DFE top civil servant sacked - AIBU to feel sad and frustrated?

[Gromitt]

Just came on here for a bit of a rant and to ask if anyone else feels the same way (whether you work in the Civil Service or otherwise).

I work in the Department for Education, and heard today that the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education was sacked by Boris Johnson earlier. I just feel so frustrated and sad at this.

I absolutely love working as a civil servant (there can be lots of opportunities for positive change both in the jobs people do and in other initiatives encouraged in departments), and the work that departments have done over the last few months (and in general) has been fantastic.

I also am hugely grateful I have a job, as I realise this is a very difficult for lots of people in the U.K. and around the world, and realise I am very lucky to have a job that gives me an income and is relatively stable.

However, I still feel really demoralised at what’s happened to the Civil Service over the last few months.

I think how I’ve felt today has been the build-up of several months of feeling demoralised and uncertain at what this government is doing.

1. Over the last few months, the entire Civil Service has worked so, so hard to achieve what the government wants (I realise this is what we are paid to do). Our jobs have been made more stressful and hectic because of Covid, the lockdown and the mountain of policy or operational challenges brought about by Covid. The sacking of the DFE Permanent Secretary only adds to this negativity and loss of morale.

1. Boris Johnson and his government have now sacked at least 3 top civil servants (the Home Office Permanent Secretary, the Cabinet Secretary and the DFE Permanent Secretary). This absolutely isn’t the way things were or should be done! (This is at least my view - I may be alone in thinking this though!)

I do feel incredibly grateful that we her support systems like unions and we can of course talk to each other, but it just feels like this government has been hindering the Civil Service rather than helping it over the last few months in particular. And it just makes me feel so frustrated and hopeless.

From another thread

The DfE have already updated the guidance that they released at 9:30pm this evening, removing an entire, crucial paragraph about sending bubbles home.

It didn’t even last two hours.

I wonder if anyone will have to carry the can for that @FrippEnos

How on earth can the DfE justify this sort of dirty deleting to guidance - which has already been reported on the BBC incidentally!
So lots of people now have fixed in theirs heads the "original" late night edition, not the late late edition?
How can schools have any sort of confidence that it is not going to sneakily change AGAIN over the weekend?

You’re brave op declaring you work at DfE.

Are you all completely snowed under, I imagine it’s similar to management telling you proposal has to go out Friday and rushing it.

@WhyNotMe40

How on earth can the DfE justify this sort of dirty deleting to guidance - which has already been reported on the BBC incidentally! So lots of people now have fixed in theirs heads the "original" late night edition, not the late late edition? How can schools have any sort of confidence that it is not going to sneakily change AGAIN over the weekend?

Absolutely this.

And why is the guidance released so late? Before a weekend or Bank Holiday? Why do we have to hunt for the changes?

I'm now glad I didn't stay up late making notes and trying to remember the first edition guidance. I really feel sorry for those who have.

@MarshaBradyo

Being snowed under is no excuse for publishing the wrong information.

Its not even as if they can say that it was changed in a meeting just after publication.

How ever you look at it it is a fuck up and incompetence.

@FrippEnos

From another thread

The DfE have already updated the guidance that they released at 9:30pm this evening, removing an entire, crucial paragraph about sending bubbles home.

It didn’t even last two hours.

Typical DfE behaviour. If I did that when I worked for a major commercial organisation as often as the DfE do I would have been sacked.

Clearly a few more need to move onto other departments or be properly trained

@MarshaBradyo

You’re brave op declaring you work at DfE.

Are you all completely snowed under, I imagine it’s similar to management telling you proposal has to go out Friday and rushing it.

Snowed under - try teaching a full timetable. We have to plan in toilet trips!