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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Changing Nappies in Job Centre Plus/When there are no facilities

253 replies

Earlybirdtea · 12/11/2011 06:32

I went to register for job seekers allowance last week for the first time after just being made redundant. I arrived on time with my seven month old son, my 2 year old is in nursery).

Anyway during my meeting my son's nappy needed changing and there are no changing facilities or even toilets so I popped him on my shawl and quickly changed his wet nappy(Not Poo). If a baby is crying and there are no facilities then as a mother I believe that to be exceptable to change their nappy in the best available place which was on the floor,not the table and I was thinking of the point of view of others around me as if he got uncomfortable then he would have started crying which would have disturbed the other interviewees.

In short, I was told, You can't do that here, I responded saying there are no facilities and was told that this is an office environment, you would have thought that you would have arranged childcare!!!

I have written a letter of complaint and been informed that the lady who approached me was in fact doing her job as a health and safety professional, fair enough and, "there are Public Facilities within 100 yards of our building and in the future we will endeavour to highlight this when appropriate." It was also communicated to me that they encourage customers not to bring children to their interviews.

Am I being unreasonable to think that they should offer changing facilities, even special access/lockable? I really don't like the idea of going down the road to some public toilet block, there may be facilities in there I will have to check.

I also feel that they have no place to tell you that children are not really welcome in this environment, it is certainly not ideal I know. I do not plan to take my son to job interviews and have only just been made redundant.

Should I just back off and except their response, I have other important things to think about I don't plan on having to go there very long or on the other hand should I escalate this within their internal complaints procedure
as this is a bit mother and young baby unfriendly.

I would really appreciate your comments

OP posts:
duchesse · 14/11/2011 00:30

Have you found this forum?

Minus273 · 14/11/2011 00:31

I don't know about all HCP but there is a clause in our code of ethics regarding financial probity which sadly does not only cover illegal stuff. They are quite strict, you can get struck of for a lot of things that aren't directly work related.

auntiepicklebottom2 · 14/11/2011 00:31

i see your situation now, he is still technically employed and the redundancy money will be over what is allowed as savings.

Minus273 · 14/11/2011 00:32

What are you allowed in savings?

auntiepicklebottom2 · 14/11/2011 00:33

www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

hopefully once the baby is born you will be entiled to tax credit and child benifit

BustersOfDoom · 14/11/2011 00:34

If I remember correctly they don't normally allow advance claims which could be why you were knocked back before. He will need to wait until his first day of unemployment I think - but I will check.

duchesse · 14/11/2011 00:34

I guess his redundancy money won't be enough to buy a small flat would it? Then you would lose the "excess" savings and gain a home and be able to sign on.

auntiepicklebottom2 · 14/11/2011 00:37

not sure of the amount sorry

BustersOfDoom · 14/11/2011 00:38

For conts based JSA there is no limit. For non conts based up to £16k.

Minus273 · 14/11/2011 00:41

Unfortunately not Duchesse if they pay what they originslly said they would it will cover the CC bill, the final 3 loan repayments (we were nearly there) ans cover max 2 months food nappies etc.

Sadly busters that means we couldn't start a claim until February as HR are refusing to issue paperwork til the end of January even though he won't be employed or receiving any money from them in the mean time.. His line manager was trying to negotiate last week.

Minus273 · 14/11/2011 00:42

16K wow his payment is going to be nowhere near that.

SenseofEntitlement · 14/11/2011 00:46

I would have marched up to the nearest member of staff and said "I need to change my baby. Where can I do that?" and if they said down the road I would have said "I'm afraid I can't do that as I have an appointment, which I'm sure you understand I don't want to miss. Shall I change him over there in the corner?" and hopefully they would then provide some form of solution.

This might be one of the reasons they have me on a benefit where I don't need to keep going in Grin (support group ESA)

SenseofEntitlement · 14/11/2011 00:47

Sorry, I'm miles behind!

BustersOfDoom · 14/11/2011 00:52

That's disgraceful. Slimy twats! Do they realise the impact this will have?

I don't think that should stop him from claiming. He won't be employed, he won't be earning any money. JCP can phone and check the position with the ex-employer whether they feel like issuing paperwork or not.

royaljelly · 14/11/2011 00:52

I think they are taking the p**s.. Although I am pretty sure that there are toilets in every Jobcentre.

I used to take my toddler in all tjhe time, since I didn't have childcare, I must admit they were pretty good with her climbing all over their stuff but maybe in the current climate some sort of toy / play area would be ideal

royaljelly · 14/11/2011 00:57

Forgot to say that not only did I breastfeed, nonstop till 8 mths, but I have never had any trouble changing my daughter. Maybe you need to perfect that look that says ' my child comes first and I will break your neck if you stop me!...

It does work, my sister had loads of people complaining about even breast feeding when she was out. I had none..... it's all in the look....

1

SenseofEntitlement · 14/11/2011 01:05

And yes, if you claim benefits, you do get treated like shite. I am well into this whole thing - I write articles on it and campaign on the matter, but I'm still looking at jobs that would most probably make me even more ill (last time I worked I got sectioned) because at least it would be less horrible than claiming benefits.

Some of the staff are lovely, and I could kiss them, I really could. Then you get others who seem to enjoy making life difficult ("we are missing some paperwork, could you come in so we can tell you what, I can't tell you on the phone because of data protection" WTF??? And of course the inevitable "you need to speak to a supervisor, they are busy but will try and ring you back in the next four hours. If they do get round to ringing back and you don't answer or can't talk, we will put it down as you not wanting to talk and not pay you for another two weeks" to someone about to go for a doctors appointment)

Snapespeare · 14/11/2011 09:27

Minus? wherabouts in Scotland are you? If you're in Glasgow, I might be able to help. please inbox me for a chat. :)

Minus273 · 14/11/2011 10:55

Afraid I'm not in Glasgow snape. love your name btw.

hermionestranger · 14/11/2011 11:03

Hi minus have a very un mumsnet hug. Jcp are hugely awkward. They reduced me to tears when i began trying to claim, so don't feel they are just out to get at you alone. Do you have a professional body you can ask for legal advice or are you in a union? It us well worth exploring what help they can give you. Don't give up hope. Do you or dh have redundancy insurance that might cover your bills that the redundancy would pay off? This is a real long shot but have you been paying PPI on any of your loans or cc? that will be worth you reclaiming and will help get your balances down, do not use one of those companies that offer tk reclaim it though you can download the letter you need from money saving expert. If you do manage to sort that out you can put some of the redundancy money away then for a deposit on a rental/Mortgage once dh gets a new job. Please don't give up.

Minus273 · 14/11/2011 11:35

No redundancy insurance. Funnily enough I said to DH last night that it was a pity we had no ppi to reclaim.

Dirtydishesmakemesad · 14/11/2011 12:18

I probably wouldnt change a nappy in the middle of a public place like that, I would probably leave a wee (unless it was leaking everywhere or something like that) until i could find a place to change it. If i really had to change it I would ask for a quiet corner rather than do it there and then.

I have found job centres to be very officey rather than family friendly, I took my baby a couple of years ago when I was looking for work and they were very unfriendly and unhelpful. I also found I couldnt actually access most of the services there (cv workshops etc which i really needed) as DH was employed and I wasnt claiming benefits so the whole thing was a bit of a faff for nothing. When I went into an emplyment agency they couldnt have been friendly, they had toys for the children etc and also actually helped finding a job rather than just wanting to get rid of me.

crazynanna · 14/11/2011 12:24

But a lone parent coming in for those LP Advisor sessions would more than likely have to bring the child with them. Surely the JC are aware of that? And provide some basic amenities accordingly?

BoffinMum · 14/11/2011 13:00

This all raises an interesting question as to what might happen if job centres were more like employment agencies, and staff paid by results. At the moment it seems to be a holding bay for the societally damaged.

BoffinMum · 14/11/2011 13:00

MN could have a campaign to make job centres more family friendly, and have an award for the most family friendly one in the country!