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CRT recruiting a Welfare Officer


Dave_P

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As someone looking from the outside it does not show much commitment to the post, more like,e let's be seen to be trying to keep some nagging boaters happy. I know CRT would much rather hand this over to the SA or some outside agencies. That was always the answer we got in the early days of trying to promote this job, though again in fairness to Sally she always saw the value in this position and I think Dean might be the same. I do sometimes get very confused at the ways CRT work but at this stage will just be pleased that they have made a start

If that's true, why has Sally's (and CRT's) line always been "we're not a housing authority"? The fact is that CRT have been been the de facto housing authority for thousands of boaters who simply slip through the net where local authorities are concerned. The problem has been that CRT have never stepped up to those responsibilities previously. 90% of boaters are very self reliant so it's not been a problem for them. It's the other 10% who have been abandoned by all agencies and have only experienced persecution by CRT.

 

I really hope that this new post is properly resourced and CRT top brass are fully committed to it.

Edited by Dave_P
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If that's true, why has Sally's (and CRT's) line always been "we're not a housing authority"? The fact is that CRT have been been the de facto housing authority for thousands of boaters who simply slip through the net where local authorities are concerned. The problem has been that CRT have never stepped up to those responsibilities previously. 90% of boaters are very self reliant so it's not been a problem for them. It's the other 10% who have been abandoned by all agencies and have only experienced persecution by CRT.

 

I really hope that this new post is properly resourced and CRT top brass are fully committed to it.

As they say I am not here to defend CRT yes Sally did say that once at a meeting I think to say or imply it was a consistent line might be a bit over the top. I also think that Sally was one of the management team that recognised that with the change to a Trust was also a time to re look at their role. I also think Richard Parry has recognised that the Trust needs to recognise their responsibility to boaters. It is a long road but they seem to be making a start and maybe we should look.at this as a move in the right direction Edited by cotswoldsman
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I think whoever gets this job is going to be busy and get a lot busier in the near future.

"entered the enforcement process as a result of disability, illness, mental health issues, old age or responsibility for children."

 

I do think this is going to be a lot of people if the famous -enforcement- does occur and i suppose it must at some point, in theory :unsure:

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We (at NABO as well as other associations ) have been pushing for this for a while, and the job description has been well worked based on recent discussions. I believe this is a positive step by CRT and welcome it.

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I do have the relevant requirements to do it and it would be an excellent job that I would love, however... What with the burn on the way and my current job prospects looking good, 30k and a life on the road isn't enough to tempt me. Maybe if I could negotiate a free mooring as well...

As in 'light the blue touchpaper and stand back?'

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I would also say that this fits in nicely with current moves to strengthen the enforcement process. Seen holistically, this surely forms part of the same strategy which has looked at roving permits, the 'places' map and stepping up monitoring of cc'ers movements. It's a combination of carrot and stick - 'we will help those in genuine needs but seperate them from blatant piss-takers, whom we'll come down hard on'.

 

I'm sure folks in CRT have become increasingly concerned that the loudest voices which many boaters hear are the dissenters, and petitions like this one https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-evicting-disabled-elderly-and-vulnerable-boat-dwellers can make grim reading. Whether you buy into the accusations made in this petition or not; it's a P.R. disaster and it's gained nearly 6000 signatures. This new post shows that CRT are finally trying to address those concerns.

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But why is it only temporary?

They'll want the job to pay for itself I suspect. Sadly with the person spec I have my doubts

 

A probationary period would have been a better way of dealing with that issue IMHO.

 

.

Difficult in a relatively unique environment for the job. They need someone to set it up from scratch: difficult to measure during a probationary

Sadly though, the best candidates are likely to be permanently employed already and won't apply. They would have been better to aim for the best possible candidate and see how things go. Iif the post is found to be non-effective after a year or two then make it redundant. All employees are at risk of redundancy if it's found that your post is no longer needed.

 

Cynically I predict that a substandard person is employed who makes little impact and is not renewed. Then CRT can say they tried.

That first sentence is spoken like someone who knows the advice sector. With the sector as it currently stands I share your fears. Edited by Smelly
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As someone looking from the outside it does not show much commitment to the post, more like,e let's be seen to be trying to keep some nagging boaters happy. I know CRT would much rather hand this over to the SA or some outside agencies. That was always the answer we got in the early days of trying to promote this job, though again in fairness to Sally she always saw the value in this position and I think Dean might be the same. I do sometimes get very confused at the ways CRT work but at this stage will just be pleased that they have made a start

The SA are DWP stooges in this, their only training is from dwp and having observed some of it from an independent advice worker's perspective it has horrified me.

 

This post has the chance to generate significant revenue gains for the trust but in it's current form I doubt it will but there's time to fix that.

Yes smelly a member of this forum who unfortunately does not post anymore (another one) would be ideal for the job

He was also present at one of the meeting gs with Sally when we discussed the position

Sod off! I have a perfectly cushtie job with enough of a leash to reach right up IDS's cleft thank you very much.

 

Second tier support will be on offer though.

We (at NABO as well as other associations ) have been pushing for this for a while, and the job description has been well worked based on recent discussions. I believe this is a positive step by CRT and welcome it.

The job spec might be well worked but the person spec is a joke. It will attract the wrong person and the role will fail. The person spec had clearly been drafted by person or persons who have no idea of what they want or the sector from which they are drawing

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My final soliloquy... The person spec is drawn largely for a welfare benefits caseworker. It also asks for safeguarding (did anyone ask where "safeguarding vulnerable adults" comes from?) which is strictly social work. Social work and benefits advice diverged hugely in '99 with the inception of Community Legal Service and since Social Work became a degree level job the people coming into social work, who don't study any welfare rights will be ignorant of the main emphasis.

 

There are loads of welfare rights worker's out there with 3 years experience who will have never encountered the majority of problems skint boaters are likely to face. The new sanction regime has come in since most we're made redundant in April 13 and it takes some thinking about but knowing the quality of a lot of the candidates out there who are used to running cases according to transaction criteria rather than an innate curiosity they might miss the tactical ways in.

 

That, plus this job isn't a normal welf job, half the job will be making the connections to make sure it works. I doubt the enforcement teams will remember someone sat in an office who they heard about briefly six months ago. Building a network and getting heard will be half the battle. Despite that they're advertising for someone with loads of anorak but no muddy boots

 

The Royal British Legion have recently abandoned a project like this and I have heard that the roles weren't generating the revenue expected because they weren't getting the message out widely enough that the service was available. That is a real risk with this job.

 

Well, not my last soliloquy but gotta go home now

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Deffo the last now. With the person spec as it stands it risks employing someone who will expect arriving to a Desk with a pile of files on it rather than someone who knows how to start from square one. I sorely doubt it will involve the kind of skill base that the person spec demands at least at first.

 

The problems I can anticipate aren't the kind of thing that most available welf candidates will be skilled in and don't involve the kind of "regulation 2(z)(B)(iiia ) says x y z" approach that the job will attract although that will be desirable in the mid term so a lot of training will be attractive but, realistically that knowledge is only available to a curious mind. At best it needs good advocacy skills and a willingness to look stuff up if it didn't popup in training.

 

 

For all the experience in the world the goalposts are changing so quickly that past experience is rapidly defunct and a sole actor in an office in Milton Keynes is so far out of the circle so as to be redundant within the time frame of the job.

 

Half the person spec; Equality Act and safeguarding stuff is not within the sphere of the vast majority of people with 3 years casework experience but is still important.

 

This job needs a networker who's not afraid of learning new stuff & getting their hands dirty rather than the Desk jockey it's currently advertising for.

 

So 3 years in field experience as an essential requirement is a mistake.

Edited by Smelly
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30k and a life on the road isn't enough to tempt me.

Sorry... I will stop eventually.

 

This post won't pay for itself if it's a life on the road. What it needs to develop is enforcement officers asking the right questions, or at least making an introduction early, income maximization advice from afar, a willingness to refer out once an SSCS1 is lodged and face to face only if it needs it. One person providing national coverage won't generate enough revenue to make it worthwhile otherwise.

 

That and keeping an eye on all the HB claimants so getting a hand into the Local Support Services Framework asap. I'll bet crt have more hb claimants than a lot of Housing Associations

Edited by Smelly
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This job needs a committed devil's advocate, with a love of the canal, and understanding of the troublemakers, who can talk to crusties on the canal and stiffs in the boardroom...On that, I'm out..

Damn right!

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In five months this will fall down, BUT if the enforcers have a better idea of moving cases themselves from court to benefit claims office then perhaps some positive outcome will help some of life's problem cases.

 

Bravo to CaRT for trying, but IMO it will take long term commitment to make it work properly, not just a short contract.

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CRT and the successful applicant will have a lot of input and help with this.

It's a small step forward and will not be perfect from the off. The complex issues that can be so very varied, will make it extremely difficult, but with help and nurturing, I'm pretty certain it will succeed.

I don't think CRT are looking at this with getting some sort of financial return, (in actual fact, I know that, as it has never come up in any of the conversation's) though I suspect it will have some sort of beneficial saving.

I just hope the successful applicant has thick skin.

Edited by jenlyn
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In five months this will fall down, BUT if the enforcers have a better idea of moving cases themselves from court to benefit claims office then perhaps some positive outcome will help some of life's problem cases. Bravo to CaRT for trying, but IMO it will take long term commitment to make it work properly, not just a short contract.

A short contract gives it time enough to set up and pay for itself. I generate about 4 times the amount of revenue as I cost providing in depth advice and representation, (That's before standard economic multipliers and cost to health and social care but that will be more difficult to quantify in the role being discussed) someone filling in forms, or telling people which forms to fill out, can double that. The trick is to not get bogged down in too much casework and make sure your audience knows you're there. That last bit will be the challenge

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d.I don't think CRT are looking at this with getting some sort of financial return, though I suspect it will have some sort of beneficial saving.

Not at first maybe and all their talk of the Equality Act bolsters that but their duties therein will rely on people bringing private law claims to enforce them which are Very expensive compared to the eventual rewards.

 

I strongly suspect that this post will be best measured in pounds, shillings and pence for that is how the vast majority of such posts are, eventually, measured.

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Not at first maybe and all their talk of the Equality Act bolsters that but their duties therein will rely on people bringing private law claims to enforce them which are Very expensive compared to the eventual rewards.

I strongly suspect that this post will be best measured in pounds, shillings and pence for that is how the vast majority of such posts are, eventually, measured.

I agree with you, and my fear is that 12 months is to short but it was made clear that this was all that was on offer until they could assess the value. I suspect that in that time all that will happen hopefully be some in house training, a clearer understanding of the problems some boaters face and the external support that might be available to them. Maybe even a realisation that relatively early intervention can save costly legal fees.

 

However would I give a full time role with a measure of job security for this. - No , so It hope they are able to assess the quality of applicants .

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Actually, on thinking about it, Probably the job will be completed in six months. The incumbent will produce a list of tick boxes for the enforcement teams and they will do the leg work as soon as someone comes on their radar it will be tick all boxes prove we tried then hoist the boat straight out.

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Actually, on thinking about it, Probably the job will be completed in six months. The incumbent will produce a list of tick boxes for the enforcement teams and they will do the leg work as soon as someone comes on their radar it will be tick all boxes prove we tried then hoist the boat straight out.

 

It was Oscar Wilde who said a cynic is a person who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. You've obviously had your share of disappointments, but look harder at all those clouds and you might detect a silver lining or two.

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No, in reality there are thousands of miles of canals, and one person couldn't keep track of all the likely people on all the canals within CaRT's remit, and certainly couldn't keep track of all the applications for every entitled person's benefits. One person at director level could set up the scheme, but it would take too many people to keep the intended system working, they would have to walk so much towpath and find all the nooks and crannies where people can hide.

 

The only people CaRT have at the moment are the enforcement teams who do have people on the ground and do know all the hiding places.

 

Oh, and the other thing is that every time the benefit rules change, all the staff need more training.

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