Thank You is good but is it enough?

“His genuine interest and care provided some comfort, and his advice relating to care options gave us strength to pursue some that we may otherwise have given up – or not even been aware of…….He must be new, we thought; otherwise why has he not become jaded? It turned out we were wrong and he has been doing the job for over twenty years. It must often be a difficult job; always working in unhappy circumstances, with worried people, and with limited resources. To remain optimistic and positive must require some inner strength…”

I have deliberately kept the colleague’s name out of this quote from a Thank You letter as I think so many of the colleague’s I have worked with have also received Thank You letters as well as expressions of verbal gratitude. I am often proud to be working in the profession of social work and social care because of the dedication and commitment I see in my colleagues. This is also why I and others in the union team have been arguing over the proposed grades on the new role profiles.

 

These role profiles acknowledge the changes and proposed changes to our jobs but we believe this is not reflected in the pay. The pay does not acknowledge the inherent risks our colleagues are up against (unfortunately not all contacts we have with the public result in Thank You letters) nor does it acknowledge the physical effort our colleagues will be undertaking carrying out Occupational Therapist assessments.

 

We have just sent out ballot papers to consult with colleagues in Adult Social Services regarding their pay. Colleagues should have received their papers by now. Closing date for the return of the ballot form is 4.9.09. If you are reading this and believe you should be balloted but have not received a form, please contact the UNISON office immediately (020 8359 2088).