Hello Daniel

I'm glad you've found the forum useful too! I've had lots of supportive messages and emails from a wide range of people over the last couple of days, including network reps. I've even had an email from Vera Baird QC MP saying she welcomed the forum and will be checking back to see how it's getting on - if that isn't a reason to get involved then I don't know what is!

The key thing at this stage is to continue supporting the forum by posting messages and moving the discussions along. I also want to get away from just one person registering on behalf of their whole organisation - this isn't how this forum works - everyone in the organisation, from admin worker to director, who might be affected should register, even if it is just to show their support through increasing the total volume of users and adding their voices/votes to the polls

The forum is only 1 DAY OLD TODAY! So we've got a long way to go yet!

I'm very pleased to see the articulate and thought provoking comments that have already been posted by registered users and fully expect that these discussions will continue. In addition to these broader conversations, I will be posting additional discussion areas at the end of the week which will try to capture individual caseworker's and supervisor's views on their particular subject categories e.g. "What do you as a debt caseworker think about the LSC proposing to pay you £127 per case (approx 2.5 hours per completed matter)? If you think it is too low then what evidence have you got to support this: tell us what an 'average' case means to you!"

I think there is a massive amount of untapped evidence out there so hopefully users of the forum will register and let us know about it - come on people who actually do the work, register and tell everyone about it!

There are lots of other things that will be introduced over the coming weeks as people get more used to and involved with the forum - already a success after day 1 and a long way to go yet - watch this space!

Good hello people.

A very large tip o' the hat to Patrick for getting this thing up and running. I have been telling everybody I can think of who might be interested about it. I have to say it is taking me a little while to get used to the structure of the thing, but I think that is down to my limited experience of using such forums on t'net rather than the particular set up here.

Wrarzo is right, this consultation and the proposals behind it really do call out for every single practitioner on the front line - as well as their supervisers, managers, employers etc, to make their feelings known. The proposals for change appear fundamental in nature, not just tinckering aruond the edges, and once changed, opportunity to alter will be limited. So lets look forward to greater involvement in these forums.

Fiona T. Wadrle - Money Advice Caseworker, Berwick upon Tweed CAB

I believe that as many of us should be contributing our views in this forum.
However I have noticed that whilst a lot of people are reading the messages there doesn't seem to be many people adding messages.
Probably the main reason is that because of the pressure on all of us to reach our monthly hours ,we simply don't have the time?
I am lucky in that I have the lowest target within our unit - that was down to the LSC reducing the housing contract some years ago.

But having our say here is very important so I would urge everyone to get involved.
If the LSC get their way , we will all be moaning about the pressures we are under so we need to get involved now.

At least I wouldn't feel like I was "hogging " the message board!