong on that one though.

 

I even remember some one posting on here telling people the facts of it all and he named and shamed the company, 1 day later he was given the boot.

[01hanstu]

Hi,

Thanks for all your messages. Given the current climate, there is not much we can do except to see it through, even though we don't know what is at the end of the tunnel, there is not much out there. .

If I do end up working for Ramesys, what kind of things would we do, I know that where I am working at present, we manage everything from the CCTV to the kitchen tills, and our daily tasks on the servers. What would be in the remit, would we even be able to look the servers, are we locked out of the and have a basic admin account, for managing users.

Any feedback is great.

Thanks,

- Stuart

[01hanstu]

Wow ... This is worrying. No replies!