{"id":1333,"date":"2013-08-09T17:00:56","date_gmt":"2013-08-09T16:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bsb.lasunison.com\/?p=1333"},"modified":"2013-08-09T18:21:47","modified_gmt":"2013-08-09T17:21:47","slug":"chaos-and-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/?p=1333","title":{"rendered":"Chaos And Conflict."},"content":{"rendered":"

Change is never easy.\u00c2\u00a0It is much harder\u00c2\u00a0when few people support it. It is harder still if it\u00c2\u00a0is imposed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Good change mainly\u00c2\u00a0comes from the bottom upwards and\u00c2\u00a0not from the top downwards.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the very least there should be a consensus about changes. When the majority support change, that change is unstoppable and\u00c2\u00a0irreversible and\u00c2\u00a0drives people along\u00c2\u00a0like a tidal wave.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, when change is not supported and is seen simply\u00c2\u00a0as a tool to disenfranchise, demoralise and divide, then you get chaos and conflict.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As someone once said, “All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward”.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Welcome to the world of Chaos and Conflict!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chaos: Our A&E Support\u00c2\u00a0members are going through a huge period of uncertainty as changes to their working practices and Job Description (JD)\u00c2\u00a0may be imposed. <\/strong><\/p>\n

I write ‘may be’ because the process of transition from their current role (urgent care) into the proposed role (paramedic assistant for want of a better term) has not yet been clarified. <\/strong><\/p>\n

More worryingly, the procedure that will be used to manage and to help those members of staff who are unable, or unwilling,\u00c2\u00a0to make the transition has yet to be shared and agreed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Staff-Side and\u00c2\u00a0Management have met to discuss the likely job demands of this new post as per Section 5 of the National Job Evaluation (JE)\u00c2\u00a0Handbook. The likely job demands should be reflected within a Job Description.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although Staff-Side have gained changes to the original Job Description sent out to staff on 2nd July 2013, there are still some serious disagreements. We have concerns with major areas within the Job Description\u00c2\u00a0as it stands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What we see as the likely demands of the job, is not what Management see. Although we are not\u00c2\u00a0a million miles\u00c2\u00a0apart, you will still need a sat-nav to get from one view of the job to the other (Managements’ sat-nav\u00c2\u00a0should be telling them to ‘make a U turn when possible’)!<\/strong><\/p>\n

This Job Description, in\u00c2\u00a0our view,\u00c2\u00a0places too much responsibility on the Paramedic because it ties the hands of, and de-skills, the A&E Support member of staff. This is being done to ‘squeeze’ staff into a particular pay band. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Management, of course, deny this.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Management have, however, sent this Job Description\u00c2\u00a0out to staff as ‘final’.<\/strong><\/p>\n

‘Final’ is\u00c2\u00a0such an\u00c2\u00a0uncompromising word.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, they sent the wrong one out!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Confusion for staff -\u00c2\u00a0Chaos for the process.<\/strong><\/p>\n

__________<\/p>\n

Conflict: Paramedics: the forgotten professionals\u00c2\u00a0throughout this are being taken for granted. <\/strong><\/p>\n

A huge amount of responsibility is being put on their shoulders (whether they like it or not)\u00c2\u00a0because of the restrictions being imposed by Management within the Job Descriptions of A&E Support Staff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paramedics will be held more accountable then they have ever been. This would be no problem (they are professionally registered with the HCPC\u00c2\u00a0and have a clinical responsibility) if the\u00c2\u00a0colleague they work with didn’t have a ‘ball and chain’ Job Description around their ankles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me be clear so that some people cannot continue to\u00c2\u00a0misrepresent where UNISON stands. We support Paramedics. We support a Paramedic on every vehicle. We support the best possible response and treatment given to the people of London. We support, and encourage, staff to become Paramedics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the Paramedic (and patient)\u00c2\u00a0has to be supported by a trusted colleague whose Job Description and Scope of Practice recognises them as much more than\u00c2\u00a0a driver and bag carrier.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To push through this change puts the Paramedic, A&E Support and, ultimately, the patient at risk.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We will be consulting with our Paramedic members over these changes\u00c2\u00a0in due course.<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are difficult times.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Support Your Union – Support Paramedics -\u00c2\u00a0Support A&E Support.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

____________________<\/p>\n

Annex E ballot papers are coming in at a good steady pace. If you have not voted yet please do. If you have not received a ballot paper please get in touch. Closing date: 12.00hrs 23rd August 2013.<\/strong><\/p>\n

____________________<\/p>\n

Staff from a Private Ambulance Company working a contract for East of England Ambulance Service are forced to live in tents between shifts!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Remember this!<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is why we are fighting to defend the NHS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

____________________<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0Information on all issues can be found elsewhere on our website.<\/strong><\/p>\n

___________________<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are reading this, work for the London Ambulance Service or are eligible to join, and are not yet a member of UNISON Join Today!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>I Am Frontline You Are Frontline We Are All Frontline<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are stronger together. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Eric Roberts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Branch Secretary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Change is never easy.\u00c2\u00a0It is much harder\u00c2\u00a0when few people support it. It is harder still if it\u00c2\u00a0is imposed. Good change mainly\u00c2\u00a0comes from the bottom upwards and\u00c2\u00a0not from the top downwards. At the very least there should be a consensus about changes. When the majority support change, that change is unstoppable…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":895,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1333"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1363,"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1333\/revisions\/1363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsblog.lasunison.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}