My caseworker, Tim, recently attended a Constituency Staff Open Day at the House of Commons, where he gave a presentation about the life of a caseworker to new starters. His experience is as follows:
I was really pleased to have the opportunity to discuss my role as Caseworker to colleagues from other constituencies at a recent Constituency Staff Open Day in the House of Commons. I have worked for two MPs during the last four years. I began this job just after the 2010 election and would have wished for such a presentation when I started. Casework is continuous with new cases being added to my workload on a virtual daily basis, and it is important for caseworkers to quickly gather the contacts needed so cases can be investigated with the right agencies. It was great to meet colleagues from across the UK including from the constituencies of Burnley, South Down, Cheedle, South Ribble, and Stockton South.
My presentation was designed to provide some ideas and advice to new caseworkers who had begun their employment at the 2015 General Election. I discussed the Life of a Caseworker and I talked about the pressures of the job as well as the satisfaction that can be gained when you successfully resolve problems for constituents. I often wonder whether many people know that caseworkers exist unless they have the need to raise a problem with an MP. During a period from July 2014 and July 2015, I was involved in setting up case records for over a 1000 cases. There are limitations regarding what an MP and an MP’s Office can do to assist but we do look at every problem that is received, and if we can not help, try to signpost you to someone who might can.
