Council Jobs to Go -10% Staff Saving Needed

neverdespairgirl

MrsE wrote: »

I agree totally & I've heard the same words said by social workers.

Not all of them are stereotype raving lefties who are out of touch with the real world, most of them just want to make a difference.

I'd hate to be social worker. Not much thanks or appreciation when you get things right, endless abuse from parents, relatives, etc, and a kicking in the media when it goes wrong.

Old_Slaphead

Poppy9 wrote: »

fill in stat returns for one area of the LA. I compile them according to my interpretation of the notes of guidance. Believe it or not sometimes the notes of guidance are ambigious:rolleyes: so I ring the help number and ask them what do you mean by X in para. 6.... etc. a bit of discussion takes places about why I'm not clear what figures they want etc. and they then decide to take advice and ring me back. Sometimes they don't know the answer! I'm sure there are many you don't pay much attention to the NoG and just fill in what they think is wanted.

Unless everyone compiles their stats in exactly the same way they are meaningless

The justification for having the 'gold plated' pension was that public sector workers were paid less than private. Presumably it was based on ONS stats then. Now the tables have turned you want to diss the figures.

Bit like our Labour Govt - if the numbers can't be fiddled then simply say they're unreliable or wrong when they don't suit. Also you're implying that that bastion of public sector efficiency that is the ONS don't know what they're doing ?????

Poppy9 wrote: »

so because I'm a public servant I must be a loony leftie?

Thought it went with the territory - as your union is biggest contributory to Labour Party funds

Poppy9 wrote: »

No silly, if that was my LA uniform it would have the council logo and motto on:D

So what's your motto

Poppy9 wrote: »

That's why you didn't get the public sector job, no common sense. If you are wearing a straight jacket i.e. arms tied behind your back, how would you pick up your milky drink to drink it. A public sector worker would know that the most efficent and safest (thank God for H&S training) way would be to use a straw:rotfl:

Silly the nice man in the white coat holds my milky drink while I sip it. If I'm good he might slip me a chocolate finger.

Poppy9 wrote: »

Is it right that your council tax pays for a private company to make a profit?
Shouldn't services be run on a non profit making basis to provide the best value for council tax payers?

Your Gov't obviously don't believe that - witness their fascination with PFI. I believe that the services should be run as efficiently as possible for the publc good - sometimes that requires private sector input. I presume not everybody in public services are as altruistic as you and, as private T&Cs are MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE (not) why aren't they petitioning their union for private sector ownership.

Poppy9 wrote: »

So don't believe them when it doesn't support your case but believe them when it does:confused

Et tu Brutus - you also seem to be choosing which statistics you want to believe - see comments on ONS

FWIW I fill in Gov't stats and they seem fairly straightforward (assuming of course that you're from Planet Zog which I am).

Poppy9

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

The justification for having the 'gold plated' pension was that public sector workers were paid less than private. Presumably it was based on ONS stats then. Now the tables have turned you want to diss the figures Bit like our Labour Govt - if the numbers can't be fiddled then simply say they're unreliable or wrong when they don't suit. Also you're implying that that bastion of public sector efficiency that is the ONS don't know what they're doing ?????

An example of a recent stats return (a new one from an external company employed by WAG) to ascertain unit costs. One question asked for the hourly cost of meals on wheels. Meals on wheels is contracted out to a private company and I can tell them how much we pay this company per meal and how much the client pays per meal, therefore I can tell them the total cost of the meal per client. I can't tell them an hourly cost though but this is what they wanted.


Do the private sector have to complete stat returns or are they voluntary?

Old_Slaphead wrote:

Thought it went with the territory - as your union is biggest contributory to Labour Party funds

but members can opt out of contributing to both of Unison's political funds

Old_Slaphead wrote:

So what's your motto

At the moment it's "wish you a Merry Christmas".:T :T I think since our last CEX departed we've lost logos as we had loads with him like "serving our communities", "putting people first"!

Old_Slaphead wrote:

Silly the nice man in the white coat holds my milky drink while I sip it. If I'm good he might slip me a chocolate finger.

OMG it's getting kinkier by the minute
:rotfl: :rotfl:

Old_Slaphead wrote:

Your Gov't obviously don't believe that - witness their fascination with PFI.

My Govt. Hello Gordon:D

Old_Slaphead wrote:

I believe that the services should be run as efficiently as possible for the publc good - sometimes that requires private sector input. I presume not everybody in public services are as altruistic as you and, as private T&Cs are MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE (not) why aren't they petitioning their union for private sector ownership.

I'm glad to say that the people I've worked with long term are dedicated to providing a decent public service. We get as frustrated as the next person at the system at times.

I've worked with people who've come from the private sector and some stay some don't. The ones that don't are usually the ones who dislike the equality atmostphere in the office. Regardless of grade we don't treat one another differently but some staff who've come from "outside" find it hard not having a clerk dedicated to making them coffee, photocoping, answering their phone etc. and can be a bit patronising to lower paid staff. The old hand public servants I've worked with who've usually worked their way up don't have expectations of having power!

Old_Slaphead wrote:

Et tu Brutus - you also seem to be choosing which statistics you want to believe - see comments on ONS

Goody we have something in common:D

Old_Slaphead wrote:

FWIW I fill in Gov't stats and they seem fairly straightforward (assuming of course that you're from Planet Zog which I am).

Until you start questioning the basis of your information and how it will compare to another authorities information. I've worked in the same job for two authorities so know how differently they can record information based on different organisation of services and know these will impact on our stats return. What one authority classes as a direct cost another will class as an overhead or semi overhead.

Old_Slaphead

Cheers Poppy9 - I'm sure that we could both justify our claims ad nauseum but I reckon that this line of discussion has just about run it's course.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this.

My main concern however is that as the private sector contracts (and I think that recession will go on for somewhat longer than this government expects) and given that the public sector has been significantly expanded in the last few years (between 700,000 & 1 million new jobs - depending on who's spin is to be believed) then how the hell are we going to pay for it? The Gov't tinkering with a bit of outsourcing here, a little reorg/few job losses there ain't going to solve the problem.

Projected National debt (incl. bank bailouts). PFI and projected public sector liabilities total something like £2.5trillion or £100,000 per household. Even allowing for a payback over the next 50 years thats something like £6-7000pa cost per household if financing is included.

Why aren't our young people up in arms over this because that's where the bill's going to land over the next 20 years. Everybody just seems to want to bury their heads in the sand......the current population, all of use, are just so selfish....just interested in spend,spend,spent.

Rant over.

Poppy9

I'm just stuck on the chocolate finger:rotfl:

baby_boomer

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I'd hate to be social worker. Not much thanks or appreciation when you get things right, endless abuse from parents, relatives, etc, and a kicking in the media when it goes wrong.

The few I've ever had to deal with have all been over-bearing, pompous, blinkered, self-obsessed idiots who didn't have the best interests of the children at heart and didn't understand how to co-operate with anyone.

treliac

It's interesting how people pontificate on the respective value of other people's work. Presumably when they've no real idea of what it's like to actually be there.

Poppy9

Many jobs are thankless.

OH the other night was just reversing his car out of the station when 3 women appeared to say their windows on their car in a car park nearby had been smashed in. OH had been in work since 9.30am and was due to finish at 9.30pm, it was now 9.45pm. No one else in station as it's not a public station but an admin building where officers do paperwork, keep their kit etc.

Don't think they would have been very amused if he said "sorry I'm off duty" so he went back in and took the details, created incident etc. finally finishing an hour late.

Now if the police don't forensically examine the car, catch the culprits etc. no doubt they will be moaning in the pub that the police did nothing!

scousethife

Oblivion wrote: »

You will when your taxes go up to pay for the unemployment benefits.

Dave.

What?

So we stop paying someone £400 a week and pay them £60 a week dole instead and you think that will cost us more?

You work for my council accounts section dont you!

the trout in charge of the baby p thing was on £120 grand a year and was quite clearly not worth a single penny

macaque_2

MrsE wrote: »

[/list]If ALL parents looked after their children properly there would be no baby Ps, but some don't & we need social services to try & protect children from these types of awful childhoods.
Councils DO have an interest in education. Excluded pupils (& pupils off for medical reasons) are educated by the council. SEN is dealt with by the council & much more.

Whilst I am happy to believe that they are well intentioned, it is evident that the government and the LAs are generally doing a more harm than good. They foster a dependency culture and undermine family values.