Local authority frustration

[Al Duffill]

Who out there works for a Local Authority and how many of you get frustrated about the logic behind there "thinking"?! I do both of these and sometimes I feel like quitting, am I the only one?

 

We have just had a management re-structure and a supervisor from Refuse Collection (the bins) is now in charge of us tree surgeons/arborists, he knows nothing about trees or plants in general, doh! what a great idea!! Its not his fault, blame the management team, again, haha!

 

I also asked for some funding to help towards me doing the Tech Arb course back in Sept, either full or part funding, I said I would " go halves". My request was submitted to Human Resources (HR), hey guess what, the course isn't relevant to my job, what!? How am I expected to develope my career and knowledge, with that attitude.

 

I could go on and on....ammount of waste, lack of training, lack of plant.. so on and so forth.

 

Thanks for helping me vent, I think my wife has suffered enough:biggrin:

[sihart100]

i work for local council and have the same probs too many managers who have not got a clue.

 

i took me 3 years of pestering to get a full lowering kit and that was 12 months after passing my 40-41, not 1 member of the tree gang have got a up to date 1st ade ticket, and some of the specs of jobs are a joke.

 

if your going to work for the local authority i think you just need to adapt to how they work as they are about 10 years behind in every aspect of arb.

 

the only thing that has keep me where im at is that its on my door step, im home for 4pm every day, the sick pay and holidays are good and you know where you stand, but saying that if the right job came up i would not hesitate.

[David Humphries]

I work for the local authority of the City of London.

 

Have been at my particular site for close on 25 years, there have been many restructures with managers coming and going over the years.

With that, you will always get some waste of resource & time, which is inevitable.

One of the most important things in the public sector from my perspective .......is continuity.

This can bring the usual problems & issues relating to complacency, but in my experience if you are dedicated and willing to go the extra mile, then this will open doors & build trust.

With these in place, there will be the oportunity to build relationships within an infrastructure, that will provide the freedom to engineer the right level of training and plant/fleet/equipment needs to run a team sustainably & succesfully.

 

During this years annual performance review of my team, I identified the need for the following training/equipment/oportunities.

 

Advanced climbing refresher with Treevolution

Loler inspection

First aid refreshers

Splicing course with Treeworker

Professional Tree Inspection

Airspade

Replacement Vehicle

 

As well as Site visits to Windsor/Greenwich/Heartwood & the Basque region of Spain.

 

We've also taken the team outside, to help a Sister Site & next week are creating a working party for a day to offer a neighbouring LA our experience & time on a woodland project.

 

I've also manage to develope the idea of working in an apprentice position on to our team, which bore fruit & kicked off in september.

 

Some of the above may be seen as unneccesary and wasteful, but this helps with delivering a high standard of work & networking, which I believe to be an important aspect of CPD an a key indicator of growth & sustainability.

 

This all during the pinching of central training & employment budgets, due to the current climate.

Obviously this is my situation and many LA's may not be in the same financial situation/position as COL.

 

Reading this may add to your frustration, and for that I appologies, but in your position I'd be inclined to get together evidence of what you see are failings and where you see they can be improved and go upstairs with it.

 

What's there to lose?

 

Your unhappy, try and improve that situation.

 

Good luck either way

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

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[treequip]

Who out there works for a Local Authority and how many of you get frustrated about the logic behind there "thinking"?! I do both of these and sometimes I feel like quitting, am I the only one?

 

We have just had a management re-structure and a supervisor from Refuse Collection (the bins) is now in charge of us tree surgeons/arborists, he knows nothing about trees or plants in general, doh! what a great idea!! Its not his fault, blame the management team, again, haha!

 

I also asked for some funding to help towards me doing the Tech Arb course back in Sept, either full or part funding, I said I would " go halves". My request was submitted to Human Resources (HR), hey guess what, the course isn't relevant to my job, what!? How am I expected to develope my career and knowledge, with that attitude.

 

I could go on and on....ammount of waste, lack of training, lack of plant.. so on and so forth.

 

Thanks for helping me vent, I think my wife has suffered enough:biggrin:

 

I am guessing you are “on the tools” at the LA?

 

If that’s the case then they are quite right, the course isn’t relevant to your job, or more accurately not relevant to your current post. Sounds like you line manager could benefit though?

 

The LA probably doesn’t expect you to develop your career, or rather not at their expense. From their point of view, if they give one craft grade employee a tech cert they may all want one and the precedent would be set. Once equipped with said qualification they would then be free to seek better paid employment elsewhere.

[taffupatree]

the LA i work for is along the same vain.they cover a big area in one of the greenest counties in the country and dont even have a dedicated tree team. theres a couple of climbers at various depots they throw together to do trees. no rigging kit at all,some saws are 15 years old,only one tow along chipper on the whole council......could go on and on! best one is when i passed my cs38 i was using my own kit for 6mnths before they bought me stuff.

[Arborist Sites]

If i worked for the LA i would simply get the union on the case, state what you need to do the job properly and safely and refuse to work until they sort it out, if you have a good union it will be sorted, if not say you will go to the papers. Afterall what are they going to do, fire you because you wont risk your safety due to not having the correct kit and the council cutting corners, the papers would have a field day.

 

If the private sector has to do it by the book why shouldnt the councils, i can guarantee you if there was an issue with the bin mens safety the whole council would shut down.

 

It makes me sick what some of the LA chaps have to deal with

[Peter]

I used to work for a Local Authority.

[Arborist Sites]

Also i think its important to mention that many of these LA's require contractors to be AA approved, yet they cant look after their own home.

 

Actually thats a bit pointless as AA approved doesnt have anything to do with quality work, decent/required kit or general H&S.

 

[janey]

If you really want to get those extra qualifications, then I think you are either going to have to pay for them yourself or look at working for another company who will invest in you, the latter not such a bad option if my experience of working in house on't' tools for a couple of different LAs was anything to go by.

 

Your extra training just isn't an attractive option for the masters of the budgets, unless you can arrange a little "accident" that threatens to get in the papers ?

[Lancstree]

I've had the same frustrations and have felt like quitting many times. At the minute I'm settled and just go in and do my job to the best of my ability. But that is never enough sometimes and you still find yourself in an argument about something and nothing!