The Department of Health and Social Care put out a message to civil servants on the internal intranet yesterday in relation to the riots sweeping the streets of the UK. They acknowledge the “distressing” scenes, offering “support” to those “impacted”. “Mental-health first aiders” and “wellbeing coaches” are among the many services provided to those distressed by events. If they aren’t too busy shirking from home, gardening or gaming…
Still, the message of support wasn’t well received. Several senior advisers from the department have launched a blistering attack on the “disappoint[ing]” response, slamming it for its failure to “call a spade a spade” and call out the “root cause” of the riots.
Guido has contacted DHSC for a comment. It appears that the countless forms of support from the blob for these delicate pen-pushers just aren’t enough…
UPDATE I: A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
“We are providing support services to our staff, who are working alongside NHS staff to respond to the violent, thuggish behaviour we’ve seen over the last week.”
UPDATE II: The comments section has now been closed. The department clearly couldn’t handle all the complaints…
Security staff at the Department for Work and Pensions are set for another two weeks of strikes, as the PCS union continues to complain about pay and working conditions. The latest walkout, starting 12th August, follows GMB’s claims that the outsourcer G4S is violating modern slavery laws by threatening disciplinary action or withholding shifts if staff don’t complete their security training. Given that these are security staff, one might think completing training is a basic and reasonable requirement…
Meanwhile, GPs across England are gearing up for an unprecedented strike over a new services contract. Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins noted that it was “no surprise” GPs have voted for the walkout, given Labour “appease[d]” junior doctors with a bumper pay rise earlier this week. Life under Labour…
It’s a new dawn for work-shy civil servants. The proportion of them actually working in the office was published on a weekly basis from the summer of 2022 as the government pushed to get pen-pushers to show up for work. No wonder they were to elated to see the back of the Tories...
That data hasn’t been published since May before the election campaign. Now Guido is told by the Cabinet Office, after weeks of delay, that “ministers have not yet given a view on this matter“. Amid Starmer’s gushing “respect” for civil servants, trying to get the blob to actually do some work is a task that’s fallen to the wayside…
UPDATE: The government has revived the work from home data, now published less frequently than before on a quarterly basis. 4 months later…
Another day, another case of the Civil Service’s obsession with diversity and inclusion. Over at the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is responsible for information rights and data privacy, that obsession has a price tag…
The around-1,000 staff at the government body are given pay rises within their job “grades” based on how well they adhere to its core “values“. They have this year been changed from “Ambitious; Collaborative and Service-focused” to “Curious; Collaborative; Impactful; and Inclusive“. Staff must now display their devotion to the woke cause to climb up the greasy pole…
To get to Career Band 2 they have to demonstrate that they “promote a culture that values diversity” and “pro-actively role model and promote and inclusive workplace.” A promotion to Band 3 requires that they must “champion diversity in practical ways”, “take a keen interest in expanding knowledge of inclusion” and “focus on achieving a wider equality, inclusion and diversity goals [sic] rather than individual tasks.” Whatever any of that means…
Guido hears staff at the ICO are concerned these new word soup-based requirements are another way for pay rises to be kept to a minimum, by claiming that diversity goals haven’t been met. The body is currently in the middle of a 12-month pay freeze, after all. Taking woke cynicism to new lows…
The ICO tells Guido: “We have nothing to add.“ Better get brushed up on your wokespeak, folks…
There’s an interesting inter-Whitehall competition shaping up to produce the most fawning welcome video for Labour’s new ministers. Wes Streeting’s shows him sweeping up to the Department for Health and Social Care in his new ministerial car…
Welcome Secretary of State for Health and Social Care @WesStreeting.
We look forward to helping you deliver the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future. pic.twitter.com/WN02CJZaBf
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) July 5, 2024
Meanwhile, Angela Rayner includes shots of her being taken on a tour of the department by its permanent secretary, culminating in her being presented with a portrait of herself on the wall – which seems to leave her slightly stunned. Impartial…
Welcome to the Deputy Prime Minister and our Secretary of State @AngelaRayner pic.twitter.com/XsYC2YnRYT
— Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (@luhc) July 5, 2024
David Lammy is also off the mark with a homiletic video introducing his foreign policy priorities. Don’t remember Tory ministers being given this treatment…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”
