Not sustainable for practitioners who value ethics, boundaries, and accountability
Pros
The work itself can be meaningful and professionally rewarding when supported by a stable team culture that values ethical practice and professional standards. Unfortunately, this tends not to be sustained, as recurring turnover at team and leadership levels impacts stability and long-term work.
Cons
There is a recurring gap between stated organisational values and how decisions are experienced on the ground. Clinical and operational concerns were not always met with reflective discussion, particularly during periods of change, contributing to moral and professional strain among staff. Accountability at senior levels was inconsistent. Responsibility for issues was often shifted downward, with frontline and middle-level staff bearing the consequences of decisions made higher up. This eroded psychological safety and trust. The organisation placed strong emphasis on expansion and standardisation, reflecting an “expansion at all costs” mindset. There was an openly stated ambition to scale the organisation using a highly standardised model, with leadership explicitly referencing McDonald’s as an example of how all centres should follow the same formula. Applying this approach to social service work overlooked the relational, contextual, and clinical realities of care. This push for standardisation occurred even as existing teams were under-resourced and struggling to sustain their work, creating a significant gap between strategic vision and operational reality. While programmes were externally funded with defined staffing structures, actual resourcing on the ground often fell short. Staff were commonly required to straddle multiple teams or responsibilities, resulting in chronic understaffing and increased strain on already stretched teams. Leadership also openly expressed the view that work–life balance is not a meaningful concept, framing work as inseparable from personal life. In an organisation advocating for mental health and wellbeing, this stance normalised excessive workload and discouraged healthy boundaries, signalling that individuals who value work–life balance or sustainability may not find this organisation a good fit. A clear in-group/out-group culture existed within the organisation. Concerns raised by staff outside the in-group were often met with reframing that suggested they were thinking wrongly, lacking perspective, or failing to give situations a chance. In contrast, individuals within the in-group appeared effectively insulated from consequences, regardless of the impact of their behaviour on teams. This double standard around accountability damaged trust, discouraged honest feedback, and accelerated staff attrition.
