What Chance A More Democratic Independent User's Voice If Staff Too Are Undemocratically Gob-Clamped?

Alison Dayani Reporter for Birmingham Evening Mail UK - ran with the story of public concern on Nov. 9th about staff getting fed up basically of being pushed around by the Trust chiefs..


Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Trust is a worried Trust about truly independent voices because the underlying chaos and the mistakes it makes and the hidden health costs might just be seen more clearly . But its bid to become a Foundation Trust too means its got to look clean together with its large surpluses gained from staff shortages and deliberately reduced hourage here and there, with more working longer as a compensatory stop gap whilst rationed services exists in units without the right specialist staff .. Gob-clamping is nothing new though ...Its just part of big bureau politics rather than true local control ....Image is all ...

Clamping down, whilst looking slick, is what they know best at Birmingham And Solihull Mental Health Trust - Service Users have watched it for years. UserWatch is aware that Staff members have said to Service Users, that the Trust is insecure at the top and it took into itself the small voluntary body "Service User Voice" some time ago only to make of it a bureau- ritual where moans and groans appear to be heard but hardly ever form a real patient voice and serious action . Its a convenience for the Trust to flush a little and clean a bit........

We know the Government in mental health too did its fair share of undermining the authentic "User Voice" when it refused to give mental health patients the real choices of management and recovery based treatments they might be able to control better. In their minds despite the DWP work driven logic of the new figma-stigma drives which the Guardian supports too many Service Users are still "nutters" ... They cannot be trusted .... The sop then, that is coming down the line in the shape of some User-control (Individual budgets and purchasing power) will be fraught with restrictions and other ways to suppress most mental health patients being in control of their lives better . A few will get a good deal - yes partly the figma stigma promotion brigades. The many won't . But the few will be spun and spun into media golds........Shame there's a Internet now is'nt it ? And the ME in the "Media" is potentially here for many ... However we also found out the Trust have blocked staff from being able to read Blogs (Like UserWatch at work even in their own time ...Never mind they can read what they like at home .. What a tight arsed little Trust this is .... Hardly at home with real democracy.....

We bring you exclusively next (below) and within the context of ritually cleaned up voices, to the Birmingham And Solihull Mental Health Trust's reactions to Evening Mail's Reporter Alison Dayani's Nov 9th article . Simply put, Karen Martin Deputy Chief Executive of the Birmingham And Solihull Mental Health Trust wants to clamp down on the staff voices so they can be heard cleanly in the shared Trust bleached chamber pot ..... Oh isn't it all so UK middle class and tight and well regulated ? So lets have a look at what Karen BELOW put out to staff.

"You may be aware that an article appeared in the Birmingham Evening Mail on Friday 9 November which referred to the implementation of new nurse shift patterns within the Trust.

Information within the article is alleged to have originated from members of staff and suggested that some staff were potentially considering some form of industrial action.

We were both invited by the newspaper to provide a response. Our responses subsequently appeared as part of the final article.

We are aware that some staff are not happy about the planned changes. At this stage therefore we are properly engaged in a formal process through the Trust's grievance procedure for dealing with the concerns submitted on behalf of staff. Individual staff members are also being encouraged to raise their concerns with their line managers.

We are both clear that the actions of some staff in speaking directly to the press, rather than use existing and agreed mechanisms for raising concerns, are extremely disappointing and unhelpful, and have done little to enhance the reputation of the Trust.

That aside we wish to make clear that these actions were without the prior knowledge, support or approval either of either Trust managers or Staff side representatives and as such cannot be condoned.

We remain committed, using existing processes and procedures, to dealing with the issues contained within the collective grievance and are confident that these can be resolved quickly, amicably and with minimum disruption to services and staff.

We would in the meantime encourage any member of staff who is unhappy with the planned arrangements to implement the new nurse shift patterns to discuss their concerns in the first instance with their line manager.

Karen Martin
Deputy Chief Executive

Alan Rollason
Staff Side Chair

12 November 2007"

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