Perils of the private sector
There have been many discussions about the working the in public sector compared to the private sector. I shall share my experiences of both in the last 12 months.
I left the ambulance service at the end of June last year to work for Capita, doing disability assessments for the PIP benefit. I left the service after 24 years' service, 18 years as a paramedic. Initially I was treated with respect as a health care professional. After successfully completing the training, I started working in the role from August last year.
I was contracted to work in my home postcode area, based from home and doing assessments at the claimant homes and writing the reports from home. I was paid full travel expenses for my role and was contracted to undertake 3 assessments a day (each assessment takes an hour to complete and a further hour to write the full report).
In September the work load was increased to 4 assessments a day to help clear the backlog in the system. I did not mind this as I was being paid good bonuses for doing this. But this meant working 60 hours a week, 7 days a week for the next 4 months. By Christmas we had cleared the backlog and I was looking forward to working a normal pace again.
In January Capita set up a telephone conference call for all the disability assessors in the country. I was expected to be congratulated for my efforts, as the company had secured the contract, they had avoided a £20 million fine and were given a £4 million bonus by the government. The call was a recorded telephone message to say that the company was changing its business model and all assessors would be made redundant and a new position was being created, but not all current staff would be kept on. This was only one step up from receiving a redundancy notice by text message.
They then ripped up our terms and conditions and the new ones were significantly worse. Many quit at that time, but I stayed to see how it affected me.
I then found that with the loss in expenses and additional travelling costs my take home pay fell by 20%. I found myself in a position where I was financing the company's' business costs through my pay. An example being that I was sent from my home in north Gwent to the English side of the Chepstow border to do 3 assessments. I travelled 90 plus miles on their business and I was paid only £1.60 in travel expenses.
They gave me a working schedule which was impossible to complete in my working hours, forcing me to work unpaid overtime or allow my work to fall behind. I tried keeping up with the work but this meant working 7 days a week again. I have brought this up with the management but this did not change anything.
I had reached the point where I cannot continue working for them and have resigned and I will be going back to work as a paramedic again.
I believe that they deliberately over subscribed for the position to clear the backlog, knowing that they could get rid of the excess staff by making the role redundant. They then used this as an excuse to rip up our terms and conditions, as no one had been in the role for more than 18 months.
This is now affecting the PIP programme as they are now short of staff and overtime is now on permanent offer and recruitment has to start again. This will be even more acute when the changeover from DLA to PIP takes place later this year. Unfortunately for Capita their reputation among heath care professional has now been severely tarnished and they will struggle to recruit capable staff for this role.
I feel relieved to be heading back to the public sector.
Re: Perils of the private sector
Re: Perils of the private sector
There are good people in both, but the t&c's in the public sector are fantastic as i found out a few years back when i was seriously ill. Not had a days sick before or since but they paid me 6 months full pay and i shall be forever grateful.
The private vs public debate is nonsense, we need both performing to their full potential
Re: Perils of the private sector
Quote:
Originally Posted by 79blue wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 18:52
There have been many discussions about the working the in public sector compared to the private sector. I shall share my experiences of both in the last 12 months.
This is probably the worst thing about the private sector and it's damn near impossible to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Re: Perils of the private sector
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colonel Cærdiffi wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 19:02
There have been many discussions about the working the in public sector compared to the private sector. I shall share my experiences of both in the last 12 months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 79blue wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 18:52
I left the ambulance service at the end of June last year to work for Capita, doing disability assessments for the PIP benefit. I left the service after 24 years' service, 18 years as a paramedic. Initially I was treated with respect as a health care professional. After successfully completing the training, I started working in the role from August last year.
I did spend 6 weeks writing a 5 page statement for the senior management which I sent in with my resignation today, but whether this is read or not is a different matter. But it made me feel better.
Re: Perils of the private sector
If they have behaved like that, it is really is shocking of Capita, and so short-sighted.
And also the knock-on in this case is that vulnerable people will receive a poor service due to the disarray caused.
Re: Perils of the private sector
79. FairPlay on your honest review but I have to ask I know you are a fully qualified paramedic of many years but are you also qualified in mental health as you were assessing these cases for their claims
Re: Perils of the private sector
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vimana. wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 19:33
If they have behaved like that, it is really is shocking of Capita, and so short-sighted.
Maybe I should use the free market to my benefit. I could set myself up as a freelance advisor to help people applying for the benefits, using all the knowledge I have gained in doing the role.
Re: Perils of the private sector
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harley wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 19:40
79. FairPlay on your honest review but I have to ask I know you are a fully qualified paramedic of many years but are you also qualified in mental health as you were assessing these cases for their claims
The assessments for PIP benefit is based upon the functional effect of the condition rather than a diagnosis. The assessment is based upon many factors including what involvement the claimant has with mental health services, medication types and strengths, informal observation of the claimant and evidence supplied by their health care professionals.
Re: Perils of the private sector
My company are a Stock exchange listed corporate Juggernaut that don`t give a flying fvck about their staff.
After multiplying their share price x 4 in the last five years their latest attempt to raise the share price is to change peoples contracts, increasing their hours cutting their overtime rates and basically saying if you don`t like it fvck off.
This Corporate greed may seem lovely to rich Tory Tw@ts[/email] at the top but the working class bloke at the bottom just gets shit on a bit more.
Re: Perils of the private sector
Quote:
Originally Posted by 79blue wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 19:55
79. FairPlay on your honest review but I have to ask I know you are a fully qualified paramedic of many years but are you also qualified in mental health as you were assessing these cases for their claims
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harley wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 19:40
No, I no have specific training in mental health issues but mental health problems are a daily occurrence for ambulance crews.
I forgot to add that as part of the training for the role of assessor you are trained and practiced in undertaking a mental health assessment of a claimant. During the training we were tested on our ability to do this, using medical actors.
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79blue, did you have any targets and what was your pass/fail ratio?
Re: Perils of the private sector
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Originally Posted by Gluey wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 21:00
79blue, did you have any targets and what was your pass/fail ratio?
My role as an assessor is to undertake an assessment of a claimant to determine the level of need that person requires in many aspects of their daily life and mobility. Using the evidence from the assessment, the application form and medical reports, I then make a recommendation based upon the evidence on their level of need in 12 different categories. Each of these carries a score, which determines their level of benefit. I have deliberately kept myself in the dark about the score needed for the benefit, in order to maintain my independence. My report in then quality revived by an auditor and is then sent to the DWP. At the DWP a person called a decision maker will then use my report to guide him in making a decision on the benefit. He does not have to follow my recommendations.
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What was the reason for the change? Not suggesting that is relevant at all just curious. Being a Paramedic sounds like a lot more interesting/rewarding job than the Capita one.
Re: Perils of the private sector
Quote:
Originally Posted by TruBlue wrote on Fri, 17 July 2015 21:39
What was the reason for the change? Not suggesting that is relevant at all just curious. Being a Paramedic sounds like a lot more interesting/rewarding job than the Capita one.
I was happy to leave the ambulance service but I am even happier going back.
