Striking workers say concerns not treated seriously

The workers previously took industrial action in March

A mental health worker who is part of a team going on strike has said the council is not taking their concerns "seriously".

Cumberland Council's urgent care team are striking for two weeks from 09:00 BST on Wednesday over a pay grade dispute.

The team carry out mental health assessments and make decisions about whether adults need to be detained under the Mental Health Act. They also provide emergency adult social care support.

The council said strike action had been instigated before all arbitration processes had taken place.

The dispute is over the mental health team’s pay bands.

Workers are currently paid between £48,474 and £49,498 a year, the council has previously said.

The Labour-led authority said the role was regraded in 2019 and a request to regrade again in 2022 was turned down because there had been "no significant changes".

But approved mental health practitioner Mick Downs said the job had become far more difficult in recent years and a salary increase would help ensure a "properly recruited and retained workforce" for the long term.

One major reason the job has become more challenging over the past five years is because bed availability for patients in parts of Cumbria has gotten far worse, Mr Downs said.

“If there isn’t a mental health bed for someone, we have to make sure that person’s safe [at home] and then if a bed does become available – we’ve got to go out again and reassess that person," Mr Downs said.

He said between 10 to 15% of the team’s time currently was spent on these reassessments.

"It’s an additional workload which shouldn’t really be necessary," he said.

Eight urgent care workers, which is about 60% of team, are taking part in the industrial action.

Cumberland Council said there were mechanisms in place for mental health staff to raise concerns about the lack of beds to the relevant NHS trusts and Integrated Care Board.

The strike follows 48-hour and 72-hour walk outs by workers in March.

"We want management to come to the table and discuss the regrading," Mr Downs said, adding: "We just feel that we're not being taken seriously."

A council spokesman said the strike was called by the GMB union before the council could activate the last part of a three-stage dispute resolution process, mediation with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.