Trip to Aylesbury

I answered an advertisement in the Milton Keynes Citizen for work for a care agency a week or two ago. They sent me an information pack, application form and so on. Well, in truth the application form and so on never turned up. How long does it take a letter to get from Aylesbury to Milton Keynes? A couple of days? I rang back, and got an apology and a promise that they'd send out another application. A few days later this application form turned up. I rang to make an appointment and then  drive to Aylesbury for the appointment, which was yesterday at 10 a.m. I managed to park in a multi-storey car park (I don't know Aylesbury very well. I have driven through several times and Carol and I have been to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for appointments, but as regards the parking arrangements, I'm not familiar.)

The address I was given was in the Market Square, but the actual office building wasn't actually IN the market square, which was somewhat crazy. The building wasn't market in any way, no notice saying 'Phoenix Healthcare' so that I could pick it out. I was wandering around the streets and I had to go into a solicitors office eventually and ask. A lady there pointed the right building out to me, so I was somewhat relieved to find the right door, although I had to look down a long line of doorbells and find the right one. It was one of those security systems where you press a button and a voice speaks through a grille and then they let you in. A post lady was about to enter the building so she came in with me. The office was supposed to be on the third floor, and we had to spend ages wandering about trying to find the right office and the right floor, and even looking for the stairs to get there! If Phoenix had only put up some sort of sign to say where they were, there wouldn't have been all the problems in finding them!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had to do yet anothert C.R.B. form (Criminal Records Bureau) which cost £35, although they tell me I will get half of the cost back once I start working.  I'm somewhat annoyed that you have to keep on forking out £35 for a C.R.B. check. I realise that the whole idea of a C.R.B. is to prevent those with criminal intent from working with vulnerable people, but to have to have one for EACH company or agency you work for is really too much. It is rather like an M.O.T. in that it's only good for the actual time they look to see whether a person has a criminal record. I have also applied for another company and they want £47 for the C.R.B. So is part of that for 'administration costs' or are they merely making a quick profit out of this? If that's the case, it's totally wrong and someone should put a stop to it immediately. There is so much paperwork that you have to provide to just prove your identity. I have a birth certificate, but I have to have a full one, as the one I have doesn't give enough information, so it looks as if I'll have to find around £10 to get one. I'm going back on Thursday to start doing induction, as, again, you can't work until you've done the basic training. The C.R.B. check will take around 4-6 weeks, so I may as well get the induction out of the way first.

The roads are getting really bad. They are full of pot-holes. I noticed this on my drive over to Ayslesbury yesterday. This must be due to the recent ice and snow we've had. You have to take your life into your own hands, as you drive around Milton Keynes. You have to dodge the potholes, and in so doing run the risk of running into other vehicles on the road. It is really about time the local authority around here got it's act together and started repairing the roads, certainly before there is a serious accident.