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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Adult services - we are doing our best

104 replies

Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 18:02

I am a HCP in health social care, I can t say what field . I am supposed to do part time office hours writing reports. That's what I'm paid doe, I wish. We are killing ourselves i can't say more other than we are drowning - Unpaid overtime- to keep people safe

It's very hard. We are under appreciated

Is anyone else doing far more than their hours and working flat out to recover people and keep them safe from and during Covid times?

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 19:06

Hafdonga

That's so sweet

It is tough when people don't realise the impact of following Covid safe rules because it helps all of us, services and all

I worry that it impacts in my vulnerable clients who were stuck in for 5 months and have only been out of their houses doe a couple months now if they've braved it

But also as I see the other side, the efforts taken to move people safely from hospital so nhs doesn't get overwhelmed and all those lovely people who haven't gone into hospital with other health problems that usually would

I wish everyone would see how much of an impact it has and how hard all the emergency planning and normal
Services are stretched keeping everybody safe

It's only because of that, we have been okay ish but we aren't we are working so hard quietly

But Thankyou , I will take those thanks as shared amongst all my brilliant teams and colleagues xxx in the nhs and social care!

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 19:11

Hi to everyone else that's commented I can't keep up! Didn't think anyone would comment really xxx but you did! ☺️☺️

yesimdrowning
Hi bud, you are not in your own. Hello from my team and my part of the country, please keep up your good work and know that we feel the same and also are keeping the wheels turning like you are doing - these are our people and our communities and we will not let them down to the graft of our time and abilities !!

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 19:11

Best not graft but hey go Freudian slip 😂

OP posts:
Doodiesbear · 25/10/2020 19:18

I think that although it's tough for everyone at the moment, those in the types of caring professions can't just walk away at the end of the shift/day/week and forget it all because of the reason we're in these professions to start with, we care about people and want to help them, but especially at the moment for each person you do help there's a hundred more that need it still, and though on the surface you know you cannot physically help everyone it doesn't stop the drive to help as many as possible to your own detriment, because you simply don't have the time to look after yourself too.

And I think that insisting that someone should feel lucky to have a job, regardless of the conditions they're working in compounds the situation, it implies that this is acceptable, that it's ok and that it's just to be expected. It's excusing the poor service that's being provided because of lack of investment and proper management, which fails the service users, potential service users and of course the staff within that service. The staff are under immense pressure personally, but they're still concerned about those they're not able to help. We shouldn't be ignoring this and making it acceptable by saying that they should just be grateful to have a job, that's really not going to help anyone, the person overwhelmed in the job they do have, nor the person who no longer has a job.
OP and others like you, please know that there's those of us out there that appreciate what you're doing to protect vulnerable people not just from covid but from all the things that you protected them from before covid too, under the added pressure of covid.
It's not a lot and of little consolation to some that gratitude and good will, but I've found that the smallest of things at the moment after covering shifts left right and centre to ensure adequate care for the people I look after while colleagues are off self isolating due to covid, does actually make a world of difference.
One of the people I work with smiled at me yesterday after I'd administered personal care and said thank you and they hoped that I'd have nice weather for my day off so I could enjoy it, then gave me a sweetie, it was so genuine and heartfelt it lifted me for the rest of the shift.

Original poster
Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 19:18

Is anyone else , no matter what field, having a harder time because COVID has put on extra presses? It can't be just my field that is working extra unpaid hours that is impacting a huge amount? Please feel free to share here, all welcome!!!

I am so so sorry also for anyone else that has lost their jobs through Covid, this isn't intended to upset you or anyone and I am genuinely gutted for you xxx it's tough times for everyone xxx

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 19:25

doodiesbear what can I say to you other than I appreciate you too xxx Thankyou for commenting

I can't keep up with commenting on all the lovely people that have and those those have said how tough it has been for them too, for different reasons. I wish I could

I wish I could solve it for everybody but we are working flat out to solve what we can snd I don't know may of my colleagues that aren't doing unpaid extra hours snd trying to keep people safe, and I don't doubt that is going on around the U.K. or other countries ... services are counting on us to do the extra because they know we won't let our people struggle but also so are our communities which are really just our people in a nut shell...
we are doing our best but more resources would be great as I'm not the only worker burning the midnight oil and likely to burn myself out after the last 7 months of extra work into late nights past my hours

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 19:30

Spidey66
I saw your early comment, Thank-you and I'm so sorry it's tough for you too, I wouldn't imagine it isn't right now because CPNs have it so tough too, and send you colleague hugs !!! Xxxx

OP posts:
WorksTheDinerAllDay · 25/10/2020 19:31

Yeah I'm in safeguarding. I don't think the public truly appreciate the full social cost of Covid restrictions.

Original poster
Tryingourbest23 · 25/10/2020 19:34

@WorksTheDinerAllDay

Yeah I'm in safeguarding. I don't think the public truly appreciate the full social cost of Covid restrictions.

💖💖

Good luck buddie keep going...

OP posts:
ChaChaCha2012 · 25/10/2020 19:40

You don't have it great OP, working to the point of breaking is not great. I know how bad things were in adult social care were before covid, and can't imagine the stress you are under now.

I don't have anything constructive to add, but wanted to say, you and all your colleagues in social care and mental health are so appreciated by your service users. I wish we had the power to make things better for you, as you try to do for us.

CloudsCanLookLikeSheep · 25/10/2020 19:42

@Witchcraftandhokum

*:22CloudsCanLookLikeSheep

Just think it's an insensitive thread when many are struggling to put food on the table at the moment.

But that's my opinion, and the OP has apologised which I accept.

Bowing out if this thread now*

Fuck you. How dare you make her apologise and be so sanctimonious to "accept it".

I didn't make her apologies, my lovely! Its really nothing you should be too concerned about I think we've moved on now.
Caroncanta · 25/10/2020 19:45

Hey op, I'm in the same job. The work and the long long hours are utterly exhausting. Stay safe.

ISaySteadyOn · 25/10/2020 19:50

Message received. I will not ask for help. You do not need any additional work.

Witchcraftandhokum · 25/10/2020 19:51

It takes a particular type of person cloudscanlooklikesheep to have a pop at someone working a front line job at this time and then gloat because they've made them apologise. I stand by what I said to you. But thanks for the private message as copied below...

Ooh did you just say fuck you to me? You absolute fucking cunt how fucking dare you and I'm reporting you to mnhq, step too far this time.

The op apologised to me who the fuck do you think you are to tell me she cant do that? You bellend twat

wizzywig · 25/10/2020 19:51

Yes, I work in civil service. Very long hours are normal where I am

Halliehallie9828 · 25/10/2020 19:55

@CloudsCanLookLikeSheep

Just think it's an insensitive thread when many are struggling to put food on the table at the moment.

But that's my opinion, and the OP has apologised which I accept.

Bowing out if this thread now

Grow up. It’s not the OP fault you lost your job and has no money.

The op hasn’t been insensitive at all. She’s working to the bone to help others, getting NO pay for all the extra she’s doing.

Caroncanta · 25/10/2020 19:56

I can't stand people who abuse the pm system to throw abuse at individual posters. Cowardly.

mbosnz · 25/10/2020 19:58

Wow. I think a poster who said very early on that she was bowing out of the thread, really ought to do so, for reals, this time, and also, step the hell away from the PM function.

Halliehallie9828 · 25/10/2020 19:58

@Witchcraftandhokum

It takes a particular type of person cloudscanlooklikesheep to have a pop at someone working a front line job at this time and then gloat because they've made them apologise. I stand by what I said to you. But thanks for the private message as copied below...

Ooh did you just say fuck you to me? You absolute fucking cunt how fucking dare you and I'm reporting you to mnhq, step too far this time.

The op apologised to me who the fuck do you think you are to tell me she cant do that? You bellend twat

She obviously didn’t have the balls to say it on the thread as she wanted to come across as a nice person... everyone could see from her first comment she isn’t.
Caroncanta · 25/10/2020 19:58

Just think it's an insensitive thread when many are struggling to put food on the table at the moment

Other people are allowed to discuss their problems too you know. And btw any abusive PM's to me will be reported to @mnhq

Witchcraftandhokum · 25/10/2020 20:02

This is cloudslooklikesheep's latest pm to me

They'll just think you're the silly little girl you are, publicising the bun fight YOU started. You don't tell other posters fuck you, that's well outside talk guidelines and you know it

I've referred this to mnhq requesting you are banned or at least get a warning

rookiemere · 25/10/2020 20:03

My job is not in the least worthy or important, but over the last 2-3 months the volume and pressure of work has become - for me - fairly unsustainable. I'm just waiting for schools to close again to properly push me over the edge.

I've tried telling bosses that there is too much for me to do, but as they are sending emails at midnight it falls on deaf ears. As I'm not in the office it's almost impossible to have a sensible conversation with someone about it. I keep getting told that I'm a safe pair of hands, but increasingly I feel like Boxer from Animal Farm and feel I'll just keep getting pushed until I need to take time off with stress.

Sorry for self indulgent rant. Yes I know I'm lucky to have a job, and I'm very grateful that others lives are not dependent on me, but prolonged wfh and winter are not helping many of us feel cheerful.

Witchcraftandhokum · 25/10/2020 20:06

op I'm so sorry if I'm hijacking your thread. I'm a teacher, I feel exactly the same way. We're all working as hard as we possibly can and we all feel like you.

I'm so sorry some poster have made you feel like shit.

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 25/10/2020 20:09

I hear you OP, I work in a multi agency discipline now but still have plenty of friends and colleagues in police, probation, prisons, children's and adult services, it's really really fucking hard and that's just normally, throw in a pandemic and I don't know how people are surviving. I started at eight am one day last week, it got to nearly 8 in the evening, I had a banging headache and I realised I'd had one small cup of water in a meeting and other than that I hadn't eaten or drunk anything or been to the toilet (not that I had the bed to go because I was so dehydrated). It feels like risk is increasing everywhere, a lot of the third sector are either not re-open or very limited and remote which is no good with the people we all work with. So all that's left is the statutory agencies, skilled practitioners who get paid the same as administration in the private sector, and it'll be us on payfreeze again (did it ever stop?) . More 'austerity' cuts when there's nothing left to reduce, and when someone dies and it's newsworthy enough it'll all be blamed on the social worker, the police officer, the probation officer, the parole board, the prison who released them early on HDC...

I don't know what to say to cheer you up, but you're not alone, and we keep working day and night, without respite because if we don't people die, you can't work to rule of you got into the area is work for the right reasons, your conscience doesn't allow you to and successions of governments across the political spectrum have used this to their full advantage.

Witchcraftandhokum · 25/10/2020 20:10

cloudscanlooklikesheep's latest pm to.me

I already have reported you you fucking cunt, trying to tell people on an open forum what to say. Who the fuck di you think you are? And everyone can see you started this

I don't give a fuck what other people think of the pm and have hidden the post anyway so I'll never know

I'm gonna get you banned