TR Week Twenty Seven 2

Another one bites the dust. I have just been offered, and will accept, a post of Senior Social Work Practitioner at a local CMHT. This follows 14 years as a PO, most of which I have enjoyed. However, the past two years have been absolutely miserable, and I must safeguard my health. Here is to all of us, leaving or staying.

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I'm 30+ years in, single parent, dependent child in higher education to support, CQSW + social work degree and thought about application to CMHT but would have meant £5k salary drop which I can't afford as am top of salary PO scale. What's the deal in CMHT if you don't mind me asking? I was told that I would have to do approved social worker training or what ever it's called these days and hence come in at a lower salary. Thanks.

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Ha, me too, same circumstances, time served and thinking similarly. Can't help thinking the plan is too get rid of people like us though, so in a way it does feel like letting them win.

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I am at the top of my salary scale as a PO too. I have been appointed as a Senior SW which starts at £35k+. In two years or so I will start to undertake AMPH training. With your incredible level of experience I would look for Senior SW jobs so you will be able to afford the move; totally get why you are cautious about financial implications, but do have a look around. Good luck. 

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The relationship between the HMIP inspector and the Director of Sodexo Justice Services has compromised the competition absolutely. He should not be fired. Sodexo should be disqualified from the bidding process.

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Heard today that NPS POs will be able to be directed to work anywhere in the "region" they work in, because we are now civil servants and therefore viewed as a mobile workforce. So, technically living in Northumberland and having spent the 25+ years working in Northumbria, I could be told that I am no longer needed where I am working and should report to an office in Humberside or Yorkshire on Monday. Am I just being told rubbish or what?

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No, you aren't being told rubbish. But in reality, civil service mobility requirements are rarely (if ever) enforced because they are expensive. If you are sent to Humberside and need to move house, the move would have to be at public expense. If you don't move, but have a longer journey to work, they would have to pay you excess fares allowance.

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Not safe and an absolute nightmare. It is appalling. Records and assessments incorrect or simply AWOL. So called managers notable by their absence, increasingly away on jollies to Newbold Revel doing what? They choose not to tell. The IT probably does suggest there are fewer cases, the system is a failure and the records are a complete mess. As the IT is clearly designed from the managerial and monitoring perspective first and practitioner use an afterthought, no doubt it was also designed in the first instance to be easily manipulated to provide their preferred statistics. Notice how the managers and senior admin get to go on the training ahead of everyone else. They never seem to come back with the knowledge of how to make it work for the practitioner.

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Hear Hear. I don't think "nightmare" covers it. Managers who couldn't give a rat's a**e about what practitioners are faced with, whose sole aim seems to be about themselves and how to climb the slippery pole. An IT system that is simply not fit for purpose and no thought about systems that are needed because the Trusts are no longer around. A tsunami of contradictory instructions etc etc. Oh God let me find a way out of here!

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I agree about the degree of fear in the public/privatised sector in general. I work in the third sector and we are extremely wary of criticising either local or national bodies. My experience in working for both national and local bodies is that these organisations “do not forgive or forget”. I too post anonymously for that reason.

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Contracts to be signed by next Monday!

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I'm off work then. Can the make it Wednesday? I just want to go in and show them my new stress management tip. It's called 'not giving a fuck about my job'. To top it off I've just heard that the Government are looking to make massive cuts next year and I'll probably get laid off.

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Final contracts to be signed 18/19th December if they go ahead (ref JR outcome) before that there will be signing off of various "schedules" of the contract - look out for your CEO popping into London, not for Christmas shopping but to sign off their part of the deal at expensive lawyers offices - will there be a signing ceremony with smiley faces all round? 

The final deal will certainly have the Grinch's smiling mug on it since the sell off may be the only one thing that he has achieved in this Parliament!

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What happens to Partners who currently work with and have long standing contracts with Probation? They have been kept out of the loop.

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My family and friends have been very supportive but still have no real understanding of the psychological stressors I am carrying. My caseload consists of very broken women who daily report crisis after crisis. I try and put aside my own anger and sadness at what is happening but I fear it is catching up with me as I had my first sick day for six years yesterday. This blog has so far enabled me to carry on thus far - and keep as sane as possible in these troubling times!

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"The criminal justice system is designed to catch small fish". I am depressed, but going through the motions, to keep roof over head. The same intelligence, perception, sense of humanity and public service that brought most of us to this work is the reason for our outrage at the smirking, immorality of those abusing their power. There are two types of people, those who do want, and those who don't want, power over others. Maybe it will take only the great leveller to force them to take a moment to reflect. Or maybe not. Who knows.

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I cannot describe my emotions reading this guest blog. I am on sick leave with work related stress, never having experienced anything similar in thirty years of working. I began to have really disturbed sleep and developed irritable bowel syndrome which had to be controlled by medication. Never having bothered my GP before, it was he who put everything together and asked me how are things at work?

The TR changes and chaos came for me at a time when I had already had a really stressful series of events at work, starting with being attacked by a high risk offender in the office. I can't reveal other events here as that would identify me. I learnt the value of management soft skills by their absence when I had a change of manager. I was viewed as a hard working individual and because of this it was assumed I could cope with anything, but everyone has a breaking point and I did not recognise when mine was approaching and neither did anyone else.

Now we are under the NPS, no managers know the systems and occupational health have offered solutions which are simply not being actioned. That is the reality of NPS at this time. I want to be well enough to get back to work, but the strategies identified by occupational health are simply being ignored by management. I should have been referred back to occ health 3 weeks ago but it still has not been actioned. My GP has seen my original occ health report and says it is the employer's responsibility to sort this and you are not going back to work until they do so as work has made me ill.

I would love to be able to resign but truly cannot afford to so I may have to return to work unwell. One final note, it is really this blog that has kept me going - you might not believe me but I feel this is at least a testament to what is happening to decent hard-working staff who frankly, deserved better.

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Stressed staff do not let anyone down, they are the ones let down because their health and well-being are destroyed. Thank God it is Friday...

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Absolutely damned right my friend - I hope you an all my colleagues out there have a good weekend and a rest from the dire conditions we all work in. We are an eclectic bunch, with all our differences and views of the wold but we have to look after each other and care for each other as best we can. I too am on the sick and am dreading going back. What keeps me going is that we do have a chance of defeating Grayling - and no matter what happens, I am proud that we have tried so hard to fight TR. There are many more fights to come I feel.

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At this time I go to work everyday with a heavy heart and wondering what trauma the day will bring. I see staff laughing and I still see staff crying. What I do hear everyday by at least 95% of staff is 'if only I could get my redundancy'. Most staff cannot afford to leave but are trying hard to find alternative employment. They are not unhappy with the job they do with service users, they are unhappy about the changes being imposed which they know will fail those service users, victims, public and ourselves. Chaos reigns day by day. For those who have posted their stories, I wish you well. Take care of yourselves first and foremost. There are many of your colleagues and friends across this country who share your pain.

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The rubbish being spouted by managers. 'Ella Rabaiotti ‏@ellarabaiotti Dec 3 @Wales CRC positive introductory meeting with WorkingLinks today. Looking forward to feeding back to my team. feeling optimistic'. She won't be optimistic when the new staff contracts come in.

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That is what all CRC CEO's are saying. The bidders could take a massive dump on the conference table and shout swear words at the CEO's and they would say "positive meeting with bidders".

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Having read the guest blog which I very much could relate to, I was left feeling very choked and my heart went out to the author. Then I started reading the responses and emotions ran high and I wanted to give you all a hug and tell you to keep strong and my thoughts are with you. The situation has become worse for me since TR, but nothing compared to yourselves. It pains me to hear what is happening in other offices and how staff are being treated. The officer with the SFO I am sure would not want a medal, but deserved one for the commitment. Management may not have acknowledged but believe in the difference you made in those people's lives and be proud. Very proud. Blessings to you all. Strength and courage. Be kind to yourselves and continue to believe in what you do and the difference you make. Xx

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Hey! Get this! Trainees all over the place are having their wages reduced! We thought it was because they couldn't do much work cos they still haven't been CRB checked but no, its just MoJ incompetence. Some are getting paid less than they should, some are getting paid twice, some aren't getting paid at all..happy ##@$&%xmas from the MoJ!

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Temps that have previously been working for NPS can start straight away with CRC but I know of someone who temped for CRC but has to wait for DBS checking and go via Brook St to do the exact same role in NPS. Common sense has left the building.

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£8.50 an hour - what fooking planet are these people on??

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£8.50 an hour...so starts the recruitment of the recently retired....

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I happen to know that Sodexo paid £150 per day to ex probation staff who worked on the winning bid for Northumbria....