Somerset adult learning disabilities tribunal settled

Somerset County Council awarded the contract for adult learning disability services to Discovery in 2017

Somerset County Council has agreed to pay Unison £674,000 following a legal challenge over privatising the county's learning disability services.

The case was brought against Somerset County Council and Discovery (part of the Dimensions Group Ltd).

Unison argued the council had failed to inform and consult about the impact of the transferral of the services on 1,100 employees.

The union said the money will be used to compensate its affected members.

In a statement, the council said it believed it had "fulfilled obligations in relation to the transfer" but would settle to prevent "a protracted legal hearing with the potential for further action".

The council said the decision to transfer the service in 2017 was taken "so that services could be modernised and become sustainable" and to provide "more community-based support".

Unison said when Discovery was awarded the contract it rolled out a cost-cutting programme that led to "a significant number of redundancies" leaving remaining care, support and administrative staff "worried their pay and conditions would be downgraded, or they could lose their jobs".

A spokesperson said: "As a result of the agreement Unison will now work with Dimensions to secure a better deal for staff."