I'm an agency care worker and sometimes work with clients who exhibit behaviour that challenges. Two weeks ago I was working with one such teenager, who is non verbal. While I was making his snack, he threw a kettle which had some hot water in it onto the floor. I got him to sit back down and reinstated the kettle. Meanwhile a permanent member of staff came in. My client came forward again and the ball of his foot went in the water. At this point I said that I'd never worked with this client before and the permanent staff member asked me to mop up the water with tea towels, which I did. She then swapped me with the other agency worker there that night, who had worked with him before. I worked with the client he'd been assigned, whom I'd also worked with before.
A few days later, I was summoned to the Agency's Head Office (a 50 mile round trip). I was read the work place's version of events: after throwing the kettle, the client had sat in a pool of scalding water and I'd made no attempt to get him up. Not surprisingly, they didn't want me back there.
I was gutted as, apart from that evening, I'd really enjoyed working there. Previously I'd got on well with all the staff and other clients. My work had often been praised. I'd never worked with the permanent staff member on duty that night.
The agency explained the difference in accounts by saying that they hear it 3rd hand and that things get exaggerated like Chinese whispers. After I'd thought about it a few days I phoned the agency to ask if the workplace would get to hear my version of events. They said they wouldn't normally, but if I specifically wanted, they would forward it to them. The agency's point of view was that sometimes the agency care worker just has to suck it up - become the fall guy. I think this is so unfair. My confidence has taken a huge knock. If such a serious incident had happened, both I and the permanent staff worker should have written an incident report at the time. The other agency care worker (same agency) only had to change the client's sock when he took over, not his trousers and boxers. If they asked him about that, it would prove that the other account is exaggerated.
I was wondering if I could write a formal letter of complaint to the work place about what's happened, since they didn't follow their best practice procedure after the incident. What does anyone think?
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2 very different versions of same incident & I can't work there any more
6 replies
cheapskatemum · 11/02/2016 23:19
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