An Inspector Calls: “Forget your people, polish your files”.
We have notice of an inspection. Understaffed, underpaid, and overworked, we click open our emails to receive the predictable exhortations: all leave cancelled, spreadsheets of cases in the frame, five-page checklists for file cleansing. Managers booking calls to (ahem) talk through the cases, quality assure our work. Of course there is time and resource to do this: they will facilitate Shut Down Days. Translated this is “Forget your people, polish your files”. An already exhausted and depleted team look defeated and stressed.
Inspections make people nervous. Area leads are nervous their area won’t get the best marks. Divisional leads are nervous their division won’t get the best marks. These two rely on our “performance” for their pay and advancement. Next rung down will have a section who are hungry and ambitious for same. Competition. They have stakes in this game.
Caseworkers: how good or bad your area, divisional or team lead looks on the back of this inspection is pretty much irrelevant. Your pay won’t go up or down. The rest of them are pushing down their anxiety onto you. Unless your work is criminal or seriously incompetent, this is all irrelevant and a distraction. Chill. I hope we can individually and together find a way to push back, failing that, if you get in a room with an inspector, just say it like it is.
PS: Is the inspectorate aware of the stress and idiocy that notice of their inspections creates? Wouldn’t unannounced inspections be a better model?
Pearly Gates
https://todayuknews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/todayuknews.com/travel/lock-down-a-new-career-by-training-as-a-prison-or-probation-officer/amp/?usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D&_js_v=a6&_gsa=1#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&csi=1&share=https%3A%2F%2Ftodayuknews.com%2Ftravel%2Flock-down-a-new-career-by-training-as-a-prison-or-probation-officer%2F
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