Great place to work - werkgeversreview Operations Assistant bij Via

Driving a new Tesla is amazing

Very hard to get available shifts

Working at Via Kingston was a valuable experience. The work the organisation does is genuinely important, and it felt meaningful to be part of a service supporting people who are often going through very difficult circumstances. Being in a frontline role helped me develop a stronger understanding of professional boundaries, safeguarding, and working with sensitive and confidential information. I also gained insight into how a community service operates behind the scenes, not just in direct client-facing work. On a day-to-day level, I generally felt welcomed by colleagues, and there were people within the wider team who were supportive and easy to work alongside. The role offered exposure to complex situations and learning opportunities that will stay with me going forward. And you get a day off for your birthday.

Management culture is the biggest issue here, and it is a significant one. From my experience, senior management within the service and admin/data functions held a lot of authority, but leadership often felt driven by uncertainty rather than confidence. Decision-making appeared defensive and risk-averse, which translated into increased control, over-checking, and a heavy reliance on data and paperwork instead of trust in staff. There was a strong sense of pressure, but very little reassurance or containment. There was also a noticeable culture of favouritism. Some staff appeared protected and supported, while others were held to much harsher standards for similar issues. The inconsistency was hard to ignore and quickly undermined trust. If you were not part of the inner circle, it felt easier to be scrutinised than supported. The admin and data management function felt largely disconnected from the frontline. It was almost entirely desk-based, with limited engagement in reception or the day-to-day reality of the role. Decisions affecting reception work were often made by someone who rarely spent time there, creating a clear disconnect between policy and practice. There was an over-emphasis on spreadsheets, metrics, and documentation, often at the expense of understanding the actual demands of the role. When issues arose, responses tended to focus on accountability and fault rather than curiosity, reflection, or collaborative problem-solving. This environment seemed to foster micromanagement. Constant monitoring, extensive documentation, and limited autonomy created a culture of fear rather than development. It felt more focused on protecting systems than supporting people to grow. Training was insufficient. In practice, this meant being given written guidance with minimal hands-on support or meaningful shadowing. For a role involving complex systems and vulnerable clients, this approach felt inadequate and set people up to struggle. Probation processes felt unclear and increasingly heavy-handed. Rather than receiving structured support to improve, monitoring intensified and space to learn reduced. This is particularly difficult for staff who are still training or developing professionally. Raising concerns did not feel safe or effective. Requests for clarification or mediation were often delayed or left unresolved, leaving staff feeling isolated rather than supported. The organisation does important and meaningful work, but the way it is managed — particularly in relation to data, control, and staff development — undermines this. With stronger leadership, clearer training, and greater trust in staff, this could be a far healthier workplace. In its current form, it struggles to retain people, and the reasons for that feel evident.