Pros
The work with service users is very rewarding. There have been opportunities for training run by the hse- this has been positive. There are many people who do an incredible job and really want to provide a high quality service for service users. Some incredibly creative and motivated clinicians on the ground.
Cons
Layers of administration and inefficient systems in place which have a very negative impact on the culture of the hse. No meaningful awareness of the importance of staff wellbeing and development- this of course impacts significantly on service user experience. Work environment often not fit for purpose- a culture of ‘you should be so lucky to have a computer/suitable therapeutic environments for clinical work’ etc. Excluding management structures- this is really concerning and in my experience ‘group think’ is a real problem in the hse. Poor performance management systems- under performing staff are simply moved in the system. No value placed on creativity in management and thinking outside the box- the hse is attempting to train managers in leadership etc however in my experience this is not supported on return to the job and therefore causes more frustration for managers who really want to make things better for our service users and staff. Very frustrating recruitment processes. Overall, a very challenging place to work if you really want to make a difference in the lives of service users.