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Richard Burrows
Member - 4 posts
Its ironic that local authorities make so much of their policies and procedures but dont actually adhere to any of them untill they want rid of someone. I had the worst job experience ever for the last two years - clear sex discrimination, bullying and exploitation and when I confronted HR with the evidence, they consulted the senior managers involved and decided that they "couldnt" help.
I was told the mechanism for dealing with formal complaints of this nature was for it to be referred to the head of service - this was the person reposnsible for the problem! From there it may be referred to directors board - made up 5 people two of which are directly reposnsible for the problem.
Your reposndent is quite right in saying that there is no mechanism whereby complaints can be addressed independenetly and objectively. The problem is that councils know this - and boy do they play on it!
They offered me counselling to deal with it! Its a joke!
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Richard Burrows
Member - 4 posts
I read all this with absolute despair - do you know how long its taken the industry to get its workers to turn up in anything but training shoes? Get a life!
Do you really think arguments like this will impress workers and get them on our side?
Rigger boots ( admittedly not my choice) are perfectly acceptable for all site work ( the most important thing is that footwear has decent crush resistance ie steel toe caps ). The degree of ankle support is purely personal choice and no business of any body else's.
Builders and contractors are particularly well skilled at moving over rough terrain - its a basic requirement for the job and all can do it instinctively. Patronsing skilled people in this way will do us no favours what so ever - ridiculous.
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Richard Burrows
Member - 4 posts
Thanks for your comments - I was interested to hear about this precedent whereby an authority having carried out a fire assessment ( as I have), had to allow a stairlift on appeal from the tenant.
The requirement to undertake a fire assessment is accepted but this in itself presents a problem - the judgement on this is now wholly ours and not the fire authority's, they seem reluctant to pass comment on this issue.
Our policy is evacuate asap and all shelteterd flats within blocks are marked and known to the fire authority and their emergency reposnse crews.
In my ( the assessor's) opinion, the stairways are not sufficiently wide to accomodate this apparataus - the fire authority will not commit themselves to stating a minimum acceptble width and building control do not have a definitive view as the building is of an early 1970 s design and many of the new standards do not apply.
Without a definite standard on this, my judgement can be called into question and challenged.
In the event of fire, this equipment will not operate as power will be disconnected, it cannot therefore be taken as a means of evacuation.
We as an authority would not want to fall foul of disability discrimination legislation but equally if we granted permission for one of these lifts then we could be exposing ourselves to challenges from other applicants.
We are presently requesting all tenants to move motorised wheelchairs and buggies from the communal spaces in order to maintain clear exit routes and are meeting huge resistance.
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Richard Burrows
Member - 4 posts
Does anyone have a view on the fiitng of stairlifts in communal protected stairways within 2 & 3 storey blocks of flats.
As landlord we have suggested that we are not happy to give permission for this( for reasons related to fire safety) but are coming under pressure from social services to allow us to do this.
Is anyone aware of a precedent which has been set where a local authority was forced to change its decsioin and allow ther fittting of one of these in this situation.
Just for info, we have no legal leverage to relocate infirm or disbaled tenants to ground floor locations. Additionally in some cases these tenants have been longterm leaseholders and are unwilling to sell and relocate
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