Testing positive and care home job

[Drumstick38]

Hi, I work in a care home and have recently tested positive for Covid as the title suggests, but tested negative a few days prior.
I had my first Covid vaccine in March and have my 2nd on Tuesday, yet still contracted Covid from my partner but I know it doesn't stop you getting it 100%.

My initial isolation period was meant to end this Thursday and back at work this Friday but I guess it will need to be longer now.

I initially told my manager that I was having to isolate till Thursday due to my partner's positive case and they told me to be back at work on the Friday, I could tell they weren't happy at all and i understand as they're very short staffed.

Now having tested positive I will indeed need to isolate for longer than I thought.

I'm already not eligible for SSP as I've not been at the job long, nor for the £500 payment.

Think my job may be at risk but what can I do.

There's nothing you can do. Your boss knows this. To have you back at work before you are out of isolation would be really dangerous. I work in a home and we had an outbreak earlier this year. We were down to two members of staff. You can't help it and staffing issues are not your problem.

I have a family member who works in a care home. She has had to self isolate twice. She doesn't get paid either, which is awful I think. She was allowed to use annual leave for one of the periods.

I don't think that there's anything you can do. You will have to tell them, and you will have to isolate. It is the world we are living in and they will have to accept it.

The only reason they could possibly be angry about it is if you have been knowingly breaking the rules and putting yourself at risk, and talking about that openly at work.

I realise it is worrying for you if you haven't been there long enough to build relationships and job security but it would be very wrong of them to terminate your contract for essentially doing the right thing.

If they’re surprised by isolating individuals causing staffing issues at this point hell mend them if they’re already short staffed they’d be utterly daft to sack you, you sound very conscientious.

Thanks for your replies.
Apparently I'm legally entitled to SSP even if I haven't worked there long/don't have a contract is this correct? If myself and my partner can both receive that then that will be ok to support us for these 10 days.

The staff at my home do not wear masks which I do think is bad, even though they are vaccinated and the residents are.

They are so short staffed that on the shifts i do there are only 2 of us, they are literally depending on you to go in or they're screwed as we have to have a minimum of 2, they don't use agency staff so they have to rely on other colleagues being able to cover.

I feel better now though as there is nothing I can do indeed, and if they sack me then I suppose I've had a lucky escape.

I understand why they don't want to use agency staff, but when it's a job working with vulnerable people I think they need to ensure they absolutely have enough staff, bank staff they can call on or enough staff members on shift so that they aren't in trouble if one person can't go in.

Quite frankly, if they do sack you it will be a lucky escape. Please consider a whistle blow to the CQC, you could save patients and staff their lives.

At the present time this can’t be helped. I was a care home manager for many years, staff shortages are part and parcel of running a home in normal times let alone now. They’d be stupid to get rid of you and I’m sure they won’t. I never used agency staff either and covered most shifts myself rather than do that, not fair on our young people to have strangers doing their personal care.

You sound like a conscientious person.

I have considered whistleblowing before really. There's no activities coordinator or anything of the sort, due to staff numbers the residents are left to watch TV or walk around the building all day or in rooms, there are no organised activities for them. It's about getting up as many as you can in the morning then getting as many as you can to bed in the evening.

I do need to ask for more training as I am dealing with one or two dementia patients who frequently say they want to kill themselves.

And just as an aside, nothing at all that needs whistleblowing just my own personal gripe, I put in a holiday request a couple of weeks back with plenty of notice, still heard nothing from the manager, i asked them if they had seen it and they said they would get back to me asap, still nothing.

This sounds like a horrid place to work, but an even worse place to live. Obviously you cannot work with vulnerable people if you have covid, it's far too dangerous for the residents.
Absolutely whistleblowing, those poor residents.

Is this a care home where people pay to live?

I'm honestly not sure if they pay to live there or not, I will try to find out.
Indeed, it's 100% the correct thing to be isolating.
I think a lot of staff there are genuine but there are some who have an approach that I don't like, including asking staff if they have "favourites" of residents, calling them cute etc. And one joking about how the ones who display challenging behaviour due to Alzheimer's and dementia are a "good challenge" and how she likes a challenging one.

Wow I don't have any advice but I am horrified by this setup. Someone is presumably making money (or at least, avoiding spending what should be spent) on the backs of the suffering of the residents and the staff. What you do is so important and valuable, and presumably the wages are as bad as the conditions. It makes me very angry, on yours, your colleagues' and the residents' behalf.

Yes, I wouldn't want my relatives to live there, I'm sure there are better homes.
It's all about money I think yes.
Indeed, it's minimum wage whether it's days or nights, bank holidays, Christmas etc. No enhancements.

I work in domiciliary care rather than a care home but we have been given government money to be spent on ensuring that staff are paid full pay if they need to isolate or test positive. It is meant to reduce the chance that people will come into work when they could be infectious because they are worried about not being paid. I’m pretty sure that care homes also have access to this fund.

As for not wearing masks at work. Not sure where to start on this one! Definitely needs whistleblowing to CQC.

Thanks for letting me know, i will have to ask them about it.
Been there 5 weeks and still haven't received a contract or any sort of written proof of employment, so not sure if this will impact anything.

It is a requirement that appropriate PPE should be worn.....why I they not wearing masks??
I would be contacting CQC (as well as looking for another job!)