“NATIONAL BULLYING HELPLINE” - A CHARITY OR A SCAM?
Christine Pratt, who has made claims against the Prime Minister’s office has herself been subject of much controversy due to the inherent conflict of interest in her mode of operation. As critics of Christine Pratt observe:
“If you call the National Bullying Helpline for help because you believe you’re being bullied at work, and if you follow their advice, they might tell your employer that you are the bully, deride your grievance as vexatious, and leave you in a much worse position than when you started, with no comeback“
The National Bullying Helpline (Charity) is inextricably linked to HR & Diversity Management Limited (a commercial business). They were both set up by the same person, Christine Pratt. One client received and followed her advice after calling the National Bullying Helpline which resulted in Pratt, through HR & Diversity Management Ltd, working for her client’s employer and writing a report that condemned her client. This post spells out some of the reasons the client fell for it:
Under the section for Employees, the NBH website says:
“Would you rather have an independent investigator look into your grievance or appeal - or a manager at work? If you want to request an independent, impartial, investigation - call us.”
Bear in mind the National Bullying Helpline does not conduct investigations - these are done by HR & Diversity Management Ltd. So the National Bullying Helpline is promoting the commercial services of HR & Diversity Management Ltd. The latter is neither a charity, a trade union nor a law firm, and it is not authorised (by the Ministry of Justice under the Claims Management Regulations 2006) to advise individuals on their potential claims.
If you call the National Bullying Helpline for advice because you think you are being bullied at work, you may be told that you need to write out your grievance and give it to your employer, and that the fairest way to have your grievance dealt with is for HR & Diversity Management to conduct an independent investigation. If you’re lucky, you’ll be advised by the CEO and founder, Christine Pratt. You will likely be sent some printable material including a “what to do guide” and a “step by step guide”.
The “What To Do Guide” says:
“If your employer does not agree to an Independent Investigation it is likely they have something to hide. As a final resort you should consider the recommendations contained in the FREE Step By Step Guide issued by the National Bullying Helpline (HR & Diversity Management Ltd). Your statutory rights are explained fully in this document.”
The step by step guide includes this advice:
“If you still need help, before invoking a Tribunal claim or instructing a solicitor, consider using us as a Third Party Dispute Resolution Service. The DTI recommend this approach (See Page 20: Michael Gibbons Review). We have helped resolve many situations through an employee going to their Executive Management and asking for an independent investigation into their dispute/grievance. Most of our work is done in this area and we have proved extremely successful in ‘taking the heat out of a situation’ and persuading both the employer and employee to settle out of Court. Talk to someone you trust at work, at a senior level, and recommend this as a ‘way forward’. Generally, employers will welcome a positive approach to a problem and by recommending this service you will acquire a real feel for whether your employer is a ‘caring’ employer, or not.”
Bearing in mind that you probably rang the helpline because you were out of ideas, you might be persuaded that this is a good idea. If you are, you’ll be sent a template letter complete and send to your employer. In 2007 the letter included these words:
“Following my letter / grievance letter submitted on …… (provide some details), I have been feeling increasingly unwell and have now been signed off work for Work Related Stress by my GP for a period of ….. The treatment I am enduring presently is making me feel unwell.
“I would therefore like to formally request that you authorise/ instigate an independent investigation or mediation in respect of concerns I have regarding my employment situation. This approach is less confrontational than a formal process as both parties may be able to reach an amicable solution.
“I have identified a Company, HR & Diversity Management Limited (HR&DM) who specialise in providing a complete Dispute Resolution service (both independent investigations and/or a mediation service). I ask that you now authorise this company to assist in this case…”
The letter goes on to set out the virtues of HR&DM, whose portfolio was provided to complete the introduction. This is not the same as you being referred to one of the charity’s “sources of help” of which it says HR & Diversity Management is just one. In fact it is the opposite. By sending this letter to your employer you are in fact referring HR & Diversity Management Ltd to your employer.
It is implicit that if you call a charity that calls itself the “National Bullying Helpline”, you will be helped. It is implicit that the worst they could do is say “sorry, we cannot help you”. The very last thing you would expect is that the helpline operator would team up with the person or organisation you feel is bullying you. So, if you are sure you have been bullied, and when the registered charity has advised you that this investigation is in your best interests, you would only recommend them in the belief that your grievance will be upheld. You would never recommend them if they told you that YOU might turn out to be the bully - would you?
The selling point that the National Bullying Helpline makes to you is probably quite different from the selling point they make to your employer. HR & Diversity Management’s web site says:
“At HR&DM we have designed a model which ascertains, very early on, whether an employee grievance is vexatious or not. This model also assists employers with their line of defence as it identifies where policies need reviewing and where training or diversity initiatives are required to ensure problems do not occur again.”
“Use a Third Party to Investigate cases of Grievance where you suspect Bullying or Harassment has taken place. An acceptance of a third party decision by an employee, is far less expensive than an internal decision which is not accepted by the employee who takes the case to an Employment Tribunal.” [HR&DM’s emphasis]
HR & DM’s “bullying business” investigations page also tells employers is this:
“During 2006 25% of cases found that the instigator, the alleged victim, was in fact, the bully.”
The same firm’s “bullying business” statistics page says:
“During 2006 32% of the complaints investigated by HR&DM were found to be vexatious.”
These statistics are not backed up by data but the claim that HR & DM’s investigation process “assists employers with their line of defence” is probably not something that is said to people who call the National Bullying Helpline. At least it isn’t in large print until HR & DM writes it in their “investigation report”.
If your employer is lucky, the investigation will be done by HR & Diversity Manangement’s founder, former MD and HR management expert Christine Pratt - the same person who advised you when you rang the National Bullying Helpline.
SO… What do you do if you call the helpline, feeling bullied, recommend the investigation services to your employer and you’re then deemed to have committed gross misconduct by doing what the helpline advises? (blog post on this topic to follow) If you have any energy, who do you get in touch with? The Helpline or HR & Diversity Management Ltd?
The National Bullying Helpline website says:
“There is a complaints procedure on this website. Write in with any concerns and our Trustee’s will always respond.” [sic]
So you search the website and find a section headed “COMPLAINTS POLICY” which says:
“If you have any complaints about our Charity, or any members of our staff, please write to the registered office of our Charity at 29 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BG. Mark your letter for the attention of The Trustee’s of The National Bullying Helpline.” [sic]
As policies and procedures go, that is quite short. Note that the NBH shares the registered office with HR & DM Ltd, and Christine’s husband David is a director of both. It’s also their home address.
If you complain that the NBH is being used as a front to gain business for HR & DM, the trustees may determine that your concerns are outside the remit of the charity, and say you should refer your complaint to the Directors of HR and Diversity Management Ltd. If you do that, they may say that you were not their client. If you write to the Charities Commission, they will probably ask the trustees to investigate. If you write to the Claims Management Regulator, they will say HR&DM is not providing regulated services, and the NBH is exempt from the regulations.
In other words, if you call the National Bullying Helpline for help, because you believe you’re being bullied at work, and you follow their advice, they might tell your employer that you are the bully, call your grievance vexatious, and leave you in a worse position than when you started, with no comeback at all. That’s why this blog is here
Clearly the finger prints of the blairites are all over the emergence of this story and we must be resolute that these kinds of `revelations’ even if they are 100% true will not prevent us from acting in solidarity with millions of workers who want to stop the hated Tories and return a Labour government. Neither will true horror stories like this below but we do promise to clear out our own bullying sectarians and build a serious alternative to the opportunists:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8528715.stm
This was, only half an hour ago, quite high up on the BBC news site but it has since been relegated below the Brown bullying story and the story about the policeman who was cruel to his police dog (nasty though that is).
Comment by David Ellis — 22 February, 2010 @ 5:05 pm
According to the Guardian the National Bullying Helpline office is a just few doors up from a Tory Party office - just coincidence?
Is this really a charity???
Well done for exposing this scam - its a pity that some of our newspapers dont dig a little deeper.
Comment by Neil Williams — 22 February, 2010 @ 5:14 pm
Check out Hansard
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080219/text/80219w0047.htm#08022123000015
Comment by Anoneumouse — 22 February, 2010 @ 5:32 pm
Whooops another Hansard link
http://services.parliament.uk/hansard/Commons/ByDate/20090304/writtenanswers/part015.html#heading005
Comment by Anoneumouse — 22 February, 2010 @ 5:36 pm
The “privicy” policy, however, is very clear: “We do not share your details with anyone.”
Like the Torygraph the first thing I noticed was they couldn’t spell Privacy, probably dont know what it means
Comment by jim mclean — 22 February, 2010 @ 5:37 pm
It’s a sorry sight when even the BBC Political Editor (and former? Tory) Nick Robinson has seen through this attempted Labour spin in the way that myself and others have written about on this site previously.
Robinson writes about it quite well. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2010/02/remember_jennif.html
But when will this site write about the bully of a PM?
And incidentally, how much is this site now New Labour? I read the main writer say he will be voting Labour in the election. Will Respect candidates still be supported?
Destroy Labour, and the Tories. And the rest.
Comment by Southpawpunch — 22 February, 2010 @ 5:39 pm
sorry, missed the quote (from Robinson) -
“All interesting (the stuff about the charity - Southpawpunch) and well worth pursuing - which we are.
All, however, distracts from the central issue of Gordon Brown’s behaviour.
This morning the prime minister’s official spokesman repeatedly failed to deny the claim in Andrew Rawnsley’s book that the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell had spoken to Gordon Brown about his treatment of staff, instead simply stating that:
“The role of the Cabinet Secretary is to ensure the Civil Service supports the Prime Minister to the best effect and that the Prime Minister is getting the best out of the Civil Service”.
He continues to insist that this conversation did not amount to a “verbal warning”.
Comment by Southpawpunch — 22 February, 2010 @ 5:41 pm
The NBH shows what wolf-infested wilderness faces workers who are not in a union. It also shows all the pitfalls posed by charities and the so-called “voluntary sector” which is gradually taking over the running of our public services. Will Brown have learnt a lesson? Probably not, but anyone who thinks a Tory election victory will do anything but encourage and increase workplace bullying is sadly deluded.
Comment by Charles Dexter Ward — 22 February, 2010 @ 6:08 pm
“The central issue of Gordon Brown’s behaviour”
Oh purleeze. Get a grip, Southpawpunch. The central issue here is that there is an election coming up and the Tories are playing dirty.
On the BBC Radio4 Today programme “the Chief Executive of the Helpline denied that Gordon Brown had been mentioned in any of the alleged calls, despite the impression she had deliberately created in earlier interviews.” ~ courtesy Toby Young’s blog.
OK. So what do you have left? A manufactured story about Brown, emanating from a Tory-connected “charity” that cons bullying victims into acting as unwitting salesmen for the charity owner’s commercial business, whose “investigative services” are then sold to the victim’s employer. Ho hum.
But as you’re out to “destroy” Labour and replace it with a revolutionary left alternative which exists only in your imagination (the real alternative, unfortunately, is a vicious slash ‘n burn Tory government), why should anyone be surprised that you dance to the Tory tune?
You are, after all, the man who resusitated the slogan of the 1980’s proto-fascist Federation of Conservative Students and demanded the “jailing of Nelson Mandela”. Or was it his hanging you were after?
Comment by Calvin — 22 February, 2010 @ 6:31 pm
So Andrew Rawlnsley, the originator of the substantive story (not the dross) is a Tory, is he?
I haven’t seen any mention that Brown was mentioned by the charity, rather the opposite, but happy to be corrected by think that unlikely to happen from someone like you that follows New Labour’s “Tory-connected” charity line.
It had Tory patrons. It had a Labour one too. There’s nothing credible to suggest it is a Tory front (although, of course, Tory PR officers will be seeking to use the story).
And that all completely misses the main story - Bully Brown.
Never mind you also think Cuba is socialist; argue that FCS argued for imprisoning the, er, imprisoned Mandela (they called for him to be hung; I then called for his release) and can see a glimmer of difference “between a vicious slash ‘n burn Tory government” and Labour, which will do exactly the same.
So, all in all Calvin, you have zero credibility.
Comment by Southpawpunch — 22 February, 2010 @ 6:45 pm
I stand corrected. When Mandela was in jail, the Tory students wanted him hung. Now he has been released, you want him jailed. You also want to replace Labour with another of your ‘ultra-left meets right wing’ fantasies, in laymens terms: a Tory government. You sensibly declined my suggestion to unfurl a banner in Soweto, but perhaps we’ll see you outside the unemployment queue in Hackney in a couple of years, telling people the election of the Tories was irrelevant.
Comment by Calvin — 22 February, 2010 @ 8:15 pm
It’s not only a Tory scam its a business scam, its like these cold callers, have you been misold this or that, injured at work, BULLIED in the work place, we will put you onto one of our lawyers and sue just as I succesfully sued BAE for breach of confidence, and we will respect your privicy if not your privacy, Widdecombe and O’Connor should resign to protect their Party, unless of course they were in on it
Comment by Anonymous — 22 February, 2010 @ 8:46 pm
perhaps we’ll see you outside the unemployment queue in Hackney in a couple of years, telling people the election of the Tories was irrelevant.
I take you’ll be heading down to the Job Centre in Hackney tomorrow morning to lecture people on the wonderful achievements of the current Labour government (I would draw particular attention to the delights of the New Deal and A4E) and what great opportunities the re-election of that same government will provide with welfare ‘reform’ high on the agenda.
Perhaps you could report back on the response you get?
Comment by Duncan — 22 February, 2010 @ 9:05 pm
So are you backing the Tories or a revolutionary figment of your imagination? Personally, I’m backing the handful of candidates to the left of Labour where they pose a credible challenge, and Labour elsewhere. I lived through the last Tory government, and if you think it makes no difference to the working class you imagine you represent, you are either too young to know, or you’re deluded.
Comment by Calvin — 22 February, 2010 @ 9:31 pm
As the researcher behind the blog post above, I speculate that the idea that there are any party politics of any sort behind Christine Pratt’s career suicide automatically presumes that she is altruistic enough to do something for someone else, or a cause other than her own. The only reason she went to the press was to get a headline, to raise her profile, to add credibility to her scam, and thus generate more money for herself. That, I’m afraid, it it!
To give her some credit, there is not one person I can remember in the last 20 years who has made such a complete a***of themselves on national TV. She must have set some kind of career suicide record!
Comment by Neo — 23 February, 2010 @ 1:07 am
Woops - Link was wrong
Comment by Neo — 23 February, 2010 @ 1:11 am
Most of the information in this site appears to have been lifted from:
http://thebullyinghelpline.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-not-to-ask-for-independent.html
I’m not criticising, but want to congratulate Andy Newman for a good attempt at getting the historical evidence into the public domain. You did a LOT better than anybody else including many other full time journalists and their nemesis, the famous bloggers.
Comment by Surprised — 2 March, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
#17
I did credit the source if you see above, there is a link near the top saying “see more here”, and if you click on it, it takes you to http://thebullyinghelpline.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-not-to-ask-for-independent.html
Comment by Andy Newman — 2 March, 2010 @ 2:27 pm
Andy, no worries. You did credit the source and of course the information was not originally published for my benefit, (hence the anonymity), but for anyone who might need to know this stuff. And all of a sudden, everyone wants to know!
Comment by Neo — 3 March, 2010 @ 12:28 pm
authentic ed hardy
Comment by ed-hardy — 4 March, 2010 @ 6:54 am
There is always a big brother looking over our shoulders in the online world, not that it is all bad, as some form of censorship and regulation is needed.
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