To think my Ukranian guests are reasonable in refusing to engage with the council's support worker?\

[listsandbudgets]

We've had a group of 3 Ukrainians with us now since April. The council like to make regular checks to make sure everything is going well and so far it's been fine. However their caseworker changed in September and the new one is Russian. She emails them in Russian and phone to talk to them in Russian and is generally very pushy insisting on coming to see them at times to suit her and then not turning up - they took a couple of hours off work last week to be available. Its not the first time either

They've now written and said they will not communicate with her any further as long as she continues to speak / write in Russian as they find it upsetting. They CAN speak Russian but they don't want to and honestly right now I don't blame them. They've asked her several times to use English or Ukrainian or even Polish or German (they have grasp of them all to varying degrees) but she responds in Russian.

AIBU to think that this is utterly insensitive

Whoa!

I'd make a complaint about this person if I were them.

That's appalling. They anbu!

Yanbu.
What is she for anyway?
Our guests’ caseworker is nice but hasn’t done anything useful and didn’t show for the last meeting.
Are you trying to get the council to find them a different one or just get this one to leave them alone?
In any case they should complain because she is falling short of professional behaviour.

For real? Sounds like she's goading them.

Complain on their behalf if they're not willing to do so.
This is horrible and insensitive, if not harassment/intimidation/bullying.

YANBU - I don't blame them.

That’s absolutely appalling. I’d complain in the strongest terms and go to the press if nothing is done.

She is supposed to help them plan their next steps - e.g. looking for alternative accommodation, making sure they're safe with us, helping them access language classes, helping them with benefits if they need it etc. etc. They are welcome to stay with us a while longer so we're not too worried about alternative accommodation yet.

@Fladdermus I think you're right, she's goading them.

I'm going to make a complaint myself. My guests have been through enough :(

That's awful OP. Do you know if she can actually speak in their language? Maybe she's bluffed her way into her job?
Absolutely complain.

That was nice and sensitive of the local authority to assign them a Russian caseworker 🙄🙄🙄🙄. I mean FFS what were they thinking?

This is one of the few threads I hope the daily fail DOES pick up on. That’s awful!!!

I’m thankful that they have you to advocate for them. You’re doing a wonderful thing to host them.

Yanbu and glad you're going to complain, as others have said it seems like she's deliberately goading them, why would she keep replying in russisn when she has been asked not to.

Yes, definitely this.

That’s appalling - in their shoes I’d reply to her in Ukrainian every single time she communicated with by email or verbally.

A huge number of Ukrainians speak Russian as their first language so it's hardly surprising that a Russian speaking case worker would be assigned. Perhaps it's the case workers first language ffs.

Perhaps it's the case workers first language ffs.

Possibly - but she’s been explicitly asked not to use it…..

So if someone told you not to communicate in English...

If I worked in a professional capacity in a foreign country then yes I'd use the language of that country if asked. Basic politeness.

Then you shouldn't communicate in English.

Considering there are several other languages they can communicate in its hardly a huge ask to not communicate in Russian.

But she's been employed to work as a support worker by a local authority in the UK, and can communicate in English (which was probably listed in the job advert for her post) so should so what the people she's meant to be 'supporting' want.

So if someone told you not to communicate in English...

In a foreign country where I was working in that foreign language in a professional capacity? I’d immediately switch to the foreign language.

That was nice and sensitive of the local authority to assign them a Russian caseworker 🙄🙄🙄🙄. I mean FFS what were they thinking?

There are many Russians working with Ukrainians right now because lots of Ukrainians only speak Russian.

The case worker should be using the language they have asked her to use though.

For a good reason and you were able to speak another language then....

They can assign another case worker because someone as insensitive as this shouldn't be working in this field.

No one is telling her she can’t communicate in Russian though. She’s in a job where speaking English to a good standard is a basic requirement for a reason.

What’s their English like? If it’s not that great that’s probably why she’s speaking in Russian.