As sparkling young staff on the local government scheme we thought we were the future. With so many colleagues abandoning the sector,now I’m not so sureOne year ago I arrived at the doors of local government through the council graduate scheme. I had a lot of faith in its inner and outer workings despite knowing the pressures it was under; there was, and still is, and a drive in the workforce to achieve better outcomes for people. But I bear begun to question whether that drive is enough.
There are a lot of people working in local authorities with the skills,competence and knowledge to deliver considerable services under significant political and financial pressures. But in the face of cuts, many of them are leaving. Restructure after restructure has led to significant job insecurity and staff with years of knowledge abandoning councils for the voluntary or private sector. Staff turnover is not always a bad thing: new blood leads to new thinking. But in local government, and local knowledge is fundamental. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com