Features
| WHAT THE MEMBERS SAY
Belinda Burton, a support staff member at Holyrood Comprehensive School in Chard, Somerset, says she could earn more at her local Tesco. As predicted by the Audit Commission report her strong sense of attachment holds her back from doing this. But she had no difficulty in taking part in the national local government strike in July against an offer she described as 'laughable'. Unfortunately others might just opt for the local supermarket. And Lynne McGurk visits vulnerable adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems who live alone, for Newcastle city council. She too is angry at the poor financial recognition: "I voted in favour [of strike action in July] because there is only so much you can take - I feel devalued." |
A key efficiency watchdog has warned that central government must give greater support to public sector workers to stave off severe staffing problems. Laurence Pollock talks to workers at the sharp end of public service provision
Too much for too little?
The 
Audit Commission report 'Recruitment and Retention: A public service workforce for the 21st century', published last week, says employers must understand why staff leave, and what could encourage them to stay.
Information on turnover and staff shortages is either difficult to obtain or hard to use for comparisons - nursing vacancies, for example, are rising in Scotland but falling in England.
A great deal of central government effort goes into recruitment - but not enough, apparently, into the causes of people leaving an occupation or profession. The Audit Commission's report says that only one in five public sector employers carry out exit interviews to shed light on this critical area.
Crisis point
The survey on which the report is based, discovered that former public sector workers felt the government depended too much on staff commitment to improve services, in an environment where they felt unable to meet rising public expectations. It also identified London and the south east as nearing 'crisis point' with stress as the top reason for leaving.
Paradoxically, two in every five interviewed said they had joined the public sector to 'make a difference'. This desire is what keeps many people working in often-tough situations, the Commission says. But the report shows that many workers feel too much bureaucracy prevents them from fulfilling that aim.
Audit Commission Controller Sir Andrew Foster said it was vital that employers and the government learned how to keep high-calibre staff in the public services.
"It's not just about pay, and it's not just about managing the big changes currently taking place within the public sector. It is about valuing existing staff, about learning from their experiences in the workplace and using this information to improve the environment in which they work.
"We should all seek opportunities to value rather than devalue the contribution of public service workers so that truly committed people can continue to make a difference."
Professional input
The attractions of working in the public sector are still strong. An initiative called Teach for London has just been launched. It invites established professionals to spend two years in urban classrooms before returning to high-flying careers.
The scheme is based on Teach for America, which was an outstanding success in the US. And there is increasing evidence of well-qualified employees leaving the private sector for greater personal rewards in teaching. Nevertheless, the Times Education Supplement last month reported that nearly 4,000 teaching posts were unfilled in state secondary schools.
It is often in relatively unglamorous - but hugely important - areas of public services, such as social care, where the strains are showing most. And often better pay is the only answer.
Making a difference
Government rhetoric stresses that public sector workers must 'reform' and 'deliver' higher quality services. Now the Audit Commission, with impeccable authority, has made clear the importance of encouraging public sector staff - not lecturing them. Thousands have left already and the reasons are very clear. But thousands more still remain and it is vital that their loyalty and commitment is recognised.
Malcolm Wing, UNISON national secretary, welcomed the report and added: "This survey, and the conclusions drawn from it, back up what thousands of our members have been telling us.
"They work in our public services because they want to make a difference to the lives of ordinary people. But tens of thousands are being driven from their jobs by a lack of resources leading to unmanageable workloads, feeling undervalued, and a change agenda that feels imposed and irrelevant. They want improved pay, but they also want better support and extra resources to enable them to do their jobs properly.
"All too often, both employers and the government expect too much for too little."
Contact the article's author Laurence Pollock
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In July local government workers went on strike over pay, a big factor in the current crisis in staffing levels
UNISON'S RESPONSE The union says the new report clearly shows there is a major crisis in public sector staffing. Deputy general secretary Keith Sonnet said: "The government must deal with this crisis now by making sure that there are decent wages and conditions. It can no longer take for granted the goodwill and commitment of the public sector workforce. The national pay strike in local government showed that workers no longer feel valued or respected. "The government must accept that better pay and conditions attract motivated people to help deliver those world class public services it is seeking." |
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