Pros
On the ground staff making a difference to so many affected by drugs and alcohol. It is these staff who are keeping the organisation moving forward. They are working longer hours to meet deadlines and advocate for their clients and are the loveliest people. They will look out for you and bring you up when you need it. They consistently support and advocate for people who are in crisis and despair and are truly wonderful and caring.
Cons
Managed largely by people who have never worked at ground level and have little or no comprehension of challenges clients and staff are facing. Behind closed doors bullying from some management. No communication from top down. Little discussion with ground staff on what changes can be made and too many managers taking credit where it is not due. Unfortunately there is an "us and them" culture growing in the organisation which is pulling apart the family it was when I started. Succeeding in promotion, recognition, praise and development opportunities all depend on who you are which service you work for and what your job title is. A focus on education rather than enthusiasm and years of experience which can be difficult with the nature of the work where experience and enthusiasm are essential. As a charity the purse strings are tight and am not aware of how donations are being put to good use in the organisation. There are noticeable differences between scales of pay and little evidence of why this is. The retendering process every couple of years is a very difficult time for the whole organisation with the threat of redundancies always in the back of everyone's mind.