Redundancy

[Laura_E]

I had a meeting with my manager this morning and found out that our budget has been cut by 5 million, so redundancies are inevitable.

 

I work within the Children's Services department for the local authority, providing essential services for some of the most vulnerable young people in the borough. I knew that I would probably be out of a job if the Tories got in, but it wasn't until I heard it this morning that it actually sank in. It is also quite concerning that they won't be putting other provisions in place to help these young people, so what happens to them?

 

It seems incredibly unfair that people in the public sector, who provide essential services to the country, are having to pay the price for the mistakes made by those in the wealthiest positions. To put salt in the wounds, they'll still be receiving their christmas bonuses this year whilst the rest of us struggle to keep a roof over our heads.

 

Having always worked in the public sector, (prior to this I worked for the Prison Service), I have never received a bonus or any sort of financial reward for my hard work, but I did at least look forward to a tiny pay increment at the end of each year. Admittedly it was only ever something like £50 a year, but nonetheless it was something. But the government have put a stop to that now too.

 

My manager also added that the council will be offering us the absolute bare minimum redundancy package, so unless I find a job to move into straight away, I don't know what I'll do. I've been looking on job websites this afternoon, but there really isn't much around. The only jobs I have found that are remotely related to my skill set are based on the other side of London and offering salaries that are considerably lower than what I receive at the moment. I don't mind travelling, but it does mean that I'll have to spend a lot more money on travelling expenses and day care for Tess, as I won't be able to get back at lunch time to walk her. At present I earn a pretty good wage, but still have to work two additional part-time jobs to pay my mortgage. So if I did have to relocate I would really struggle.

 

Sorry if this post sounds self pitying and self indulgent. I know that people everywhere are having to deal with the same thing. I am sure I will sort something out, just seems a bit over-whelming at the moment!

[Jazz]

im sorry to hear that. I hope things get sorted for you xxxx

[Laurel n Hardy]

for you Laura, hope it works out for you

[Jacobean]

Laura I'm so sorry you've been caught up in all of this. It's very worrying for you being on your own with a mortgage. Have been in the same situation myself and it all worked out fine. Job situation is dire so have a think about your cv and where your skills could be used in alternative roles.

[owl]

 

It seems incredibly unfair that people in the public sector, who provide essential services to the country, are having to pay the price for the mistakes made by those in the wealthiest positions. To put salt in the wounds, they'll still be receiving their christmas bonuses this year whilst the rest of us struggle to keep a roof over our heads.

 

Too right I feel for you and everyone in this position.

 

I'm also concerned by the disastrous combination of denying support to vulnerable young people at the same time as getting offenders who would normally have short prison sentences into community service instead. While I think prison for minor offences tends to do more harm than good, it looks to me as if cutting services like yours which help to keep people out of trouble is very short sighted. We could end up with more youngsters on the wrong side of the law, and a very overloaded probation and community service section. Wonder if the government are planning on cutting that as well.

[Marie Claire]

Laura, really sorry to hear you might be out of a job soon. What a worrying time for you and your colleagues and awful that such vital services are being cut. Sending you and lots of positive vibes your way. Marie-Claire x

[Fee]

I'm really sorry to hear this Laura, I really hope you manage to find something else that works for you

 

This sort of thing makes me so angry - cutting these services is so short sighted and a false economy in the long run . Dealing with the consequences of not providing help to vulnerable young people is going to be much more expensive - and of course the effect on the young people themselves of having their support withdrawn is going to be devastating

 

Typical short term cost-cutting with nobody caring what happens past the date of the next election.

[BillyMalc]

I'm out of work too at the moment and having to pimp myself apply for jobs left,right and centre. I'm not just angry that people in public services are having their jobs cut, I'm angry so many people are having their jobs cut! Whether it's a manager in a big company, someone who works in the public sector or a cleaner, we all contribute to this society in one way or another.

 

What p1sses me off most is that it's now so much an employer's market that they really can afford to demand the sun, the moon and the stars on a silver plate for an absolute pittance: 40 hours a week, demanding jobs for £13K a year! I have an interview tomorrow afternoon, which is quite lucky in itself. The job pays less than an admin job I was in 10 years ago ...

[cycas]

I hope you are able to find something else Laura, and agree that cutting frontline services to young people is SUCH a bad choice.

 

I have done contract work for a few publicly funded bodies, and I know that there is plenty of pointless and irritating waste going on there and has been for years: people spending money as if it grew on trees in order to make sure they spend up to their budgets rather than putting it back in the pot to go towards something important. I just hope that some of the people responsible for that are going to lose their jobs too : we could well do without them!

 

[Anniegirl]

We are going through huge redundancies in our public sector organisation at the moment, over 200 people will loose their jobs. If I am totally honest, they are not key services and an easy 'kill' for the government (and happened within two weeks of them getting in), but they are still hard working people with families etc who will be out of work . At the moment my side of the organisation is not being hit, but I am certain it will not be long, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the whole organisation goes!

[owl]

Typical short term cost-cutting with nobody caring what happens past the date of the next election.

 

And that date may well be sooner than expected if the government carries on like this. They are a naive government, which is not a good thing for their survival. I think they have underestimated the intelligence of the electorate. Thatcher got away with telling people that their misery and unemployment was for the ultimate good of the country for a long time only because she was a brilliant, astute and ruthless politician. I don't think these guys are going to manage that.

 

What annoys me is that areas of stupid mis-spending have not been tackled. In our local NHS trusts for example, people tender for contracts for supplying various items. This means that the hospitals can't allow maintenance people to get commonly needed items at the lowest price from the nearest hardware stores. In one particular city, they are not allowed to walk down the road to B&Q, pick up what they need and claim for it. They have to cross the city by taxi to get the item at a higher price from the firm which holds the contract, or get it sent by courier.

[Laura_E]

I'm out of work too at the moment and having to pimp myself apply for jobs left,right and centre. I'm not just angry that people in public services are having their jobs cut, I'm angry so many people are having their jobs cut! Whether it's a manager in a big company, someone who works in the public sector or a cleaner, we all contribute to this society in one way or another.

 

I didn't mean to make it sound like I think my job is any more important than the next persons. I know that up until recently the private sector has been hit much harder than the public sector. I just find it quite worrying that some very vulnerable young people are now going to be effectively abandoned.

 

The Tories are very much of the opinion that people should stand on their own two feet, and I actually agree with that ethos, however, some people need help to achieve this. Most of the young people that I work with come from very dysfuctional families and have never had any positive role models in their lives, or in some cases, somebody that even gives a toss about them. So it is quite sad and concerning that alternative provisions aren't being put in place to help them, they're not suddenly going to stop having these problems because the government doesn't prioritise their needs highly enough.

 

Like Fee and Owl both pointed out, the long term consequences of withdrawing this support will not only have an inevitably negative impact on the young people themselves, but also the wider community. I'm obviously not just referring to the youth service when I say this, I know that the probation and youth offending services have also had massive cuts. Several of my friends were made redundant from Surrey probation service last year, and the remaining staff have been expected to take over responsibility for their clients- meaning that they are now juggling caseloads of up to 50+. No matter how good you are at your job, you simply can't provide a quality service to that many people, particularly not when they have such high levels of need.

 

But of course, despite all of the above, I am also pretty peeved about the fact that I am highly likely to lose a job that I enjoy and have worked so hard at over the years. But things could always be worse and I am fully aware that there are plenty of people in a similar, if not worse, situation. At least I only have to worry about looking after myself (and of course the animals) whereas some people have families to support.