Total disrespect

[Jubbs]

I've gotta say, this kind of complacency with Caretakers and their working environment and remit is not acceptable in any other part of the school.

Teachers, admin, management all have protocols to guide them, have meetings to sort stuff out and have a speak easy line manager who airs all their grievences with whoever is responsible. They are told every week that their mental health is important and whatever they do they must connect with the person responsible for that.

Caretakers on the other hand are a means to an end, not really high on the list of concern or relevance, assumed to be capable of taking everything on a day to day basis and survive without calamity or catastrophe. Its an assumption thats drives us into madness not because its perceived to be normal, just that nobody really thinks anything affects us and we become a peripheral sideshow.

My advice, for your own sanity and without malice, is to get all your thoughts/frustrations down on paper, list them if you can then carefully recallibrate to a bullet point report and forward them to the HT and Executive as "Items for consideration".
Once that is done, ask for a meeting and with calm aplomb (if possible) show them how this complacency is affecting you and anyone else that would be in your job.

The catch 22 is if you don't tell them, they wont know or appreciate how you feel, and telling them is tantamount to informing them them that they are not doing their jobs properly.

But there's the rub, live with it or insult their intelligence, sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, for yourself primarily.

[magpie]

This sort of SLT behaviour - and particularly that of the HT, does not even surprise me anymore. This sort of arrogant contempt & going over our heads without even the good manners to speak to us seems to be par for the course. It was already well underway when I retired 8 years ago. I hate to think how bad things have got in schools these days. I am glad that most of my time in academia was in the days when Heads knew how to treat people decently.

I completely agree with Drone. To me the onset of Academies and the useless management that run them have made the job of Site managers/ Caretakers much less appreciated than was my experience for my first 35 years in the job. The last 6 years slowly started to erode the standing of my position until the last 3 years under a new CEO it became unbearable with stress/staff cuts and savage pay cuts, causing me real problems ultimately ending by me taking early retirement to save my sanity last year. I fear for the future of Caretaking and would not ever recommend anyone to do the job now.

[Zareeka]

Frank and open discussions are they way forward. Agree on a set of ground rules and then stick to them.
While HT's, SLT etc can get blinkered with their requests it is down to individual schools and academies to the establish appropriate and fair working expectations.
As a result, all lettings, extra hours and weekend working have to be agreed with our site staff in advance. If they are not available then it doesn't happen. Fortunately our staff are fairly remunerated for extra and unsociable work time and have an excellent relationship with the senior staff and head office.

In short, don't get angry and upset. Explain your situation calmly and then come to a mutually acceptable solution. Site staff are expected to work a 'reasonable' amount of overtime/answer emergencies etc but not be at the beck & call 24/7.

It always pays to remember that the school premises cannot be occupied by members of staff or hirers if there isn't a health and safety trained member of staff either onsite or on emergency call.

[eggy]

Site staff are expected to work a 'reasonable' amount of overtime/answer emergencies etc but not be at the beck & call 24/7..

Sounds like management talking.
I thought overtime was voluntary not compulsory..
Emergency call out is different

[Drone]

Sounds like management talking.
I thought overtime was voluntary not compulsory..
Emergency call out is different

Depends on the contract of employment I would guess.