I guess I’m after thoughts/opinions on my new job.
I work as a bank care worker across 2 care homes. This fits in with my partner working and childcare. For those that don’t know: bank means zero hour contract I pick up
shifts on an adhoc basis
Late last year I applied to a 3rd care home as both of my other care homes shifts had dried up (both had a massive recruitment drive)
Interviewed in December and it went well. Was told I’d hear the next day. A week goes by and still nothing. Never mind.
After 2 weeks I hear back that I’m successful and that I need to bring in all my ID so they can book me on my induction. I had bought all this with to the interview they declined to take copies then (even though I was told over the phone to bring my ID with me.) I reconfirmed with the employer over the phone what I needed to bring in. Drove the 30 minutes it takes to get there - receptionist photocopied everything and away I went. Got another phone-call the next day asking for a further piece of ID that they hadn’t originally asked for. Back in my car again to drop this off which I did.
At this point I may have gotten my wires crossed as it was right near Christmas and with 2 children I had a lot going on anyway.
I organised my CRB check and thought the care company would be in touch with me. January goes by, I get my CRB back and hear nothing. Again I’ve got a lot going on and the shifts have started to pick at my other care homes so I’m now not really as desperate for work as I was last year. I think by about mid February I get a call asking if I’d received my CRB - told that I needed to drop it off and then they could book me on my induction. Drive there again and they took a copy of my CRB. A few days later I get a call from the manager about booking me onto my induction.
I was told at interview I could do my induction at home as it was all online via teams. I was told it would be a Monday - Thursday 9am-3pm. I explained that would be fine but I would need lots of notice to arrange childcare (which is my mum, MIL and partner 2 of which work full time). Was told this was fine. I also add it was NOT the manager who interviewed me.
The manager stated I would need to be in the building for my induction and use the works laptop to complete my induction. That the induction would run from Monday - Thursday 9am until 3 or 4pm. He gave me a date which was for the following week. I said I would try and arrange childcare around this. He just said to give him an call
if I couldn’t do that date to rearrange. Unfortunately the week they suggested I could not do - but I could arrange childcare to help the following week. I called to ask if I could rearrange to the following week. When I called he didn’t know who I was and I just repeated my name and then straightaway why I was calling he just said “I’ll have to see if the trainer can rearrange” I heard nothing for 4 days. I happened to check my emails on Friday evening and saw that I had an email confirming my training for Monday (today)
My MIL needed to change her day off to accommodate my induction which she hadn’t - as the manager never got back to me I told her not to bother. I replied to their email explaining that due to the lack of confirmation I didn’t have suitable childcare available.
Received an email today saying that the induction has been rescheduled for April.
If you’re still reading thanks for your patience….
Basically I’m not getting the greatest vibes from this place and just want to tell them to forget it.
- At both my other care homes - I started my induction whilst I sent off for my CRB (as it’s not resident facing during induction, I’m no risk to the home and if something flagged up on my CRB check I would have been dismissed before ever meeting a resident)
- Both other care homes took copies of my ID at interview and remembered to ask for all the ID I’d need saving me a second trip (why ask me to bring my ID if your not going to take it)
- I was told at interview my induction would be from home. Working from home meant I only needed childcare for my littlest. My older child is 4 and at school 8:45-3:15 and is a 5 minute walk from my house. The care is 30 minutes from my house (without traffic). This would mean I would need to put my daughter in breakfast and after school club for the 4 days. Because the manager couldn’t confirm the finish time (3 or 4pm) I would have to put her into breakfast club until 5pm to ensure I wouldn’t be late to collect her. This would cost £14 a day. I would be really pissed off if I paid to put her into afterschool club until 5pm and then finished at 3pm and got home in time to pick her up at 4pm.
- I can only work weekends at the moment with adhoc days in the week when I’m available. This was explained at interview. I have shifts at my other care homes booked up until May. I have to do shadow shifts at this care home before I’m allowed to work solo. I cannot do weekdays and currently can’t offer weekends for the foreseeable future. These were picked up months ago as care homes arrange shifts months in advance and if not heard anything from the third care home.
My partner reckons to do the induction get paid for a week of e-learning and then leave. (I’d feel like an utter shit doing that). Or stick
with them in case I’m not able to pick up
shifts at my other care homes in a few months time.
It just feels a bit chaotic from the start and I never had this sort of issues with either of my other care home. Bear in mind that I passed the interview in December- we’re now in March and I’m still yet to start my induction. They pay 75p (wahoo) an hour more than my other 2 care homes but the shifts are longer (14 hour shifts) My gut is telling me to walk away but what do you think?
I apologise for my rambling but it’s obviously playing on my mind and I’m running on no sleep and a bad cold so my head is full
of cotton wool.