Responding to United Voices of the World (UVW)’s ongoing discussions with Solace regarding frontline colleagues, Nahar Choudhury, chief executive of Solace, said: “Ensuring that survivors receive the highest quality of support and protecting staff wellbeing is our top priority. Solace and the local authorities that fund our services adhere to safe caseload levels, in line with national standards set by Safe Lives. We recognise that supporting survivors is demanding work and therefore provide a comprehensive wellbeing offer to support colleagues, alongside a regular review of caseloads for each staff member and service.
“We continue to reach out to Barnet SASS team members, both individually and as a team, to better understand the issues raised on the ballot and remain open to discussions. We believe getting around the table will create the best resolution for staff and survivors.
“Regarding the recognition agreement, we made no promises nor guarantees: earlier in the year Solace said we were open to exploring a voluntary recognition agreement with UVW but, after careful consideration, we’ve concluded that entering into an agreement would not be in the best interests of Solace colleagues at this time.”