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The Benefits of Aspect Membership. Andrew Gosling Aspect Negotiations Officer London and Home Counties. Overview of presentation. Brief history of union background of the speaker Why you should join a union Why you should join Aspect What are your key issues today
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The Benefits ofAspect Membership Andrew Gosling Aspect Negotiations Officer London and Home Counties
Overview of presentation • Brief history of union background of the speaker • Why you should join a union • Why you should join Aspect • What are your key issues today • What will be the key issues tomorrow • How Aspect membership will help you
Brief union history of the speaker • A union member since first week at work • Needed direct union help twice in career • Pay to accompany promotion • Bullying senior manager • Election campaign to become Branch Secretary • Full time secondment • to union duties • Aspect Negotiations Officer 2010
Why you should join a union • At a minimum, the personal insurance policy of union support in case of bullying, disciplinary, grievance, or capability issues • Be a member of a group of employees for collective negotiations • As the weight behind a national political pressure group
Why you should join Aspect • Unite? • UNISON? • GMB? • Aspect! a smaller union without internal factions, young and vibrant, focused on your work and issues, collectively and individually, best value, and will move fast if you call for our helpTriumph over adversity with Aspect support
Who is eligible to join • Aspect welcomes applications from UK-based educational improvement and children’s services professionals • Members are employed by local authorities, national or voluntary agencies, charities or private sector organisations, or act as independent educational consultants or inspectors
Early Years Professionals What are the outstanding issues with the Every Child Matters agenda? • Many features of EYP, its operation and relationships remain not fully clear • There are outstanding questions, and practice varies around the country • So join Aspect today: your collective voice needs to be heard. EYPs are leading the way in their settings and local authorities
A Charter for Early Years Professionals Early Years Professionals are highly skilled, working to ensure every setting for under-fives gives every child the best possible start, so EYPs in Aspect call for • professional pay and recognition • continuing professional development • career progression • respect for profession
Today’s key issues for EYPs • Survey - completed • Pay, conditions, status • £8-9ph, could go down with Job Evaluation • Needs national pay structure • Remuneration for qualifications • Change of government • Reduction of public service expenditure
Practical help for social workers Aspect’s new handbook “What if?” is a practical guide on how to use the duty of care to the benefit of service users and to create a safe working environment for social care professionals, who face • excessive workloads • inadequate professional supervision • pressures to breach their Code of Practice
Workload rationalisation • Seeking to agree a job description outlining fixed commitments • Prioritising contracted commitments and alternative arrangements to provide cover • Having knowledge of statutory obligations • Complying with reasonable rules and requirements of employers and clients
Key issues for Children’s Services Professionals • Survey! – needed, and will be undertaken • Shoesmith public and press witch-hunt • Fallout from Baby Peter Connelly case • Increased (doubled) caseload • Longer days and shorter weekends • Staff morale lowest ever, staff leaving • Huge increase in children in care • More foster homes needed • Change of government, reduced funding
What will be our key issues? • The new government has stated its intention to cut public services • The presenter has witnessed caseloads doubling in the wake of baby Peter, and a haemorrhaging of experienced staff • We assert there is no slack to cut • Our profession and Aspect must make a united stand against impossible demands
Summary, advantagesof Aspect membership • Aspect is an influential union focused on professionals working in educational improvement and children's services • Aspect will represent you as an individual and collectively • Aspect will champion your cause & proactively lobby government Ian McCartney (on left) former Minister for Pensions with Andrew Gosling Aspect Negotiations Officer
Join Aspect Today Key benefits include: • expert support and representation • access to Aspect’s free 24-hour legal helpline • discounted rates on Aspect training courses • specialist advice and career support services • a no-strings attached tax health check • and much more
Application Forms and Direct Debit Mandates • Question Session andOpen Discussion
My questions • John’s view of public service funding (from 14 May presentation to NASWE) • 2-day week or 5-day fortnight preferred, flexible on days, can you be flexible too? • All Home Counties in patch? • Induction/training/manager contact • Net assets £1/4m versus possible court fine • Any likelihood of a merger?