Dave Reid, Cardiff Socialist Party
Unite members working for Cardiff Labour council’s Telecare department, supported by other council workers and Cardiff Trades Council, have lobbied the council against the dangerous situations management are putting them in.
Telecare workers are dedicated professionals who provide a vital 24-hour emergency response service for 5,000 vulnerable people across Cardiff. The workers attend service users’ homes to help them and check they are ok. They used to work in pairs, but since 2019 the council management has insisted that, with a rising workload, they work alone.
That means sometimes going into dangerous and traumatic situations alone, often into situations that police officers attend in pairs. They can face violence, substance misuse, and mental health crises. Workers have been threatened with guns.
Workers lobbying the council reported that, with mental health issues and substance misuse on the rise, risk levels have been rising. Management has been ignoring their concerns – they have had enough. “It’s only a matter of time before there is a serious violent incident”.
Lone working breaches Cardiff council’s own health and safety standards and the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, which requires employers to eliminate or control risks. And they are refused annual leave when requested and are told to find their own cover, breaching the council’s work-life balance policy.
Unite calls on Cardiff council to:
- Reinstate two-person working
- Reinstate a fair annual leave policy
- Honour their own health and safety and work-life balance commitment
If workload has increased, that should be met with increased staffing, not dangerous working. Fight for full funding!
