Care Workers Strike 2026: Outsourcing Plans Trigger Major Protest in Gloucestershire
Care workers in Gloucestershire are preparing for potential strike action following plans to transfer their reablement service from the local council to a private provider.
Reablement workers help people regain their independence after illness, injury, or hospitalisation. Staff working for Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) say they are deeply concerned about the planned outsourcing of their contracts and the impact it could have on workers and service users.
The planned industrial action is expected to take place this month, ahead of the transfer to a private provider on 1 September 2026.
Workers Raise Concerns Over Outsourcing
Some members of the reablement team have expressed anger and disappointment over the decision.
Mandy Hayward, a member of the team, said workers felt there had been little compassion or empathy throughout the process.
Sally Umpleby, who has worked with the service for 24 years, said the team has accumulated hundreds of years of combined experience.
She said the shortest-serving member of the team had been there for 16 years and that many workers felt they had been treated as numbers rather than individuals.
Staff have also raised concerns about morale and the potential impact of the changes on their mental wellbeing.
Contracts to Transfer to Private Provider
Under the current plans, workers will not receive redundancy packages. Instead, their employment contracts are expected to transfer to the new provider on 1 September.
The reablement service is currently delivered by GCC alongside organisations including Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and Retain Healthcare.
The council says residents will continue to receive support designed to help them regain independence, while GCC will remain responsible for leading the service despite the change in delivery arrangements.
Council Responds to Strike Threat
Gloucestershire County Council said the changes are intended to ensure the service remains sustainable in the future.
The council also said it is taking steps to minimise the potential impact of industrial action on residents who rely on reablement support.
GCC said staff had been offered support through its HR team and that engagement with employees had continued since the outsourcing decision was made in July 2025.
However, workers told the BBC that they did not receive formal confirmation about the plans until June 2026.
Union Involvement
GCC and its partner organisations said they had not received formal notification from Unison confirming strike action, although they acknowledged and respected workers’ right to take industrial action.
A council spokesperson said the organisations value the professionalism, experience, and dedication of reablement staff and remain committed to engaging constructively with workers and trade union representatives.
The BBC reported that strike action could take place before the service is transferred to the private provider.
Unison has been contacted for confirmation of the proposed industrial action.
What Happens Next?
The planned transfer has created significant concern among workers who fear changes to their employment conditions and the future of the service.
With the proposed transfer scheduled for 1 September 2026, attention will now focus on whether strike action goes ahead and how the council and private provider respond to staff concerns while protecting services for vulnerable residents.
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