Adult social work staff working for Isle of Wight Council won’t undertake on-call standby shifts over proposed changes forcing them on to a mandatory, rather than voluntary, rota systen, says UNISON. Employees on standby are required to respond to emergencies over the telephone or in person outside working hours. Although this has always had an impact on their work-life balance – plus their family, care, and social commitments – staff found a consensus between them to ensure there was 24-hour cover, says the union. However, moves to impose a new compulsory scheme on the 90 affected staff have caused anger. Social workers have already agreed overwhelmingly to take industrial action, and the initial withdrawal of goodwill on standby shifts could develop into a strike, UNISON says. James Smith, UNISON South East regional organiser, has said:
“This dispute could be resolved speedily. However it requires managers to halt their current proposals and involve staff in developing a workable alternative. “Unfortunately, the council’s combative stance has made an issue that could have been resolved through agreement much more challenging. “A long-term solution can be found, but pressing ahead with these plans could endanger the stability of this vital service.”
Mark Chiverton, UNISON Isle of Wight local government branch secretary, adds:
“This is an award-winning social work team that’s always worked extremely hard to ensure Isle of Wight residents are provided with an excellent service seven days a week, 24 hours a day. “They’ve achieved that through consensus and working with the council. That’s what makes these new proposals so disappointing. “We’ve seen how successful constructive talks can be in avoiding disputes. Staff are happy to consider alternatives, but only if there’s an agreement that works for social workers.”
The Isle of Wight Council has issued the following statement The standby arrangements are essential to ensure we support and keep safe vulnerable Island residents outside of our core business hours and are able to respond to their emergency situation. Providing emergency and crisis support is within the contract employment for all social workers and social work assistants employed by the council. We want to reassure Islanders that their care arrangements will not be affected by any strike action and that, with the support of some incredibly dedicated members of our staff team, we have put in place emergency cover to ensure that we have business continuity arrangements for the duration of any such action. Laura Gaudion, the Isle of Wight Council’s Director of Adult Social Care and Housing said:
“Social work is not, nor has it ever been, a Monday to Friday 9 – 5 role. People cannot plan for social care emergencies and crisis and the majority of crisis situations develop outside of core business hours.” “The standby arrangements are essential to ensure that we safeguard and support Island residents. The essential nature of this part of our service is recognised by some of our staff and they have stepped forward to continue to support the provision of the standby service in spite of the industrial action. I am humbled by their dedication to their roles and by their compassion for local residents. “They are going above and beyond to ensure that vulnerable members of our community are able to access the support that they may need in a crisis and to them I am incredibly grateful.” “It is really important to me that at this stage we continue to try to all work together to find a resolution and I remain committed to the ongoing engagement with UNISON and staff directly.”
And so the Tory rot continues, cut services to the bone and force good hard working people to quit. Well done tory voters, you’re destroying the island.
Never let the facts get in the way of your weekly myopic rant, this is not about cuts in service and as an aside the IOW has the highest proportion of socal workers to population outside of wales, this is all about screwing more money out of the system ,yes we will cover the shifts we have to but we want more for it.
But still not enough to cover need. That IS a Tory failing. And read it again, the argument is about VOLUNTARY overtime as opposed to MANDATORY. As in changing the terms of the original contract without consultation. A bit like someone else suddenly decided you must work every Sunday.
Grow up. You lefty mug
He is a hopeless idiot. According to him the Tories are responsible for everything bad in the world. He is like a dog that won’t let go of a toy, best to just ignore his constant rants about the Tories and maybe one day he will wise up and shut up.
You lazy gits.you get payed well …just do your jobs WE pay our taxes for or step aside
Looks like they’ll step aside then….leaving nobody to do the job. Nice one Joe.
Surely, a mandatory rather than voluntary system would ensure fairness; otherwise, the system is prone to abuse and bullying, resulting in some staff members being forced into doing more than their fair share.
Like suddenly changing your working contract from 40 to 48 hours a week without consultation and agreement? And then when the workload is still too much for the staff they have left, changing again from 48 to 56 hours?
Twaddle. Maybe you think we should never change anything ever but change is often for the better. Read the article – “proposed changes” not imposed changes. The staff are already operating this standby system because it is needed. Clearly, such an ad hoc system is a headache to operate and goodwill usually runs out because people without kids (or with grown-up kids)) are always expected to pick up the slack, which is unfair. Been there done that. Given that there are 90 staff, a mandatory rota system would mean that everyone does a few standby shifts each year rather than some poor f*ckers getting dumped on all the time.
Really, it’s not a few, and the proposals are every week. Why? Because it’s cheaper to pay overtime than employ more staff with the added cost of pensions contributions, employer NI contributions, holiday entitlement etc etc. The effect is that already overworked staff have to work more hours, bigger caseloads and that then leads to staff sickness absences and resignations. Same has happened in teaching and the NHS and why there is a staffing crisis across all sectors. It’s a zero-sum game and the losers are the end user. That’s all of us, eventually.
Why would the council employ extra staff to cover emergency situations? Do you really want them to employ extra staff to twiddle their thumbs waiting for an emergency? You spout off like you understand what is needed (obviously not all 90 staff would be on standby every week you twit!) but you are just making it up to promote your anti-government agenda, which is getting very boring because we all know that the Tories are gone. The obvious fair solution is to operate a standby rota and all should participate. I assume that the council will pay a standby allowance like any other job that operates a standby system. Operating a standby system based on goodwill just pisses off those who do more than their fair share. Been there.
Once again, some jobsworth at the council seems to think that forcing people to work is the answer. Voluntary is win win for the council and workers. Mandatory systems are win for the council, lose for the worker. Unless the arrangement is win win for both, then it is doomed to failure.
Social workers should immediately cease all overtime, all voluntary cover, whether it be in hours or out of hours and cease all standby cover.
When the council realise that power lies with the actual worker, in a sector that is understaffed and under appreciated, then they will correct their mistake.
fact is – unless the council are going to do the social work, then social workers have the power.
Probably safer for anyone who comes in contact with social workers to be looked after by someone who supposedly doesnt know what they are doing, social workers do not have a track record of protecting children and vulnerable people. In fact they need to be protected from social workers..
i am sure who ever came up with the idea has their evenings/ nights/ weekends free.
Sack them and save some money and reduce our Council tax
Longs the strike day pay they don’t get gets a reduction in our council tax?
Just who do this council think they are? What right do they think they have to dictate how workers want to work, and risk ruining their quality of life for their own gain? They have too much power over what people want to do with their lives. Good on UNISON for sticking up for them. This government has betrayed every working person, every pensioner and every disabled person. Neither this government or this council is fit for purpose the way it treats it’s working citizens, and the government is guilty of treason for allowing illegal immigrants to invade our country and then give them priority over us.
union will stab them in the back eventually , like the postmen/women did.
Social Workers are vital to ensuring adults are given a voice to advocate and navigate the care system to access the support and services they need to lead an independent and fulfilled life. They work hard to promote equality and celebrate diversity the work is challenging and stressful at times due to high levels of caseloads they are also entitled to ‘a life outside of work’ and ‘to be treated with respect’.
Reading all the comments from Island Echo and IW County Press on this strike action. That one person at the top of Adult services within County Hall has attempted to sweep clean without little if any consultation with the workforce. I hear through jungle drums that Director of Adult Services, is an autocratic bully who will only listen to her way. She has little if any empathy for her workforce, and is not bothered who she upsets within her Adult services.
Being a Social worker is a very demanding a busy job, working with elderly service users who have demanding circumstances, which need intense planning within current legislation to supply suitable care. All for a mediocre wage for a high stressed job. I know having been their.
They are bullies,Service Manager up including director. They don’t have a clue what Social Workers actually do and couldn’t do the job themselves. Problem with Social Workers being Duty out of hours is it stops you doing anything while waiting for the call , which often doesn’t come, not sure how many would want to do that for 24hrs for £30. They are already often doing 40/45/50 hours and only get paid for 37hrs. No private business,NHS, Police etc force that – they pay overtime . Moral is one of most important things to healthy, hardworking and loyal work force. If the idiots who made decision without consultation continue,then they will very quickly be loosing workers. Children’s Services no better,having to use agency workers.
I’m a senior manager and continue to support all of my teams at the front end and work with clients. Including covering out of hours weekends and nights.
As soon as someone dies or is seriously injured because there is no cover, then the head of adult services will be removed, as she is ultimately responsible.
It is her job to ensure that the workforces life/work balance is maintained which contributes her MANDATORY RESPONSIBILITY of prioritising her workforces mental/physical and emotional health over her personal agenda. If the workers are tired, those they care for suffer.
Doesn’t happen with IOW council,it should. Here you get promoted or get good reference to move to another Authority, same as CEOs here, fail and get a better offer. Look at Duckworth ,he ensured council failed in children’s services, adults and in general, but now has another CEO job and £50 grand added bringing salary to almost £200,000. Much more than a Priminster. Adult managers are trying to avoid spending to save a few quid but then costs 100x more.eg won’t pay for home care to keep someone at home,few hundred and rather spend £1000+ in poor residential. Bed blocking at StMarys the same – down to council, slow , processes and constant assesment, meetings instead of practical help for person. Workers leave then pay Agency workers double
Like a lot of jobs these days peoplevwant the money but don’t want to work for it . Like a lot of workplaces these days . No wonder this country is so far behind.
We really don’t want our social workers knackered.
If you read up on any of the tragic cases on the mainland when a child comes to serious harm, it is because social workers are tired & overstretched, their case loads are unmanageable & they are poorly led.
We don’t want that to happen here.
Moving to a different system of cover looks like a recipe for disaster.
I fart too much all the time
There are some people that actually prefer working nights, others days…encourage the staff to fill the rota and you will more than likely have a happier workforce. Force them to do something they don’t want, see sickness and absenteeism rocket and then the serious incidents will follow.
Isle of Wight Council be on warning, that when one of your over pressured Adult services workforce, makes a mistake or commits Suicide due to overwork pressures you will be sued through the Courts ! You have a duty of care to your workforce ! Sack the idiot leader of Adult services who start this debacle.
You won’t win anything with Mark Chiverton, he is more council than the council itself! The biggest waste of space anyone ever employed! Never has he been for members only himself!!
Im sorry iv no sympathy for soscial workers more so in family courts. The children that have been let down. Killed. Sosciel workers who dont turn up to house visits. Yet will put in for the pay. No majority let us down