{ "type": "diary", "moderated": false, "read": 1626869553316, "readBy": "AfFOmTZWGrVKbCC0IuLGHYhmlhp2", "published": 1628103491999, "created": 1626100535671, "audited": 1628103491999, "updated": 1626869561528, "updatedBy": "AfFOmTZWGrVKbCC0IuLGHYhmlhp2", "tags": [ "xUfohvaJSKTlYdwicbFG", "EKCJbMeUQJb8hJ90jXtB", "p4jZnlSW66PG8tY466Lv" ], "user": "6AfNveylR9T8Gu60ztRXYtG6RRm2", "publishedBy": "rOISUynFBNUZFrEibOysifH0R9F2", "auditedBy": "rOISUynFBNUZFrEibOysifH0R9F2", "diary": { "uploads": [], "mood": 5, "body": "Re-opening of jobcentres\n\nI hate having to go to the job centre. Here’s why:\n\n- it takes a huge amount of time out of the day, travelling there, waiting and waiting, and travelling home again.\n \n- job centres are really unwelcoming, there are too many security guards, not enough seating, no where for accompanying children to play, no reception.\n \n- it’s really inconvenient for parents when you have to bring children.\n \n- appointments are never on time.\n \n- sometimes it’s simply a ticking box exercise, you’ve jumped through hoops for quite literally a 3 minute meeting.\n \n- The work coaches don’t always have the answer, a little bit “computer says no”, and there's an air of superiority they have between them, putting their paper shuffling first over the client.\n \n- Totally overwhelming for autistic people - loud, chaotic, bright, stark, crowded.\n \n- They make you feel like a criminal - my job centre doesn’t have a public lift so to get upstairs with my pushchair I had to be escorted to the staff lift, the button pressed for more, another security guard met me as the doors opened and escorted me on that floor, it’s overkill.\n \n- There’s nowhere to breastfeed comfortably or discreetly.\n \n- I have to catch two buses to get there, and two buses home - an extravagance of time and money which I don’t have.\n \n\nAs an autistic mother trying to run my own business, the job centre is overwhelming, inaccessible, unfriendly, and a drain on my time and finances. Online or email communication is the best for me. Even video calls would work (not phones because I really struggle with communicating that way as an autistic person). The majority of working professionals communicate via email/online/video, why can’t we be accorded the same flexibility? In person job centres, unless completely redesigned and the focus shifted to providing nurturing and inspirational support, are a complete waste of resources, there’s really no need to require you see people in person for a 5 minute catch up. It’s rude." }, "privacy": 2, "alias": "Nellie K", "random": 62, "objectID": "5byO38w2hbHBetQDip93" }