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Staff Selection

Peter Bates (RCCS Nottingham Healthcare NHS)

A Life in the Day

ISSN: 1366-6282

Article publication date: 1 February 1997

87

Abstract

The key of the door is highly symbolic in our society — keyholders are adult, trustworthy and independent. A bunch of keys represents the power in an organisation. The front door represents right of access, referral processes, greeting visitors, and use of the building out of hours. The filing‐cabinet key represents access to information, data and case records. The safe key represents access to pay and non‐pay budgets. Traditionally, all these keys and, more importantly, the power they represent, have been in the hands of paid professional staff. But no longer.Service users are increasingly taking charge of their own lives by invading and taking over the services they receive. They are unlocking buildings, recruiting staff and signing cheques. But in order to achieve these simple steps towards emancipation, a whole truckload of practical and organisational problems have to be addressed. Will property or money be stolen? Will unauthorised people sleep in the building? Will the insurance company cover the risk?The literature on user empowerment has been curiously muted on this topic. There are shelves full of books and articles on how to establish patients' councils or collect user views, but I can find nothing on the practical solutions. For example, what does a financial system look like that involves users and protects all its stakeholders from allegations of misuse?This column will be a regular feature of A Life in the Day and each edition will tackle one simple ‘key’ — one practical way of involving users in taking control of their own services. This issue takes the topic of staff selection, an area where perhaps most work has been done.

Citation

Bates, P. (1997), "Staff Selection", A Life in the Day, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 21-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/13666282199700006

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1997, MCB UP Limited

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