To whoever it main concern,

The feeling on the 'shopfloor' of the LAS is that morale is suffering.

I think that part of the reason that morale is so low is because of the lack of communication within the service. While we do get bulletins every so often, I would suggest that this isn't enough.

When there isn't effective internal communication there is opportunity for rumours to breed. So for the past two years the whole Agenda for Change process has been subject to some astoundingly inaccurate speculation.

As a consequence of of this rumour-mongering people are unsure of the future, and this does not keep a workforce happy.

So I would like to suggest how the internal communication within the LAS could be improved in a way that would cost next to nothing.

We are all aware of the banned unofficial forum, yet it has become one of the ways in which news is spread quickly throughout the service. While some of the reports on the forum are true, it has also become a breeding ground for false information through incorrect interpretation of official bulletins, and via 'friend of a friend' information.

A recent example of this is the rumour, or truth, as there has been no official word, of cameras being fitted in the back of new ambulances in a bid to stop violence against crews.

My suggestion is that there should be one place on the service intranet where selected people (station and sector reps, team leaders, DSO's and a person from each meeting group) can publish exactly what is happening.

Perhaps it could even allow comments from people on station.

In essence, internal blogging.

I understand that we have the internal website "The Pulse", but there are sections on that which haven't been updated since 2003, and while there is some good information on it, the focus is too broad, and it reads as if it has been written by a committee more used to making press releases.

A blog is extremely cheap and easy to set up, even easier to maintain, and can have multiple authors.

You can set up a way to post to it via email, so minutes of meetings could be published as quickly as they are typed up.

Imagine a situation where a crew can come on station, click on the link to the internal blog and instantly find out what is happening in their area, in the service as a whole and what was decided at the vehicle steering group.

If the blog allows comments (perhaps moderated), then when Team Leader 'X' mentions that they are having the stations on that complex repainted, then roadcrews could make suggestions about the colour of the paint.

This internal blog would not replace the traditional bulletin system but, for a miniscule outlay would actually enhance it.

I am, of course available for consultancy.

The usual disclaimers apply