Angry tweeting

This weekend I wrote what I think was my first negative tweet going against my own advice of ‘if you can’t say anything nice on social media don’t say anything.’  I’d spent the weekend standing in the foyer of Morrisons with a bucket collecting for the Refugee Welcome Trust. For those that haven’t ever done this it is hard work. Physically standing for six hours carrying a bucket of coins makes everywhere hurt, add to that being ignored by 70% of people that walk past and the boredom of being in a supermarket for three days in a row.

The store I go to is in a little Lancashire town which has a massive sense of community. Staff turnover seems low and they are friendly helpful to the customers, a young man collecting baskets knows an elderly customer by name and is concerned when she waits over 40 minutes in the hot foyer for a taxi and seems confused. She tells me she always has the same driver who helps her lock up and carry her shopping and is visibly pleased to see him when he arrives. He is very attentive, checking she’s OK with the heat and giving her his arm  to walk to the car. Morrisons' staff come to check she’s gone a few minutes later.

There must be some research around collecting like this. You can tell, with a  reasonable amount of accuracy, whether people passing you on the way in will donate or not on their return. Some are surprising groups, teenage boys in my experience are much more likely to donate than girls, people who look like they have less to give more likely than those who appear to have more. A distinct group peer at the bucket. At first I thought they were looking for a particular cause or charity and maybe some are. Being such a small organisation the majority won’t recognise our name and some people, it appears are filtering out rather than in. One lady tells me she was just checking I wasn’t from an animal charity and one that I wasn’t from a hospice. Quite a few people ask what we do and this is sometimes where the trouble begins.

I am the first to be picky about what I give money to. In times where people have less to give where it goes becomes so much more important and when I say ‘Refugee families’ in response to their question many say they prefer to give to ‘local people.’ Most people ask more questions about where they’ve come from and why they’re here and this is partly what makes standing here worthwhile. There are a small minority that look at me with complete disgust like I’m suggesting they give money to help murder puppies. For a large part these are respectable looking older ladies and I continue to be shocked at how rude they can be to a stranger. But the tweet was not aimed at them, they’ve aired their feelings and its their decision who to give to.

My first bad encounter was with a man who unfortunately for him was shorter than me. When he asked the standard ‘What is it this time?’ I responded with ‘Refugee families.’ ‘Why don’t they just stay where they are?’ he asked. A perfectly reasonable question. Apart from the fact he was standing way to close for comfort and shouting at me. If the store hadn’t been busy and the staff so attentive this could have been quite scary. Next time a man who was a lot bigger than I was leaned over my and shouted ‘Pakis?!’ in response. Not really sure how to respond there was an awkward silence with him staring at me until I nodded and he backed down.

I chose to end my angry tweet with the #idiot which I’ve never used before and won’t use again. This is not particularly because of people thinking it’s OK to be aggressive and intimidating but more the fact that both of these people donated money. Over a pound each. Didn’t see that one coming.

Benefits sanctions will hit most vulnerable non English speakers the hardest

George Osborne’s proposals to sanction benefits for those who are claiming Jobseekers Allowance and refuse to attend mandated English language courses will be destructive to our client’s attempts to make a new life for themselves and their families in the UK.

Families entering the UK under family reunion policy are arriving after one or more member has suffered persecution. Parents have been separated from children for years at a time when they most need each other’s support.

Placing more conditions on entitlement to Jobseekers allowance will push even more newly arrived families further into poverty. Negotiating the complexities of benefit entitlement already means that some families are living off a single person’s benefits for weeks after they arrive.

Those arriving under family reunion have already suffered and their arrival in the UK should be an opportunity for them to recover. Mandatory English courses would place unneccessary strain on families at a time when they’re least able to cope.

Contrary to popular belief refugees coming to the UK want to work. Many are surprised that they receive benefits and some do voluntary work to help themselves feel more comfortable about taking the handouts.

Noone is denying that learning English will be instrumental in enabling refugees find paid employment but if Osborne wants people to get themselves into work maybe he should make it look at the difficulties already faced by so many in trying to access ESOL courses. Those seeking asylum have to wait 6 months before becoming eligible for only funding for half the costs, a spouse who’s partner is working has to wait a year before becoming eligible for co-funding..

Sanctioning benefits based on English course attendance won’t force people with poor English skills into work it will push them further into isolation and hamper their efforts to integrate into their new community. 

From the Refugee Welcome Trust blog: www.refugeefamilyreunion.blogspot.com 

www.refugeewelcometrust.org

A day in the life of a UCAN Project Officer

Tonge Moor UCAN centre is in a lovely old library building which houses the north neighbourhood management team and housing services offices as well as the UCAN. In the large public area the computers are busy with people browsing the internet looking at everything from job searches, to tattoos to Facebook.

Maryam from housing services is around to answer housing queries and there is a free phone which customers can use to call for benefits advice, the council or utility companies. Christine tells me that this phone is always busy and there is sometimes a queue of people waiting to use it.

Christine works in a glass-fronted office looking over the main reception area with the door open for customer enquiries. As we sit down she’s receiving texts from members of her women’s group telling her she’s recruited another member. As Christine says, you can put as much information out as you want about something, but word of mouth is always the best means for getting a message across. UCAN is about putting people in touch with services and if someone has a good experience they’ll pass it on.

Although it could be seen that using social network sites is not a good use of the UCAN facilities, Christine sees this as a positive tool that enables her to engage with customers that wouldn’t normally access services. It allows us to get to know the customer and build trust and gradually introduce them to services.

However, while people do use the computers for job searching, paying bills and checking bank balances, some also just need to be able to get online to get access to the information they need to live their lives. Internet access is a vital part of daily life in today’s connected world and something that many people with instant access often take for granted.

Once people are through the doors of the UCAN the opportunity to engage is there and conversations can begin. This is especially important with difficult to reach groups who would come in to get online, but might not engage with other more formal services as easily.

For others, visiting this IT suite can be a lifeline and the only way they will get to engage. For some of these people who would otherwise face exclusion for various reasons, visiting regularly and getting to know staff and other customers can be a way to feel part of the community. Simple things like answering questions from other users, switching machines on in the morning and doing favours for staff can make people feel like they’re helping out.

Once people are in the centre and get to feel more comfortable around staff, there is a real opportunity to engage and be able to identify any services that might be helpful. If it’s the internet access that gets them through the door, then that’s some of the work done.

As the centre is open, our visitors are constantly coming to the door asking an array of questions, from a lady asking what to do with her deceased neighbour’s mail to a passer by  who’d found some keys on the floor outside. Visitors are put in touch with sports activities for teenagers, some come to chat about bin collections and disposing of dog mess. Incidentally, a top tip from Warren is that nappy sacks are better than dog bags for not being as smelly!

One visitor provides an almost textbook example of the UCAN approach. He comes to the office to ask for help getting onto a PC. During his visit he is signed up for a CV session and offered information about other relevant services in the area. Christine says trying to offer too much on the first visit can put people off and so she’ll make sure that it’s followed up when he comes back on Thursday.

Christine tells me as a UCAN Officer you’re a walking A-Z of services and, without prompting (!), that Facebook is the best way to keep up to date with what services and activities are available in the area as more organisations are using this as a tool to promote their services. Christine also gets regular emails and updates from partner organisations that realise the importance of the UCAN promoting their services.

Christine’s daughter is volunteering at the UCAN one day a week and she sees this as a good way to build up her confidence. Christine started as the first volunteer at the first UCAN centre in Bolton at Halliwell 13 years ago.

Under the wing of the then UCAN manager Marie McNulty she started taking on small tasks and doing short courses, building up into more responsibility and then going on to study community and youth work. After three years as a volunteer, Christine began to work for Bolton at Home part time and started full time in 2005.

In between Halliwell and Tonge Moor, Christine set up Hall I’ th’ Wood UCAN which introduced UCAN services into the estate. Now there is an increased range of activities at the community centre there and Hall I’ th’ Wood residents come to Tonge Moor UCAN to access services.

“When residents say they feel like we’ve got a community again – that’s job satisfaction and you feel like you’re doing something right,” says Christine.

After this quick run through of Christine’s experience its lunchtime and the UCAN closes. There’s half an hour before the women’s group starts at the Greenway centre up the road. Christine tells me “You never get your dinner working in the UCAN – it never goes half an hour without the bell ringing.”

With no time for lunch the Wonder Woman group kicks off at the Greenway Centre with ESF officer Warren Rogers talking about what the programme can offer to the women. As we’d discussed the importance of word of mouth as a promotional tool this looks like a great way of spreading the word and getting people referred to the programme.

Visiting face to face also allows the women to get their questions about the programme answered by Warren and discuss what they might get out of the scheme. Warren is able to collect contact details directly from people. In between saying hello and making sure people are introduced and have brews, Christine has to grab a quick bite of lunch.

Kalysa gives one of the women advice about how to get work in the prison service to and Christine hands someone a job application form she’s helped them complete. The group clearly know each other really well and there is a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

The main activity today is an exercise looking at evaluating the women’s groups and services in the area and there is a passionate discussion on the importance of the groups. Some of the feedback includes comments such as:

-       “It makes me feel important not like I’m just another number on paper.”

-       “It’s the only time I have to myself. For two hours a week I feel special.”

-       “Afterwards you can feel down when you have to go home.”

Jennifer was introduced to the women’s group by her cousin and then brought her sisters, mum and nana along. She says the women’s group is a nice place for them to meet up with them regularly as well as meet other people she’d seen around the estate but never spoken to. Christine tells me the women’s groups have gone a long way towards promoting sense of community on the estate; residents who previously were making ASB complaints against each other have come together through the various activities.

Christine has introduced Jennifer to staff from Christine Partington House, our women’s centre and she wants to be able to volunteer there, taking her experience of being part of a successful women’s group with her. Christine has also suggested that she apply to be on the Bolton at Home board and has introduced her to other board members. Jennifer doesn’t visit the UCAN because through the women’s group she can ask Christine directly. She says Christine is “brilliant” and the reason she wants to get more involved with Bolton at Home. Jennifer sees Christine as a friend, someone who can relate to the other group members and not as a facilitator. She says she’s helped everyone at the group in different ways.

One of the problems about working in the UCAN, Christine says, is that there needs to be more joined up working within Bolton at Home. She says: “I wish we all had a greater understanding of each other’s services. We’re all fighting the same cause at the end of the day.”

In response Christine is working on a ‘Welcome to the Community’ pilot working with housing services to target new tenants and give them more information on the services that are available. The event takes the format of a quarterly coffee morning where new residents can learn about what the UCAN offers, and meet their Housing Officer and local PCSO. The idea is to promote UCAN services to new tenants as soon as they arrive and help introduce tenants who could become isolated to local community groups.

As Jennifer said: “Christine makes it look like fun and not like she’s working,” and I would agree – it’s been fantastic to spend the day with someone who’s so enthusiastic about their work.

Health and Safety at Work

After all the amazing capacity building work we saw at the Red Cross, the MMDA and Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines this week's health and safety training was a bit of an eye opener.

In a global context our environment is pretty safe (see Philippines; in the top 12 countries most prone to natural disasters) but the trainer managed to make people feel like they'd face death as they went to the next room to get the sandwiches. In comparison to people who go to work every day in a city of potholed pavements, less than controlled traffic and the ever present threat of earthquakes and flooding the risk to our health of tripping over a cable kind of seems insignificant. 

However the real contrast came in the attitude we're taught. In a hierarchical list of how to deal with a hazard training came around 6 or 7 (if I'd realised I was going to write this I'd have made more notes). This is despite it being clear that in order to carry out actions 1 to 5 or 6 someone would have to have been trained. But this was what the message seemed to be: other people are responsible for keeping you safe at work. What came across was that your employers responsibilities outweigh your own. 

When schools in the slums of Manila are teaching primary age children to spot the warning signs of TB and the Red Cross are training people how to deal with serious flooding and earthquake this doesn't seem right. 

Yes our employers might have a responsibility to make sure we don't come to harm at work but we do too and maybe the training should look more at how we can practically identify and prevent risk rather than looking at horror stories and reporting procedures. 

If we're getting down to details such as bad backs and poor posture why not suggest that the employee use a bit of initiative and raise their monitor with a book? Or if their chair isn't right use a cushion. For some the solution might not be that simple but it often is. 

Maybe we should look at teaching people common sense first? Or at least assume they'll be using it on a day to day basis. 

Sneak peek at the people taking our calls

Today with a select group of members from the Paving the Way team it was off to Bolton Council's customer service centre to have a look at how their CRM was working for them.

Having never been to the call centre before I was keen to see how it all worked and what happened when people were calling. Having only ever used a sales focused CRM it was great to see one designed around customer service in action.

Unfortunately they had no control over the calls coming in and the housing enquiries I was most interested in were few and far between the enquiries about bin collections. This did give me a change to see how the CRM linked with the knowledge base and the EDRMS and how the ideas we discuss in the Paving the Way meetings might work in practice.

If a caller wanted to report her bin not being emptied the staff were able to use her address to pull up the route she lived on and then the drivers notes for that route. These notes are produced by the collection teams and document any issues they have for example the road being blocked. Staff are then able to explain why it happened and what the caller can do.

It turned out that the service is getting even more sophisticated and the contact centre will soon have real time updates on the movements of the collection truck allowing them to provide even better customer service.

Seeing it all in action has given all of us loads of ideas about how we can make use of these systems in the future and we're all excited about what we can do in the future.

Thanks to Rachel for showing us round and to her and the staff for putting up with all our questions.

Manila Highlight Report / back to work

So back at work today and being asked what were the highlights from the past month and obviously it's difficult to say.

Just to clarify the trip was funded by the Rotary Foundation and intended to be an opportunity for us to experience our vocation in a different culture so we can bring back learning to our current jobs.

I have to say that when I left I was doubtful about how this would work. I wasn't convinced that a quick whirlwind 'sightseeing' tour of Filipino housing would give me any insight into what I do at home or give me a real understanding of their working environment. But whilst I don't claim to have a comprehensive understanding of their systems or the challenges they face I do feel like I've learnt a lot from the experience.

Firstly that I'm a terrible vegetarian. Faced with a choice of a month of refusing food and only eating rice and soy sauce I quickly embraced eating everything from bone marrow to balut. Balut for those that don't know is a hard boiled egg containing a duck foetus. I didn't eat any head.

But work wise it was more a matter of inspiration. Seeing how things can be done differently and work well.

Communications was given a real value by all the organisations we spoke to. It was recognised as being integral to employee engagement, customer engagement and raising the public profile of the organisation.

If I said to someone in the UK I was  going to see the Highways Agency I doubt the first thing they'd do would be to tell me how great the new Highways Agency app was or how their Twitter account had a great sense of humour. But that's exactly what happened when I said I was going to see the Filipino equivalent.

Customer engagement is something we place a lot of emphasis on. I didn't expect to see it when informal settlers were being moved off sites where they were in danger of losing their lives through fire or flood. Housing authorities gave people options about where to go, managed expectations and provided livelihood training to ensure that when they moved they weren't destitute. Through these initiatives good communications supported by effective strategies paved the way for stronger communities. In some schemes they also teach hope, teach people that they have the capacity to change their own lives.

Someone told me the Philippines is the country with the highest risk of natural disaster in the world. Perhaps the importance they place on comms comes in part from the reliance they have on these channels in case of emergency. Effective early warning and evacuation has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives in some situations.

Capacity building was raised by every organisation. It was recognised that the resource wouldn't be there to help everyone. So children are taught at school to spot TB symptoms, the Red Cross have mass first aid training programs and those who can't pay fines for misdameanours are made to attend disaster preparedness training.

Although I'm not in any way qualified to comment on our benefits system, how it works or its possible failings I believe we are lucky to have it. We're lucky that we don't have hundreds of thousands of people living below the poverty line ($1.25/day) and that people generally get help when they need it. We don't help ourselves sometimes because we know we don't have to.

We're not just dependent in terms of housing and benefit provision but the simple ability to rely on the emergency services and the NHS. The capacity building was inspirational, uplifting and positive but it's hard to see how to translate this to my work or that of Bolton at Home.

Some of the most successful capacity building schemes were around vocational training and providing a means to work to support the housing provision but in our communities this would be almost impossible to implement. For their communities participating in these schemes mean the difference between their family starving or not. Without that kind of incentive I don't know how successful they would be. Given the cost of living and the level of income required simply giving people in our communities sewing machines wouldn't work.

So it was pretty depressing returning to work. Meeting so many people who believed so wholeheartedly in their work makes you question the impact you have. But I also don't believe you should complain about something unless you have a solution which I'm not professing to have for the bigger issues. I do think I can maybe take some of this to encourage me work harder at what I do, at inspiring our staff and customers to communicate better and participate in conversations not only nationally but within their community.

In the midst of this little downer on the whole situation I saw on our social media a message encouraging people with business ideas to get in touch with an organisation offering funding to support them and that customers are beginning to really make use of Bolton at Home's social media channels.

And noone tried to feed me any baby animals.

Visit to the Red Cross

A visit to Quezon City’s Chapter of the Philippine Red Cross involved another serious conference setting and a presentation including all their volunteers dressed up in uniform. Kindly arranged by a Rotarian I met at one of the meetings a long presentation didn’t even begin to cover the amazing work they do in the Philippines.

I think sometimes we forget in the UK how spoilt we are. If we have an emergency, a fire or a car accident we call the emergency services and know they will come. In Manila that might not be the case. While the Chairmen wasn’t critical of the government provision of emergency service it was clear that these were not meeting the need and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) were filling in the gap.

In addition to the services that are remarkably similar to the British Red Cross (BRC) in terms of support for the homeless, first aid training and family tracing to name a few, there is also an additional massive scope to their work in Manila. As well as the disaster relief, a vital service with the Philippines being the top most disaster prone country, there is massive work in capacity building for communities as well as filling in for the emergency services. If this wasn’t impressive enough the fact that there are almost no paid staff and this work is carried out by volunteers should do it.

Although they do have an emergency number and a call centre is manned 27/7 they are also called out by the Philippine National Police when they attend emergencies. But the main point of contact with the public is through their astonishingly comprehensive network of volunteers. Ambulances, dinghys and fire engines are donated by their supporters.

Recognising that the usual support systems we rely on in the UK might not be available or affordable to most of the population the PRC, like the MMDA and other organisations we’ve seen focus on training people to help themselves in an emergency. Thousands of members of the public are trained in not only first aid but disaster preparedness an water rescue and they have a great volunteer retention rate with the volunteers around the table averaging a seven year involvement.

Each chapter fundraises and is given a target and a budget. Quezon City’s is 65m pesos and they regularly exceed fundraising expectations. Each chapter has its own board of trustees and paid staff and the national PRC sits over the top with its own board. Interestingly this board includes 6 representatives appointed by the president perhaps representing the key role the organisation plays in the country. However the staff we spoke to were keen to assure that they didn’t see this as compromising the independence of the organisation as with them representing only 20% these six could not have a majority vote.

Following the visit to the Quezon City Chapter we were lucky enough to be able to visit the national headquarters where after the rest of the group made it clear my list of questions was too long the briefing session was cut short and we went for a look at their monitoring centre where everything from the levels of La Mesa Dam to the levels of deportees from Saba. All this work is done on simple excel spreadsheets regularly updated by staff.

To put into context the severity of the risk the PRC are facing an overflow at La Mesa Dam could kill two million people if evacuation is not quick enough. 

Like most organisations we’ve seen whilst we’re here this type of risk gives so much more significance to their work. With so few resources the work done here is stunning and I’ve written in previous posts really simple, practical economic solutions go so far to mitigating these risks.