Stop-smoking team faces jobs battle

STAFF at Oldham’s Stop Smoking service could face a lengthy redundancy battle if an agreement over their future can’t be reached.

The 25 employees who run the service are locked in a legal battle between Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and Positive Steps, which will run the new Early Help Service, over whether they have the right to be taken on.

Th decision has been taken to combine services in the face of reduced funding, which leaves staff facing redundancy by March 31. The wrangling surrounds whether Transfer of Undertakings rules, which protect employment rights, apply. If they do, Positive Steps will have to employ existing staff.

Long-serving staff member Lorraine Greathead (45) said: “We’ve all completed specialist training to provide the service and I don’t feel people will get the best help under the new system.

“We were told when the contract went out to tender we would be able to continue our roles under the new provider. But now Positive Steps doesn’t believe TUPE applies and we could all end up losing our jobs without redundancy pay if it can’t be decided who is responsible for paying.”

Positive Steps CEO Tim Mitchell, said: “We understand the concerns of the staff and talks are ongoing to find a solution.”