Who said “the job’s becoming undoable”?
Was it a nurse anticipating the criticism about to be levelled at their profession following the damming report that serious neglect exists across the NHS.
Was it the chief executive of an NHS Trust expressing anxiety about the pressure they feel under? The pressure of increased demands, the struggle to hit efficiency targets, the stress of maintaining care standards whilst cutting back posts and the challenge of delivering the governments reforms.
Was it the leader of a large Local Authority complaining about the budget settlement which favors authorities in the south of England at the expense of areas of high deprivation in the north?
Was it the head teacher of a school that had just had a critical ofsted inspection and as a result was now considered only “satisfactory” and under pressure against the wishes of parents to become an academy?
Was it a social worker faced with reviewing existing service users against the new eligibility criteria in effect removing home help support to frail elderly people, telling stressed and angry parents their son or daughter with learning disabilities no longer qualified for short stay care or explaining to a group of former psychiatric patients that their drop in centre is closing as their grant has not been renewed?
Was it a housing manager following a briefing on the impact of changes to Housing Benefit?
Was it the manager told that they could not fill any staffing vacancies, use agency staff or authorise overtime because of the budget situation?
Was it the Director told to re look at the department’s budget proposals and find another million without impacting on front line services?
Or was it the head of media and communications on learning that the latest list of banned words, not to be used in reports, press releases or emails, included, “cuts”, “redundancies” , “out sourcing” , “closures”, “service reduction”.
Blair McPherson author of Equipping managers for an uncertain future and People management in a harsh financial climate both published by Russell House www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
