Dozens of Gloucestershire reablement workers plan industrial action this month in protest at their contracts being transferred to a private provider on 1 September. Staff—many with decades of service—say they were not properly consulted and report falling morale and mental health concerns. The council says the move is intended to keep the service sustainable and will work to minimise disruption, while stating it has not received a formal strike notice from Unison.
Dozens Of Gloucestershire Reablement Workers Plan Strike After Council Moves To Outsource Service
The reablement workers say the plans were only confirmed to them in June [Sherrie Ellie]
Dozens of reablement care workers in Gloucestershire have announced plans to strike this month in protest at plans to transfer their contracts to a private provider.
What Happened
The reablement team supports people to regain independence after a hospital stay. Staff say many team members have decades of experience and feel they were not properly consulted about the council's decision to outsource the service.
Despite working for the service for 18 years Mandy Hayward (pictured) is one of the shortest serving staff members [Mandy Hayward]
Staff Response
Worker Mandy Hayward described the situation as "heartbreaking":
"There's been no compassion, no empathy shown to us as the workers."
Sally Umpleby, who has worked with the team for 24 years, said the group represents "hundreds" of years of combined experience and that the minimum length of service among colleagues is around 16 years. "We all feel we've been disregarded as people, we're just numbers. We're sad and we're angry," she added.
The group are expected to strike this month but it's not yet clear when [Sherrie Ellie]
Council And Partners' Position
Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) says the restructuring aims to ensure the reablement service "remains sustainable for the future" and that it is working to "minimise" any disruption caused by strike action. GCC operates the service alongside partners including Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and Retain Healthcare and says it will continue to lead the service after the contractual change.
In a joint statement, GCC and its partners said they had not "received formal notification or details of a strike from Unison" but that they respect staff rights to take industrial action. They added: "We recognise and value the dedication, expertise and professionalism of reablement staff and remain committed to continuing constructive engagement with staff and trade union representatives throughout this process."
Key Dates And Concerns
Staff have been told there will be no redundancy packages; instead, employment contracts are due to transfer to the new provider on 1 September. Team members say morale and mental health have suffered since the outsourcing decision was announced. GCC says it offered HR support and has been engaging with colleagues since the decision was made in July 2025, but some staff say they were not formally informed of details until June 2026.
Outlook
The BBC understands strike action is expected to take place this month, ahead of the formal transfer to private provision. Unison has been contacted for confirmation of any formal strike notice.
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