Asylum Seekers’ Housing Scheme Threatened With Closure
Mark Smith | 20.05.2008 00:04 | Anti-racism | Culture | Migration | Birmingham | Sheffield
Asylum seekers’ housing scheme threatened with closure
Troubleshooting accountants who were brought in to save a West Midlands-based charity which houses asylum seekers are in dispute with the Home Office over whether or not they are to close down the scheme. Trade union, Unison says the row threatens the jobs of the 135 staff who run Astonbrook Housing Association.
Troubleshooting accountants who were brought in to save a West Midlands-based charity which houses asylum seekers are in dispute with the Home Office over whether or not they are to close down the scheme. Trade union, Unison says the row threatens the jobs of the 135 staff who run Astonbrook Housing Association.
Hated for Being Successful
Asylum seekers’ housing scheme threatened with closure
Troubleshooting accountants who were brought in to save a West Midlands-based charity which houses asylum seekers are in dispute with the Home Office over whether or not they are to close down the scheme. Trade union, Unison says the row threatens the jobs of the 135 staff who run Astonbrook Housing Association.
The charity, which was set up in 2002 by Somalians who had fled their war torn country, looks after 2,000 refugees throughout the country. Accountants Baker Tilly were appointed as interim managers by the Charity Commission in July last year, after allegations of fraud. Since then, they have been paid fees by Astonbrook of more than £1m, which staff claim has turned the once financially successful enterprise into one that is loss-making.
West Midlands staff yesterday (Thursday) agreed to take strike action and spokesperson Berrenga Forbes said: “The situation is appalling. The Home Office claim the interim managers have handed back the contract to house the asylum seekers to them but that has been denied by Baker Tilly. It therefore looks like 135 staff could lose their jobs. Yet Baker Tilly walk away with a million pounds sanctioned by the Charity Commission who brought them in to save the scheme not close it down."
He added: "Astonbrook has provided an exemplary service for asylum seekers and refugees and this does them a big injustice which the Home Office, Baker Tilly and the Charity Commission must answer for. Why is it that the management and staff were not informed that the contract was being withdrawn either by Baker Tilly or the Home Office? This behaviour shows a total lack of regard for the charity and its employees.”
Staff will be picketing the Birmingham branch of Baker Tilly this morning (Friday) from 10.30 am.A letter has been sent from the staff to the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith demanding that she steps in and stops the closure of Astonbrook.
Troubleshooting accountants who were brought in to save a West Midlands-based charity which houses asylum seekers are in dispute with the Home Office over whether or not they are to close down the scheme. Trade union, Unison says the row threatens the jobs of the 135 staff who run Astonbrook Housing Association.
The charity, which was set up in 2002 by Somalians who had fled their war torn country, looks after 2,000 refugees throughout the country. Accountants Baker Tilly were appointed as interim managers by the Charity Commission in July last year, after allegations of fraud. Since then, they have been paid fees by Astonbrook of more than £1m, which staff claim has turned the once financially successful enterprise into one that is loss-making.
West Midlands staff yesterday (Thursday) agreed to take strike action and spokesperson Berrenga Forbes said: “The situation is appalling. The Home Office claim the interim managers have handed back the contract to house the asylum seekers to them but that has been denied by Baker Tilly. It therefore looks like 135 staff could lose their jobs. Yet Baker Tilly walk away with a million pounds sanctioned by the Charity Commission who brought them in to save the scheme not close it down."
He added: "Astonbrook has provided an exemplary service for asylum seekers and refugees and this does them a big injustice which the Home Office, Baker Tilly and the Charity Commission must answer for. Why is it that the management and staff were not informed that the contract was being withdrawn either by Baker Tilly or the Home Office? This behaviour shows a total lack of regard for the charity and its employees.”
Staff will be picketing the Birmingham branch of Baker Tilly this morning (Friday) from 10.30 am.A letter has been sent from the staff to the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith demanding that she steps in and stops the closure of Astonbrook.
Mark Smith
Additions
Hated for being successful?!
20.05.2008 00:56
Well if you want to measure success in terms of how much Astonbrook has ripped off a local authority and the Home Office by inventing fictional asylum seekers for their properties, then you're doing pretty well.
How the whole venture is still going after being raided by the police last year is beyond me, perhaps you could explain?
You might want to begin here, where Astonbrook's dodgy asylum profiteering has already been documented:
Astonbrook: another asylum-profiteering company exposed -
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/07/376163.html
You might want to explain this report too: Stop the illegal eviction of a 22 mnth old baby and family from east Birmingham - http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/397221.html
How the whole venture is still going after being raided by the police last year is beyond me, perhaps you could explain?
You might want to begin here, where Astonbrook's dodgy asylum profiteering has already been documented:
Astonbrook: another asylum-profiteering company exposed -
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/07/376163.html You might want to explain this report too: Stop the illegal eviction of a 22 mnth old baby and family from east Birmingham -
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/397221.html
Astonbrook are asylum profiteers
Comments
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Astonbrook Threatened to closure
20.05.2008 09:36
Last year the Police raided this successfull organisation, arrested Seven of its Hardworking employees, no one is been charged nor the company never recieved 20 Million the papers mentioned, the Charity Commision appointed an interim management(Baker Tilly) from a Multi millionare Finance company to control and build the foundation of the company and to correct if there are mistakes. unfortunately the the interim Management charged nearly 1 MILLION Pound with in seven month for the management fee which is unacceptable.
If I answer the eviction for the 22 month baby please read my coment on that, Astonbrook tried ist best to keep the family from homelessness and discussed with the stake holders including Birmingham Refugee council.
Thanks
james
e-mail:
jaambiir@hotmail.com
Busted.
20.05.2008 10:27
Astoncrook
Lest we forget
20.05.2008 10:32
James? Shames.
Employees should vent their anger at their corrupt bosses
20.05.2008 11:13
Astonbrooks bosses are clearly responsible for any corruption that has gone on, and now the consultants are charging an astronomical fee, it seems the management are going to pull the plug.
The workforce will probably be laid off, but what'll happen to the bosses?
They'll probably move onto some other scam where they can fleece public money and exploit vulnerable asylum seekers whilst giving amunition to racists in Birmingham City Council like Cllr. John Lines to remove more public funding for housing refugees.
Shame on you.
Astonbrook bosses have fleeced the asylum system
who else is fleecing the system
29.05.2008 16:42
the whole system needs to be stopped and radically changed - one where landlords aren't just raking in excess of £200-00 per week per asylum seekers, one where legal reps are paid for a maximum of 4 or 5 hours of case work - this whole thing makes my blood boil!! Viva no borders!
clarence carlos