Social worker visit?

[rabbitheadlights]

Hi all,

I'm much more of a lurker than a poster so hopefully I won't say the wrong thing and get myself into trouble.

Our social worker arranged a visit for yesterday, when we discussed it on the phone she said it may be awkward for the kids as she'd be wearing PPE etc.. However she turned up at 9 am (feeding time at the zoo). My partner went to the door as I was busy in the kitchen and then in she strolled, not a scrap of ppe in sight, no gloves, no face mask!! Kids all saying hi etc . I was so worried I wanted to scream get out!! But she's in now so the damage is done. When she left I asked my DP what in earth he was thinking letting her in like that? He said " I know, I was worried too.but you can't refuse entry to these people because they will just make things difficult for us!!" For context he's a recovering alcoholic and is doing well, she wandered all round the house, went upstairs to chat with my daughter etc ... I just don't know what to do, we have literally been in the house since all this started except for me going to get groceries as my son is vulnerable and all for what? She could have brought anything in especially if she has been visiting other people the same way??

So my aibu is this aibu to think he shouldn't have let her in? Or is he right that with people like SW etc you have to just go with it and keep your mouth shut?

And 'people being scared of PPE' is not an excuse to not use it.

I work with people with severe learning disabilities and we are using PPE - there's ways to make it less scary. You don't just go to a house and think to yourself, 'oh, they were scared, I'll pack in using that PPE and just go spread the virus then!'

This woman, or her workplace, have put you at risk, OP. Do not be apologetic in your email You have very justifiable concerns, and it is possible that her entire organisation is putting people routinely at risk.

All calls are recorded. She said she'd be wearing PPE in case her call was listened to then didn't bother to wear it. She sounds like one of the disbelievers of COVID

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/yhn-pregnant-coronavirus-lockdown-engineer-18108795

Mum-to-be 'threatened and lied to' as she is forced to break lockdown and let engineer into her flat
Leonie Shiamtanis has slammed Your Homes Newcastle for forcing her to allow a gas engineer into her flat while she is self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic

Even CP cases we aren’t going in

I’m guessing that depends on the CP case, there are some homes I and my colleagues are going in to because the risk to the children at home far outweighs the risk of contracting coronavirus. I don’t think anyone in social work would say a blanket “we’re not going in, there are times it would be professionally negligent not to.

How ridiculous.
What ppe do you think she should have been using?
Gloves?
Maybe she sanitised her hands before entering your home?
Masks? Shown not to be effective and just encourage face touching.
Aprons? You were probably her one visit of the day and she would be going home and showering and changing clothes after you.
Poor woman was trying to do her job but just gets complained about.

Maybe you should just cancel any future sw visits if you are so concerned?

I’d of kicked her the fuck out.

She was very wrong to visit without PPE if it was available to her. I'm a SW and for the few families we do need to visit in the home we are to wear PPE and not sit down, and still try to maintain 6 foot distance if possible

Lucky you. Few families to visit in the home? Seriously? My caseload has exploded with emergencies since this started and I am doing home visits every day. Usually outside space if there is one, or doorstep. Not sitting on people's couches, but lots of home visits maintaining 6 ft distance

I thought PPE protected the wearer, not the people they come into contact with.

I’d of kicked her the fuck out

Nice!
Presumably the sw is needed by the family? They dont visit for fun.

Barryisland, doesn’t matter I wouldn’t put my son at risk to be polite, especially when they’re in the wrong not me.

We've only just been given some masks and no obligation to wear them. Some homes I enter some times visit takes place in the garden. Depends on how each family wants each visit. Where possible I will try to respect families wishes but where there is a higher risk I will enter a home to make checks and see children.

It doesn't sound like the SW lied about PPE but felt it better to talk to the children without. She was allowed to enter without issue and if you didn't say anything then she will have assumed that you were ok with that.

Your email to the SW sounds fine, I'm sure that she will wear a mask next time.

Also, the risks will be minimal - you said she visited at 9am, so you would have been her first visit too?

I guess rainbows and claps for key workers are only for NHS and others, not SWers.

In all honesty if a social worker is visiting your son, it’s because there’s a risk of significant harm to him regardless of coronavirus, social workers don’t visit kids because we’re bored.

In all honesty if a social worker is visiting your son, it’s because there’s a risk of significant harm to him regardless of coronavirus, social workers don’t visit kids because we’re bored.

This!!!

Hi OP, I hope you are ok through all this and are keeping centred and firm in your belief in yourself and your right as a parent, adult and fellow citizen to keep you and your children safe in this scary time.

I know from personal experience how hard it is to advocate for yourself and your children in these kinds of situations where you feel basically second best with a voice that is just less important than the ‘voice of authority’ in front of you.

This institution represents a set of very very scary set of powers that you need to work with, and however willing you are to open up your family life like this, there is naturally a power imbalance that makes it very difficult nicely, constructively, and positively ask for things to be done in a healthy way.

And when someone/ that department starts behaving in a rather shoddy way, then how are you supposed to build trust in them?

She said she would wear PPE, and she didn’t. Now comes up with some loophole to justify the shifting sands. Humm. I’d be uncomfortable with her attitude.

The rules are that all carers need to wear appropriate ppe by the way, from wherever that was raised, I have daily carers. We use gloves, aprons and masks, it’s just normal now)

I know from personal experience how hard it is to advocate for yourself and your children in these kinds of situations where you feel basically second-best with the voice that is just less important than the voice of authority in front of you who wields very very scary set of powers that you may not entirely trust and you know what for good reason because it is little things like this that undermine that trust. Ooof! Long sentence sorry!

Actually Your thread has decided me on pushing forwards with being stronger with an issue of mine.

I’ve just Been swapped from a Truly wonderful social worker to a new one, and the transfer has been bungled due to the virus. I hope it’s that anyway. Otherwise it’s that the new one is no good (for us anyway), and that’s terrifying as we desperately need some actions from them which were in the pipeline... Currently the new one clearly hasn’t got a clue about us and is saying wrong decisions to me based on completely wrong assumptions. I’ve been too intimidated & overwhelmed to fix it. But we’re desperate and he needs to help us properly so it needs fixing ASAP... so here’s me putting on my big girl britches and going to try and be strong for me and DS tomorrow... (gibber behind ‘strong confident woman’ mask)

I don't know anything about social workers, but why can't you refuse to let them in your home in this virus situation ?

The rules are that all carers need to wear appropriate ppe by the way, from wherever that was raised, I have daily carers. We use gloves, aprons and masks, it’s just normal now)
Social workers aren’t carers, they aren’t there to provide personal care. There’s no evidence to suggest wearing non-medical masks provides any protection against the virus, and a very real concern that gloves and masks provide a false sense of security especially when not used correctly.

There’s an issue that she said she would do something and didn’t, which the OP is taking up with her - and rightly so. Social workers can undertake their visits at a distance where space in the house allows it and should be following appropriate hand hygiene.

@Jellycatspyjamas yes that sounds about right, as long as social distancing rules are being strongly adhered to, especially with children who may need a level of continuous gentle leadership/ reminding with this.

I wasn’t suggesting that social workers are carers by the way! I was adding info to the thread as I noticed there was a misunderstanding happening where it was thought that a most types of people working with vulnerable groups could throw away all the rules and go very close to poorly, vulnerable people without making any care or protections at all!

Her job is quite literally safeguarding & protecting the at risk , then she put your child who is vulnerable, at risk. Please word a complaint. Did she even bother distancing, did she touch door handles, surfaces etc? Really shocking. I'd be drafting something like this, via email, to her Manager & copy in their boss as otherwise the Manager will fob you off or sweep it under the carpet in my experience :
Dear...
Re: SW Visit on (date) & No PPE
I write to express my concerns regarding (SW name) visit of (date). Despite informing me in our telephone conversation of (date) beforehand, that she would be wearing PPE, Ms ...... turned up without gloves or mask & did not maintain distancing either.

As you know, my child is classed as vulnerable due to (....). I am deeply concerned that PPE was not worn by a professional, whose role is to safeguard the welfare of my already health compromised child. I look forward to your thoughts on this matter, as it has caused additional, un necessary worry & unease in what are already worrying & stressful times health wise.

Yours sincerely.

OP I understand why you might feel pressured into letting her stay even once you'd noticed the lack of PPE. I hope this thread has helped you feel better able to tackle the issue head on.

If it eases your anxiety any, unless she was coughing, sneezing or was particularly unhygienic, it's not that likely you would pick up enough CV from her to infect you during a single visit.

If it eases your anxiety any, unless she was coughing, sneezing or was particularly unhygienic, it's not that likely you would pick up enough CV from her to infect you during a single visit

And yet people cant see relatives as a single one off visit

Bloody intelligent virus this one.

HeIenaDove it's nothing to do with the virus being clever. The lockdown rules were thrown together quickly and are a crude tool to try to stem the spread.

Each individual visit, if there's no coughing or sneezing, is unlikely to carry very much risk. That doesn't mean "none". And it doesn't mean the OP isn't right to be annoyed at having avoidable risk pushed on her family. But since she talks about having some sort of health anxiety I wanted to put her mind at ease that one visit is really not too bad.

I'm not a fan of the government's approach and its apparent inability to plot a course towards something sustainable, but that isn't what the OP was asking about.

There is no requirement for a visiting social worker to wear ppe. Hand washing, physical distancing etc are the important effective measures. If those didnt happen they should have. But I agree she shouldn't have said she was going to and then not without explanation.

Perhaps she hasnt been given any ppe?

Then she should have told OP before turning up on the doorstep.

I would write and complain about social workers not having been provided with PPE rather than about her as an individual.

Hi, Social Worker here!
This sounds odd - I think it’s a good idea to give her a call or drop her an email in the first instance then she can explain and you can decide whether to make a formal complaint.

We are being advised that PPE only necessary if the client is symptomatic and otherwise to use 2 metre distancing within the home. The PPE rules change every day and I wouldn’t be surprised if the day she rang she was told to wear PPE for all visits and then by the time she saw you it was similar to our situation. She needs to know that you want her wearing it regardless and so the best thing is to tell her! She’s not a mind reader and she’s probably fairly stressed herself about the risks of being at work so she might not pick up on your non verbal cues and anxiety.

I also understand why your husband wasn’t confident to challenge her so I would suggest letting it go. You can’t change the past. Focus on moving forward and the things you can control in the future.

Best of luck.