SINGLE STATUS CONSULTATION UNISON ABERDEENSHIRE
RESPONSE
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3.5 CARE FAMILY
3.5.1 Nursery Nurses - it is felt that the range of duties carried
out in addition to the basic tasks, first aid, food hygiene and
specialist language tasks should justify a mapping to I rather than
H as given. The case is also made for nursery nurses in Special
School settings to have further consideration given to the nature
of their job role.
3.5.2 Driver - while drivers working in Social Work have been mapped
at Technical Operative C they feel that they are very much integral
to the Care family so their comments are included in this section.
These drivers do far more than drive and deliver. They also have
a hands on care role and frequently are the only "cover" on the
minibus. In the words of one member "I am a driver with significant
care responsibility working with clients, often alone, on a daily
basis. Having to deal with disability, challenging behaviour and
crises. These clients are not inanimate objects and some are the
most vulnerable members of our community. The care element has been
totally overlooked and there is no recognition of the considerable
responsibility of the job". It is felt this mapping should be reviewed.
It should be at least Care E.
3.5.3 Classroom Assistants - mapped at Care D. It is felt that
the role within Education is not recognised, indeed several have
asked why there is not a separate Education family. While they can
see that there is a caring element to their job, the principle role
of educating is not recognised. They have had to undergo a significant
amount of training to carry out their role and the role set out
at D does not match their duties. Should be Care F.
3.5.4 Escorts - the mapping at Care B fails to recognise the significant
responsibilities of care which goes with the job e.g. "I am neither
cleaner nor laundry worker! They are not trained to handle rectal
diazepam on buses!". Should be Care D.
3.5.5 Day Centre Officers - their mapping has gone from G to H
and back again and once more is set at H. This would suggest that
those mapping this job didn't know enough about the day to day duties/responsibilities
of the post. Where DCOs have additional responsibility or where
they are "Seniors" grades of I and J should come in to play.
3.5.6 Day Services Outreach Worker - similar to above, mapped as
Care H - should be I/J.
3.5.7 Care Assistants - mapped at Care E but the tasks set out
in the job role at E in no way describe the duties which they carry
out. Specialist skills are required in a range of caring tasks e.g.
PEG feeding, rectal diazepam, rebond, swimming, physio, spa baths,
etc. A mapping at Care F would better reflect these duties.
3.5.8 Support Workers Mental Health - mapped at Care E similar
to the carers. That is not their role and the role outlined at E
does not describe their duties. They point out that their colleague
Support Workers in Children and Families are mapped at Care G. They
see that role as what they actually do. They are not homecarers
- should be Care G.
3.5.9 Homecarers - mapped at Care E but see their duties better
reflected in Care F i.e. they have to deal with medication, dressings,
stoma care, etc and E does not take this into account.
3.5.10 Homecare Supervisors - these employees feel that the job
has grown considerable since the initial job evaluations were carried
out and their current pay no longer reflects the job. They were
pressing for a regrading on this basis but were told that single
status would sort it out. It appears their mapping is based on their
current pay rate with no proper consideration of the job content.
Having studied the outlines in the Care family it is felt that Care
J would be correct.
3.5.11 Social Care Officer/Relief Assistant Manager (Respite) -
have expressed concerns about the vague and general description
of duties in the job roles. They are mapped at Care G but do not
recognise their job in the job role at that level. G and I both
have elements of their actual duties.
3.5.12 OT Assistant - previously there were two level of assistant,
basic and senior. The support grade at Care G is equivalent to the
basic role. This does not however recognise that greater responsibility
is given to the seniors" i.e. it is not the same job - should be
H.
3.5.13 Sheltered Housing Co-ordinator - this group are mapped at
Care I but feel this undervalues their level of responsibility and
autonomy. They clearly have operational responsibility for a specific
operational area of care - should be Care J.
3.5.14 SFL/SEN Special Schools - mapped at Care D and feel that
this fails to recognise the specialist skills needed or the pressure
involved in working in a special needs environment. They want to
be recognised for what they do and see the role attached to D as
an insult to their role. The higher care element should map then
to F.
3.5.15 Pupil Support Worker - placed at Technician G which is totally
inappropriate for this role. This part of the Service was not covered
by JE interview and it is not thought that any managers responsible
for these posts were involved. The given mapping places them below
nursery nurses yet they are involed in training nursery nurses!
Could be in Care family at I or J but also feel that as they work
autonomously, liaise with other staff/services and are involved
in Child protection - they could be Practitioner K. They are very
clear however that they are not G.
3.5.16 Family Support worker - these are another group who have
had a regrading request blocked by single status. Their role has
continued to develop and they could be described as a para professional
in the Social Work field. They are mapped at Care G and if not altered
would create a huge salary gap between them and their Social Worker
colleagues. As the job has developed they have taken on more and
more duties which were part of the Social worker role. A mapping
at H would recognise the nature of the job actually being carried
out.
3.5.17 Sheltered Housing Officer - they have been mapped at Care
E, the job role of which begins with a statement that "you will
provide personal physical care to …". SHOs doe not provide hands
on care! The job role at Care F better reflects the actual duties
of the post. Map to F.
3.5.18 Very Sheltered Housing Co-ordinator - mapped at Care J which
fails to recognise that this post manages a Complex comparable to
a Care Home where the managers are mapped to Team leader M. it is
not obvious to the postholders why there is such a difference and
it may be that the role of this post has been misunderstood and
understated. Map to M.
3.5.19 Duty Officer, Sports and Leisure - these members advise
that some of them are mapped at Care G while others are Care H.
No one has yet been able to advise why there is any difference.
Same job, same title, surely they should mean same pay? Should be
H.
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3.6 PRACTITIONER
3.6.1 The main concern expressed by this group was the limited
career progression from the 2 point pay scale. Some could see the
benefit of getting the rate for the job quicker while others were
concerned that there was no way of recognising experience in the
job. Other than Social Work there seems to be little use made of
the Senior Practitioner level and we would like to have discussions
on this along with the recommendation of the career development
schemes. In Social Work our members feel that much greater access
is needed to the Senior Practitioner level to recognise the additional
expectations which the service has on its experienced staff.
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3.7 MANAGER
3.7.1 Social Work Team Managers - we have had considerable comment
from members in this group who find themselves mapped at Team leader
M. They see their role fully reflected in the role of Team Manager
N and cite as one example their responsibility for a team of practitioners
(may include Senior Practitioners). Map to N.
3.7.2 Principal Professionals (various) - we have had comments
similar to those above from Principals in T&I and P&ES that their
role is one of management of a team of Practitioners and Technicians.
They are all mapped as Team Leader M. Their actual role is covered
by Team Manager N
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