Survey of staff sees 32 complain of a ‘bullying management culture’
Three Valleys faces bullying allegations
The Tenant Services Authority has been handed a survey of staff at Three Valleys Housing in which 32 employees complain of a ‘bullying management culture’ at the association
Union Ucatt, which handed in the findings, conducted the survey of 33 members of staff at the association in December last year.
The findings, seen by Inside Housing but strongly questioned by the association, show 32 out of 33 members felt working conditions since January 2009 were worse than the previous year. The results also revealed that the same number believed there was a ‘bullying management culture’ at the association, while 23 respondents stated that they hated working there.
It is understood that the results of the survey have been submitted to the TSA. In November it emerged that the regulator told the 5,800-home association - which is based in Derbyshire and employs 190 people - to commission an independent review of its governance to look into alleged high turnover of senior staff and board members at the organisation (Inside Housing, 27 November).
Paul Eastwood, chief executive of the association, said it took any claims of bullying extremely seriously but was not aware of the survey, adding that the housing association had received no such complaints from its staff. He explained: ‘I would question the survey’s approach and validity and I am disappointed that the results have not been shared with us so that we can discuss them meaningfully and respond to any of the staff concerned. We will, of course, meet with the union to discuss any issues.’
Last month, Mr Eastwood attended a meeting with the TSA to discuss allegations and complaints which led the regulator to request the governance review.
‘We were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the substantial progress we have made, particularly with regard to our governance review and how we are strengthening the board,’ he said.
Mr Eastwood revealed the review was not yet complete but stressed it would continue to meet with the TSA this year to work through its ‘plans to deliver further improvements’.
View results 10 per page | 20 per page
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (14)
teddy mcnabb | 08/01/2010 11:49 am
This comes as no surprise, good luck to the victims from the "beat the bullies" in northampton.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
peter | 11/01/2010 10:38 am
This is a serious allegation and disappointing if the staff have not used its internal grievance procedures to raise their concerns.
Bullying at the workplace is terrible and staff who are effected by it must get advise and pursue the matter through the organisation's grievance procedure in the first instance. Don't just ignore it or leave the organisation. Bullies must not tolerated at any costs.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
john | 13/01/2010 8:27 am
i know an ex employee who use to work there and all of what they told me is appearing to be true!
peter is quite right internal policys should be used, but my source says if they raise anything they will most probably be suspended!
nothing but bad news there i am afraid!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Andrea | 13/01/2010 3:02 pm
Unfortunately this is something that we can not get away from, even with policies and procedures in place. What determines this behaviour is the cultural acceptance of an organisation. The policies don’t set out to discriminate or bully.
It is not that easy to stand up to bullies especially when you are developing a career so rather than following a grievance process you leave an organisation. Some bullies would even go as far as to blight your decision to move rather than challenge them by not providing a reference and making false verbal allegations against you. (Not my personal experience I may add)
I think that individuals should me held more accountable rather than the organisation. But if the Human Resources departments don’t deal with the grievance what can you do.
Some grievance claims which are taken to Employment Tribunal are pursued when the bullies go to the extreme and do not accept responsibility for their actions in driving staff members to such action. Who then loses out the tenants whose rent payments then go to covering the cost? Do associations disclose what they pay out in grievance costs? Will they continue to shoulder the burden the bullies put on an organisation, stifling improvement because of their own inadequacies and jealousy then leaving the tax payer to pick up the bill i.e. sick pay and other benefits.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Wolfie Smith (Tooting Popular Front) | 13/01/2010 7:25 pm
Grow a backone some of you and stand up for yourselves.
"POWER TO THE PEOPLE".
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Angie | 13/01/2010 9:58 pm
Unfortunately, Wolfie, it's not as easy as that - if it was, housing companies like TVH wouldn't have these problems. I've heard that people with 'backbone' who 'stand up for themselves' as you say are usually the first in the firing line. It is very, very demoralising for a workforce who have experienced this for months or even years, enough to wear down the hardiest person. There are costs to the tenants, as Andrea says, and the costs to the workforce are also devastating in terms of demoralisation, illness, and the discovery that policies and procedures don't always (often) help. Not to mention the effects on the worker's family because of the pressure that people are under, and the constant worry about what will happen to the victim of bullying's job... Good thing that they still have a Union to help them!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Andrea | 14/01/2010 4:40 pm
Wolfe, I do have backbone and have had experience of bullying, sometimes you are forced to let go the rope rather than continue a tug-of-war.
I also feel it is harder for some people to resolve as your emotions asre involved and irrational fears can develop. Sometimes you just want to 'punch the lights out' of someone and you can't do that. You need to use the system, then senior managers draw rank to protect themselves as further up the chain of commandment they have not addressed and sometimes even encouraged such sport. Only when they find that to many cases are building up they let the bullies out to pasture who in turn take out a grievance for bullying.
My 29 year old daughter left a job in nursing for another trust because of bullying and she is no pushover.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
sackem | 14/01/2010 9:04 pm
Its horrendus whats going on at Three Valleys this article is very accurate, senior staff leaving being sacked more by the day !! the housing corporation would of been in by now, so wheres the TSA !!! This cant go on any longer. Staff are frightened and for a good reason.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
norma | 18/01/2010 12:28 pm
where will it all end if you look at all the articles about Three Valleys Housing since the past year they are all negative apart from the chair of the board who won the award, then a month later resigned!!!!
two HR employees have left and another head of service leaves at the end of the month, thats 3 already in 2010.
there should be 2 more resignations and they know who they are!!!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Jo | 23/01/2010 9:45 pm
I wonder what is going on at Three Valleys that they have had such a high turnover of Chief Executives -average about 1 a year in the last 7 years. Looks to me as if the bullying is taking place by the workers and Union towards senior management rather than the other way round. Although I am a union member and supporter, times have changed and workers need to understand they are running a service for tenants. People hate change but change is not bullying. The reality is that change has to take place for this organisation to function successfully.The management team is there to manage and not to be dictated to.
I hope that once and for all this management team is given full support from all concerned for the benefit of Three Valleys tenants.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment