A SCHOOL catering service which provides thousands of primary school-aged children with their meals is being reviewed by Barnsley Council in order to ‘balance the books’.
The local authority provides a service to 38 primary school sites across the town, which is about half of all venues.
The remainder predominantly due to academisation have their own services and the Chronicle understands the council’s looking to review its offering to save cash.
Coun Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for core services, said: “We’ve always been honest about the council’s financial situation and the need to balance the books to give Barnsley a better future.
“We’re looking at areas where we can deliver services differently, and as part of this we’re reviewing the school catering service.
“This may include schools using different providers or delivering catering services in-house.
“Our own service is just one of the providers operating in Barnsley, and many schools have already turned to other providers, particularly those that have converted to academy status.
“We’re regularly talking to our staff and schools, and offering support through this review process.
“We want to make it clear that throughout this review and beyond, children will still get a hot, nutritious meal that won’t stop.”
The Chronicle understands no jobs are at risk as if the decision is taken to alter the current service, it’s anticipated the staff will be protected by Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations.
TUPE protects the rights of employees when a business or service provider that they are employed by is transferred into new ownership, but the nature of the service provided stays the same.
Trade union UNISON who staged a protest outside Barnsley Town Hall during the last proposed changes in 2019 called for in-house services.
“Cooking school meals should not be about making a profit, it should be about giving children in Barnsley the best start in life,” a spokesperson said.
“This is a public service, not a business.
“We know from experience that if schools are forced to turn to the private sector then it will be school meals served on the cheap as every last penny of profit is squeezed out of the service by buying the cheapest ingredients and cooking the cheapest dinners.
“Bringing school meal provisions in-house is a win-win for children and workers.
“School meals workers are every bit as dedicated to the wellbeing and success of pupils but they typically face cuts to hours, lower pay and minimal or no sick pay.
“We need to stand up for this important group of workers.”
