Following the call yesterday to Scot. Gov. about the NSE and MCC grants which was cut short by Joe the new representative that our previous contact Richard handed over to last week –
I sent yet another email addressing points which had not been answered along with another list of repeat referrals many outstanding since 16-19th Feb. I have waited for a reply in order to share some updated news with you all. However – no points were answered when the reply came back this afternoon.
A call has been scheduled for 3pm on Friday.
I want to share with you the content of my email in response to that non reply;- so that you and Kate Forbes are in no doubt where we stand on this relentless battle.
Hi Joe,
Whilst I note that you have requested that I no longer copy your colleagues originally brought into our communications by Richard R.;- I will continue to copy in Cabinet Finance Secretary, Kate Forbes, this line of communication started between myself and Kate and continued with Richard following Kate’s intervention.
After Kate asked Richard to call me we had an open and honest line of shared communication, I feel that is not currently the case. Your responses have been at best guarded and indeed you actually told me yesterday that I was NOT to share information with our community which Richard had previously shared with me;- to give feedback to our community in order to give them clarity in their expectations and understanding of the process.
The answers to questions you said you would come back to me on last meeting, and those that have been passed over from Richard to you were not forthcoming from yourself.
When I pointed out yesterday that some applicants are now on their 3rd application attempt, you sniggered and told me it was not that case – questioning my feedback in that regard was exceptionally dismissive and misguided on your part. Indeed now that you have received examples of the fact you once again swept that fact under the mat. No comment made on the matter and certainly no apology.
We have more instances than those I have already sent over to you as more instances have occurred in recent hours. We have many of the original 50 applications sent over to your department via Kate Forbes that remain stuck in the process from the 16th -19th February.
Whilst you all draw a salary for implementing, overseeing and administering this shambolic process;- I remind you that I am referring to the same issues to your department time and time again as a representative of a volunteer led organisation representing people who have had no support through this pandemic. Those taxpayers’ contributions help pay your salaries.
This shambolic process has taken in excess of 60 hours of my time per week for the past 4 weeks.
The mutual respect between Richard and I seems to have followed him to his new role.
There seems to have been a shift in communication.
Perhaps that is due to the lesser seniority / position you hold compared to that which Richard held.
It was in trying to understand / ascertain that yesterday which led me to ask you;- if your brush off, skirting of issues and refusal to provide direct answers to direct questions during our brief call, cut short by yourself yesterday, were your own handling or a departmental policy position statement. You assured me this was your own work.
Whilst I realise you are unable to feedback on individuals’ cases which I continue to bring to your attention ;- I do expect general basic questions to be answered, not to do so is disrespectful and presumptuous of my time and causes further extreme and unnecessary anxiety for the Excluded community across Scotland.
Please ask yourselves, how you would be coping mentally and financially in 12 months from now, if your income was switched off tonight through no fault of your own?
With this in mind please respond to the points raised in my previous emails, those which have been passed over to you to address since Richard moved to the DTI.
I appreciate that you have scheduled an hour for our meeting at 3pm on Friday. There is still much to discuss
Thanks Sadie
