Power 2

I'm not sure if this is the last word in the sorry saga of the service user, but it's been about 6 weeks since I had any contact with my adviser. I emailed her boss on Monday to try and find out what was going on. Apparently she (my adviser) didn't receive my emails. I find that hard to believe; there has been no indication mail didn't get sent properly and it's a little too convenient but, as they say, we are where we are.

So I ended up having a conversation on the phone with the boss. I cannot say that I feel good about it all. In fact I feel as if I've had the proverbial rug pulled from beneath me; that I've been subject to the old bait and switch tactic.

When I first started with these people, as anyone that's read these blogs will attest, I felt pretty positive about it. There was no conditionality attached, and, it seemed, no hidden agendas. Now, I'm not so sure. Two things seem to have changed: firstly there is conditionality they just didn't bother telling me. I mentioned this before alluding to their wellbing programme which is what they want me to do, only they didn't bother to tell me this. Instead they pretend a sense of kindly exasperation and say 'hey we're struggling to know what to do with you'. In a peculiar way that makes me think their priority is themselves and their results (presumably how they get funding) rather than what's in my best interests.

Secondly, according, to the boss, there are new rules in play; sent from on high (the heaven of great funding). I find this hard to believe but each service user is now limited to £50 worth of funding - for anything. More importantly this would include bus fares. Fifty quid won't see you get far on First Buses! It sounds utterly absurd. They get their funding from the Lottery and the European Social Fund (that'll be gone post Brexit I imagine, so across the country organisations like these will be bereft). I have no idea what the reason for this is, maybe it's our government, maybe it's the EU. I don't know but the upshot is that it will make this course and any others like it impossible. I must have received that much or near enough already! The whole thing is ridiculous.

Now I won't say that the boss wasn't friendly, but, as ever with these situations, they simply do not take responsibility. The tenor of the conversation seemed to be, as I've said, "we're struggling to help you", but in so doing they kept introducing all these things that I'd never heard of before, including conditionality. Apparently they even have quiz afternoons! I said I had never heard of this and her response was they are on the board. This means they are written on the board in their office. Aside from adding a qualifier to the initial claim, how would I know what's on the board? But if I was on the wellbeing course, I'd be part of this. That's the problem; they keep pointing to things and services they offer - but don't make you aware of unless you're in the office all the time. Thad's ridiculous and it's unfair - especially on someone that's a victim of social isolation. How do you think it makes me feel to be told everyone else is having a gay old time at the quiz or social event or whatever if you don't tell me they are happening? When I started there was no mention of any compulsory attendance to a wellbeing course - and my objections to that still stand: these sessions are simplistic and put too much onto the shoulders of the individual while ignoring the social context. This is unacceptable, no matter how much tea and biscuits you offer!

I asked about training, which was briefly mentioned, but didn't really get much of an answer. In fact, now that I think about it, she didn't seem to have any idea of what they offered at all. I imagine it's the usual 'cv training' bollocks I've heard of before. That is, not actual training, but the soft stuff which, while useful to some no doubt, doesn't really go far enough and won't get you a job. No matter hw polished your CV not only will it make no difference compared to someone with a life history of solid work experience, but the DWP will find something to complain about (ie an excuse to send you to their CV course).

What she did tell me about was the existence of 'job profiling' or even 'personality profiling' where they match you based on relevant traits to jobs that are then considered suitable accordingly. This is all bullshit, even if by some miracle these tests revealed some dream vocation you'd never have thought of otherwise, how are you going to get that job? As if the DWP will ever help you find that  - unless your dream job is Tesco shelf stacker. It's pointless.

But, in the end, this is all these organisations ever seem to be about. They will pretend to be your friend. They will make you feel at ease before telling you how shit really works and then expect you to do it. Finally they will dress up vacuous and simplistic activities as profound opportunities to either self discovery or imagined door openings (your dream job).

Is this really good enough?