To email my notice with immediate effect.

[Meltinthemiddle]

Started a job 3 weeks in ago as a health care and support worker and it's not what I've been expecting. I've come from a special school and this feels so much different and alot more expected in my job role then what was discussed. Such as driving their vehicle which is a van, I said I could drive but wasn't expecting to drive a automatic van thought of it is making me anxious, cooking meals and so much cleaning! They are short staffed so I've literally been left to get on with it. My rota has been all over the place and I actually ended up working the weekend even though I wasnt told I was due in but I decided to go in when called asking where I was! I still don't even know my hours for the next two weeks and the are doing weekly due staffing over the summer. That aside I don't enjoy the job either! The thing is I'm not someone who doesn't just turn up an dket people down but I can't face handing notice in both situations is making me ill and I've not stopped crying. In the employee handbook it says I have to give one weeks notice after a month working there so what happens if I've only been there 3 weeks? It just feels shit

Don't worry about giving notice. We have a lot of people leave without giving notice and they still get paid.

You shouldn't let this knock your confidence. It happens to lots of people. You start a job, it's not for you so you leave.

I wish you the best. Though I see you have been worrying about this for weeks. I don't know why you just didn't hand in a week's notice early then you wouldn't be panicking about doing the 'right thing'. But it's done so all the best. Hopefully the next job is better.

Honestly just leave if you can manage to be without the pay (although surely they should pay you for hours worked?) I work in healthcare (not as a support worker but understand the SW role) and it is hard! What is expected and the pay you get is absolutely SHIT. They don’t care about the staff because the managers are under pressure from people above them and frankly if you left today they would replace you with anyone. They don’t care. I think most roles in healthcare are under paid and over worked. Morale is at an all time low. If your really unhappy get out now before you have any loyalties to anyone. 3 weeks won’t make a blind bit of difference on your CV.

Well done! Just take a deep breath and take care of yourself.
pubs (nice gastro family pubs) round my way are crying out for staff, can you look to do something away from care for a little bit. These jobs are still hard work-but they are not as emotionally draining as the care sector, a bit of a break might help. Care is such a tough and under appreciated field

Thank you everyone! I think I'm peri menopausal which is making my anxiety worse if I'm honest but then I am someone that doesn't like letting people down and overthinks stuff. It's not often I'm in a like this so find it overwhelming.

Do you know any calming techniques? They can be really good to just steady yourself. It is hard to make decisions if your heart is racing and your breathing in quick. So that a few moments to do that as much as possible.

Then you need to stop catastrophising:
It just a job.
You have done nothing wrong.
You do not owe the company anything
Your colleagues are not your responsibility.
There are other jobs that you can do that won’t make you feel like this.

No I don't but I will look into it as like you said its really difficult to decide when your mind is racing. I do seem to have this fight or flight response recently where I just get overwhelmed and just anxious about upsetting people and confrontation or making big decisions.

I used to work in that sector and it is brutal. I got kicked from pillar to post and still have scars from that time, plus we were so short staffed that 2 of us had to do 24 hour shifts one on one off for a month at one time! There is a LOT of pressure to change your hours at short notice and do ore than you feel able and if that's not for you then that's that.

Give your notice, OP. The job is not what you feel was advertised or explained. It's a high staff turnover sector and if they are already short staffed they will be recruiting currently. The sooner you let them know of your intentions, the sooner they can advertise for your replacement.

Thank you it does like there's a problem with the whole sector then. I joined thinking I could do 12 hour shifts and have more time off and a better work balance! But when you aren't getting a rota until the week before or hour being changed it's not easy!

You have had no support as a new starter and all this illness and stress for £10ph, honestly care agencies need to pay much more than this, and maybe they won't have staffing issues, because that's the answer, make carers feel valued and supported and they won't be feeling like you do.

Don’t be so hard on yourself, OP. And take some time out for a rest if you can afford it, or time in another industry. How about retail or work in a local coffee shop where you feel comfortable and don’t have too much travel?

I work in the care sector in an admin role and am so grateful not to be a carer anymore. I was in a perpetual state of distress and guilt: worrying about the SUs, feeling awful at having to leave them when my shift ended and I had to go to the next one.

I hated the personal care side (felt v uncomfortable and an squeamish) and I'm sure they could tell, even though I smiled and made cheerful conversation throughout.

Care is a tough, tough industry and so underpaid (although I didn’t feel undervalued).

This is a dreadful thing to say, but as I’m admin, not clinical, I’m never expected to go and cover carers who don’t turn up (this happens frequently). This is down to the managers instead; oh, their faces when they’re called out again! They probably feel they’ve moved up in the world from being £19.5k a year carer to a £24k a year Team Leader, when they still have to get their hands dirty!

Thank you I feel like bit of a fruit loop to be honest as they've been really nice about it. Not sure if they are genuinely nice though or just trying to win me over as said they would change a few things that I'm anxious about to help me stay.

OP they are just being nice. They are desperate for staff and will say anything to keep you. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh but I know how they work. Stay if you want but please be prepared for nothing to change.

That's exactly what I've done joined an agency. It's out me off jumping into another job if I'm honest. I could got bakc to my old job but I always thin I left for a reason.

How did it go op? I am in similar situation.

I worked as a community -based carer for a couple of years. Loved the work, hated the need to fit every aspect of client care into a thirty minute slot. I stopped because I didn't think it was OK to rush the physical care of someone with dementia/arthritis/frailty etc to fit into a tight time slot.

They don't treat their staff very well either