Avon Fire Service & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

[Lord Braykewynde]

I see that the Avon Fire Service are recruiting by having open days, a total of 5 sessions. In it's effort to recruit more women and ethnic minorities only one session was open to anyone.

One session was for females only, one session for ethnic minorities only and one session for females and ethnic minorities only.

This C.F.O. is the same person who was criticised for holding a conference for it's staff on gay, lesbian and bi-sexual relations all paid for by the tax payer.

Meanwhile the health chief, Rose Gibb, who resigned from the Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust for failing in her £150,000 a year job is to paid a £75,000 handout and theres nothing anyone can do to stop it. If any other lowly member of staff, no matter what institution they worked in, failed they would be sent down the road mumbling with their

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

... P45 in their hand.

The country is truly sick and the prognosis isn't good :O(

p.s. don't know what happened but the post sent itself before I got off my soapbox :O(

 

[Bernie_5110919]

... P45 in their hand.

The country is truly sick and the prognosis isn't good :O(

p.s. don't know what happened but the post sent itself before I got off my soapbox :O(

I always wondered how THEY got the BEST for the job!!!!!

 

[LMH]

Hi

In Notts, we have had recruitment information sessions specifically targetting women and ethnic minorities.

Sorry but compated to white males, women and ethnic minorites are greatly under represented in our Fire Service. I think these workshops should be encouraged. It is a very much white male dominated environemnt at the moment.

Lisa

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Personally Lisa I would rather pay my taxes to those who are more up to the job than to please the PC Brigade with their skin colour or sexuality.

 

[ColinA]

Lisa the work force in many fields is white male dominated because of the way things happened in the past and hopefully that will change in the future. But surely to give preference based purely on ethnicity or gender is discriminatory.

discrimination should not be a one sided thing.

Colin.

 

[LMH]

LB, there is a criteria recruits have to meet before they are offered a position. If they meet the criteria, they are then offered a post. That post is subject to recruits passing the three month training period.

The three month training period is tough and their fitness has to be to a high standard too.

Whether they are black, white, women or whatever, if they don't pass the tests and achieve a certain level of fitness, they will be kicked out.

If they do pass, they are then on probabtion for two years and are closely monitored by senior officers.

Lisa

 

[LMH]

Lisa the work force in many fields is white male dominated because of the way things happened in the past and hopefully that will change in the future. But surely to give preference based purely on ethnicity or gender is discriminatory.

discrimination should not be a one sided thing.

------

Preference IS NOT given purely on ethnicity or gender. The point of the recruitment information sessions aimed at ethnic minorities and women is PURELY to try and recruit more ethnic people and women as the service is mainly dominated by white males.

As stated above, if they don't meet the criteria to enter the service and then pass the three month training period and maintain a high level of fitness and competence, they are out.

I'd just like to point out that full-time serving fire fighters are regulary assessed on competence and fitness throughout their careers.

Lisa

 

[Marc1]

Lisa when you got your position you had to earn it and as a result people respect you for getting it, However if the new recruits are found from targeted backgrounds then the public could end up questioning whether they are of the right calibre and if they are the best available. On another angle could white males claim dicriminaton if they are barred from applying. ?

Marc

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Colin A is right, it was how things happened in the past. Then it was a job carried out by males, like many others. Then the wives stayed at home rearing the children while the menfolk went to work. Today a female fire fighter can have children, take maternity leave before and I believe after for up to 12 months. During this time others have to be employed to cover her. In a lot of jobs now there are subsidised creches for when the female returns to her job. The point I'm making is, as a taxpayer, which is the best value I'm getting for my money?

Is it any wonder we are probably the heaviest taxed nation in the so called civilised world?

I know we are in a different era when everyone has to have the latest gizmo's, the best of everything and aren't prepared to start at the bottom in the housing market, and good for them if they can afford to keep up with the Jones's. All I'm asking for is not to expect me to subsidise their lifestyle.:O)

 

[LMH]

Hi Marc, I'm not a ff, my job is community safety and management.

---

'if the new recruits are found from targeted backgrounds then the public could end up questioning whether they are of the right calibre and if they are the best available'

I don't understand why they might not be of the right calibre or whether they might not be the best available candidates.

If they don't get through the very very long winded application process and meet the required level of fitness/health requirements and certain other tests and interviews, they won't even be offered a place on the three month training course. They will not be treated any differently to other applicants.

The point of the recruitment workshops is to try and encourage more ethnic people and women to apply. No promises of employment are made.

I can assure you people will not be taken on simply because they are women/ethnics.

LIsa

 

[LMH]

White males could be barred from applying.

Nobody can ever be barred from applying. However, there are certain things which will automatically stop you from getting through the recruitment process and one of them is if you have a criminal record.

Lisa

 

[ColinA]

if LBs original post was correct (and I have no reason to think it was not) then the prefference was given when certain groups of people were excluded from some of the recruitment sessions. I did not mean unsuitable people would be employed . Dont think Im dissing the fire service Lisa. We have our own fire service where I work and they train every day and have to fulfil a number of roles. many of them are paramedics. It makes the workplace much safer having qualified people close at hand.

Colin.

 

[LMH]

Well all I can say LB is thank god you're not a CHAIRMAN of industry.

Lisa (smiley icon thingy)

 

[LMH]

Colin A

I think you'll find that it's common practice in the public sector these days to hold recruitment workshops aimed at minorities who are under represented in that particular workforce.

It's such a shame that women are no longer happy to stay at home as a nice mother and wifey. (smiley icon thingy)

Lisa

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

****** the poxy little chairmans job Lisa, just make me Prime Minister with absolute power and I guarantee this country in 12 months will be back at the top with family values in the forefront ... hehheh! ;O)

There will be more space to breath too after I've finished deporting the illegals and topping the murderers :O)

 

[LMH]

'Today a female fire fighter can have children, take maternity leave before and I believe after for up to 12 months. During this time others have to be employed to cover her. In a lot of jobs now there are subsidised creches for when the female returns to her job. The point I'm making is, as a taxpayer, which is the best value I'm getting for my money'?

-----

Do you have a daughter, if so, if she applied to become a full-time ff, do you think she should not be allowed maternity benefits or put a child into a creche?

Didn't the ambulance Service have those benefits too? Did you or your union kick up a fuss about it?

Why should women be penalised just because they have babies. It's men who FATHER babies you know.

Smiley icon thingy

Lisa

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

if LBs original post was correct (and I have no reason to think it was not) then the prefference was given when certain groups of people were excluded from some of the recruitment sessions. I did not mean unsuitable people would be employed . Dont think Im dissing the fire service Lisa. We have our own fire service where I work and they train every day and have to fulfil a number of roles. many of them are paramedics. It makes the workplace much safer having qualified people close at hand.

Colin.

The story was in todays Daily Express thankfully and not the Daily Mail cos Lisa don't like that paper.

 

[LMH]

Well, the Chairman of CBI position would be a nice little earner. Should get you a new caravan and big tug each year.

Lisa

 

[ColinA]

Colin A

I think you'll find that it's common practice in the public sector these days to hold recruitment workshops aimed at minorities who are under represented in that particular workforce.

It's such a shame that women are no longer happy to stay at home as a nice mother and wifey. (smiley icon thingy)

Lisa

Youre just trying to wind me up now Lisa. fortunately your not one of the people who do that.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Ummmm no Lisa, the Ambulance Service didn't have creches. In fact I was working with a female when I hurt my back which finally finished me. It's not a wind up, she was only a slip of a girl and wasn't strong enough to carry the patient so she had to keep stopping and putting the carrying chair down on the steps while I took all the weight :O(

I kid you not again but that was about 4 years ago and in that four years she has been off two years having babies ... lmaoooo. At this rate she could end up only working half of her total years in employment .. hehheh! I'm not annoyed with her though, it was managements fault and in a way I'm grateful because I no longer have to work 12 hour shifts and take abuse off drunks/druggies who we have to pick up out of the gutter.

I do have a married daughter and she has 4 children (silly ****** but I love them all) the youngest is 6 and the oldest is 16 and my daughters been married for 18 years. In all that time she has stayed home to look after them and I'm sure she won't return to work until Megan is at least 15.

She's a chip off the old block and just as stubborn as me to ;O)

 

[LMH]

Well maybe the answer to all the women in employment problems is to somehow enable men have babies rather than women.

Good for your daughter staying at home to look after her babies, I presume that was her choice and she had a man bringing in a decent salary. That's what is so good about today's society, women have choices.

Sorry to hear about the ambulance service situation with your female partner. It must be different in the Fire Service because if ff's don't meet the requiremnts of the job, they are taken out of active service. Whether they are offered jobs out of the front line or simply disposed of, I don't know as personnel is not my forte.

It is rather disheartening to hear that discrimination appears to be still alive and kicking.

Well, I'm off to bed now, have to get up at the crack of dawn to clean the front step, bake the bread, black lead the fireplace and ponch the washing.

Lisa

 

[ColinA]

dont forget to make our breakfasts lisa, and im running low on socks. some sort of smiley thingey that i dont really understand

Colin.

 

[Marc1]

Discrimination is still the same word even if you put the word positive before it. Equality can only be claimed when ALL of us are treat in an equal manner.

Marc

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Well maybe the answer to all the women in employment problems is to somehow enable men have babies rather than women.

Good for your daughter staying at home to look after her babies, I presume that was her choice and she had a man bringing in a decent salary. That's what is so good about today's society, women have choices.

Sorry to hear about the ambulance service situation with your female partner. It must be different in the Fire Service because if ff's don't meet the requiremnts of the job, they are taken out of active service. Whether they are offered jobs out of the front line or simply disposed of, I don't know as personnel is not my forte.

It is rather disheartening to hear that discrimination appears to be still alive and kicking.

Well, I'm off to bed now, have to get up at the crack of dawn to clean the front step, bake the bread, black lead the fireplace and ponch the washing.

Lisa

....... and don't forget your hubbies breakfast and while you are at it put his slippers in the hearth to warm :OP