The last few months have been gruelling for the Technology For Life team that I have been a part of at RNIB for almost two years. This has nothing to do with relationships or work itself, but it has everything to do with the restructure that RNIB has begun, and the consultation period relating to the future of the TFL service.
To cut a long story short, the consultation period has ended. Some of my wonderful colleagues have already left, having taken voluntary redundancy. Others have moved to a different team as part of the restructure. I thought I too was set for the exit door until our counter-proposal to management yielded a new role, Digital Skills Engagement and Events Officer. I was interviewed for this post on Monday 9th September. Had I been the only candidate, I would have been matched to the role, but there were two other lovely colleagues going for it too. However, after a week of turmoil wondering which of us would be successful, I was offered the role on Friday 13th September - yes you read that right, Friday the 13th! However, the news was even better as I was offered the role as a job share with another colleague who had applied for the job. This means we will both be working three days a week, leaving me two days to work on my own business, STRIVE Ability.
So What Next?
The finer details of which days my colleague and I will be working are to be agreed. But I am delighted with this outcome as it gives me an income while at the same time building up my own business. It means I can now therefore work at schools across Northern Ireland supporting blind pupils doing the work I love. I can be paid for training people to use their assistive technology equipment on my own, and still be part of RNIB working with some exceptionally lovely colleagues. So it’s a Win! Win!
To top it all, my Enhanced Access NI Disclosure Check has been validated so I can now work with children and ‘vulnerable’ people as part of my business.
A Tribute To My TFL Colleagues
While the news has been great from my perspective, I realise that my wonderful TFL colleagues haven’t all been so lucky. Five of them had to take roles in another team that they didn’t really want to go for because they preferred our TFL team to remain intact. Some colleagues have taken voluntary redundancy because there weren’t enough roles being offered. It has been hard on all of us, even though I have benefited from the outcome. But it still doesn’t take away the sadness I feel for them, and especially for the third person who went for the role my job share colleague and I were offered. I can honestly say that it is the best group of people I have ever been proud and privileged to work with. There has been fun, laughter and tears along the way, but always unwavering solidarity, support and respect for one another. Throughout the consultation period, we still worked hard for our customers and with each other to deliver a fine technology service. RNIB decided that the TFL service needed to be ‘streamlined’ in order to reach more customers and deliver a more immediate offering. There are no words needed here other than to say that the decisions were made and have been acted upon. But thank you my wonderful TFL colleagues for the time I have spent with you, and for making my life all the more fulfilled and richer for knowing you and sharing so much knowledge. But a new chapter is about to begin now, so let’s see where that takes me …