Pros
Client-facing work is highly rewarding and meaningful, particularly when supporting people through complex or challenging situations. Frontline teams are generally strong, supportive, and committed, with staff consistently working hard for clients despite ongoing pressures. There is a clear sense of shared purpose within teams, and many colleagues are passionate, skilled, and genuinely care about the quality of the service they provide.
Cons
Middle management frequently micromanages team leaders, often treating them and their teams with a lack of respect and failing to meaningfully involve them in decision-making. While “consultation” is talked about, it often feels performative rather than genuine. There are also some very unrealistic and unreasonable expectations placed on all staff, especially considering the low pay and lack of sick pay. There is a clear clique culture: staff are either part of the inner group or excluded from it. Those outside the clique who challenge decisions or express disagreement can find themselves marginalised, openly bullied, with pressure increasing until they eventually leave. This culture appears to contribute directly to the consistently high staff turnover across many services. The clique creates a bottleneck between frontline staff and senior management, meaning concerns are either filtered out or ignored altogether. Alternatively, senior management does not appear to meaningfully engage with the reasons people leave.
