A vital service facing internal challenges - Childline Practitioner NSPCC Employee Review

Recent strategic changes initiated by senior management have created a very challenging environment. There is a new, intense focus on quantity over quality, which puts practitioners and volunteers under immense pressure and risks diluting professional standards. ​This has had a significant impact on employee wellbeing, with many colleagues struggling with stress and poor mental health due to a lack of essential support like clinical supervision and a poor employee assistance programme - in addition, shift patterns and difficult annual leave processes impact this further. Feedback from experienced staff often feels dismissed if it doesn't align with senior management's narrative. These service changes have unfortunately led to a high turnover of staff and volunteers, and limited responsibility for any service issues from decision-makers. Many dedicated, long-term colleagues are now seeking new jobs at a rapid rate, while new practitioners are being onboarded very quickly leaving them feeling unconfident and unskilled.