Following a number of exposes from Indymedia UK

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/386689.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/12/388044.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/390153.html

CDG Basingstoke has been the subject of a cruel and heartless campaign designed to intermediate and harass the staff, the centre and the clients that are there.

Over the last two weeks CDG Basingstoke has made a number of changes in their rules that have improved the way they run their courses at the centre.

The manager spoke to all clients this week about a number of rule suggestions which all clients agreed on.

One of the suggestions were that they have a number of client representatives where clients can speak to and make comments, complainants about the course or make suggestions on how the course can be improved this was agreed on because that if the centre received new clients for the 13 week course the new clients got the chance to know who to speak to if they want to make a comment about the course.

The manager then said and everyone agreed on was that travel expenses deduction if failing to complete their job search quota was wrong and wouldn’t be happening, she admitted that it was wrong herself and was only a thought which was interpreted the wrong way.

Clients were happy to learn that they can do 2 job searches a day if they spend the morning in lessons which is reasonable because how can clients do 4 job searches by 3pm if they were in a lesson all morning however the article harassment at CDG continues says that “jobseekers who are the most misfortunate to be sent to CDG are told that they have to apply for at least 4 jobs a day otherwise they face a sanction for failing to comply” this is a lie to show that the centre staff are a lot of nasty people.

There are 2 trays which clients can place their job search of the day, one for FTET and Gateway clients and another for IAP and Basic Skills.

Over the next 2 weeks there will be a number of computer training courses for clients on how to set up an email account and how to send and reply to emails which is being taught by the Scottish tutor or thug as he has been called on these articles.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/386689.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/12/388044.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/390153.html

The staff at CDG are not there to take this sort of abuse when members of staff read what Keith Parkins has had to say on his articles they are left absolutely down in the dumps they end their day on a negative attitude, it sadness me to have learned while this article was written that a number of staff members are looking for another job all because of what Keith Parkins has written about them and calling them names like the “Scottish thug” and “The Goth” which is discrimination in itself.

In my opinion I think that it is absolutely disgusting to know that there are people like him that want to see the centre to be shut down without looking at how the centre has changed over the past 2 years since the charity gained the contract with the jobcentre in 2006 after the closure of the other training company Bennington Training Services Ltd. I am currently a client of the 13 weeks and can see that there have been several changes in the way the centre is being run between the time since I was there when the centre opened in 2006 to the beginning of 2007 and to this day they are still improving the centre since the first manager was there when the centre opened and was sacked in 2007 because of a number of complaints made by various clients.

To see what has been said about CDG check the articles and see what you think I personally think they should have a second chance what about you.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/386689.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/12/388044.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/390153.html

Alex Heath