Around the table

At today's staff awayday I was interested that every small group came up with the same issue that needs addressing - serious levels of overwork. There was no moaning and no complaining against management (who were in a different room recognising the same problem), just a large team of people understanding why it happens, supporting everyone else whenever they have the capacity to do so, and valuing each other and the work we do.

After we'd aired a whole lot of difficulties, the external facilitator asked if anyone wanted to add anything else before we broke for lunch. 

Silence. 

I looked round and realised that I had the back of everyone in the room - colleagues I worked with years ago and people I met only a few weeks ago - and I knew they had mine. So I filled that silence: 'I love this organisation'.

I could feel the consensus.

This afternoon we discussed how we might be able to resolve the stress and overwork. Structures and systems can be put in place. Priorities can be reassessed. But planning is very hard when there's no way of knowing what the need will be in six months time.

The Nationality and Borders Bill passed through Parliament two days ago and will pass through the Lords in due course. At the moment, someone claiming asylum in the UK is entitled to £39.63 per week and a room to sleep in. Under the new Bill, people arriving in the UK without permission can be imprisoned for four years. How many will reach the Kent and Sussex coast? How many will be imprisoned and how many will get to Oxford? How many will be sleeping rough? How much of the organisation's budget will need to be spent supporting destitute and hungry people and how much will there be to help those who have already been granted refugee status to find employment?

How can you plan with so few knowns? But everyone agreed that we have to do what we can.

I'm glad I was invited back to work. I've learnt a lot about stress by going in from retirement and I have never before worked with a bunch of people who are all pulling in the same direction and all looking out for each other.


Incidentally (incidentally?) this Bill will also legalise depriving a British person who is abroad of their citizenship without notifying them. They won't find out until they try to come home and get stopped at the border.

Incidentally (incidentally?) this Bill will criminalise the RNLI rescuing drowning people from the Channel if they are fleeing danger. 

Black and white in colour 240