Care Home Staff Query

[lillyme]

I work in a care home for 21 elderly clients - I have 2 questions

1) We start 730am work till 5pm, should get 90 mins unpaid breaks. Theres no seperate staff area and we arent allowed to leave the premises so we eat in the clients dining room during hour off, this means if the other 2 staff are busy with a client that needs 2 people to lift/for mobility you have to answer the emergency buzzers or the door or the phone and the clients interrupt you too. The last 15mins of this break you have to fill out the care-plans - so its not like a proper break as its interrupted. Is this allowed?
2) Of the 3 day-saff that are on , one is deputy manager and in office etc alot and one does the tablets so the 3rd carries the workload ie getting remaining clients up and giving breakfast, making beds, doing the washing up as we dont have a washer-upper . Our Manager isnt in alot and when shes on holiday the deputy manager although not qualified takes over and isnt much good. Is this allowed?

[wendilla]

I have worked in care homes after finishing from hospital work and I always insisted that my staff had a proper lunch and tea breaks.It looks like the deputy manager is not pulling her weight and it does not take all day to give out tablets. In a job like this it is mentally tiring and there should be a proper rota of who does what and when. If your deputy manager is not qualified or done her courses and passed she should not be giving out tablets. This happens a lot in homes too understaffed .So if you are allowed 90 minutes it should mean 90 minutes. I know it is difficult for just one to complain but I think you are doing too much.

[lillyme]

Thank you for response- 3 of us have recently been put on a distance course - Safe Handling of Medication, I am 1 although I dont do them , in fact none of us chosen do the tablets! The deputy manager refuses to do tablets she delegates all care related jobs. I have been vocal when clients are deteriorating and they just dont listen, all the ones I have tried to get more attention for have ended up in hospital, one wont return as she had in fact had 2 TIA s and needs nursing care now- which I had tried to tell them. There just arent enough staff doing the care work ! I am looking for another job.

[factor-fiction]

I understand that legally only a 20 minute continuous break is required, so you should at least insist on that.

Unfortunately I think it's becoming common now for breaks to be taken up by work, and it's also common for people to work longer than their contracted hours. When I was a teacher, for example, I had a 30 minute lunch break but by the time I had kept behind pupils for short detentions and tidied up the room, and dealt with queries from kids in the corridors, it was time to set up the room for the next lesson.

I suggest you go out for a walk for maybe 30 minutes.

You can press the point and demand 90 minutes over the day but it may not lead to good relationships and may just make things harder for colleagues, so ultimately to may be better accepting things or moving on.

[lillyme]

PS The 90 mins is unpaid so yes we should be given that and away from the clients _ I think its because legally there needs to be a certain number of staff on the floor so we are included in that when on a break.

[lillyme]

we cant leave the building during working hours so a walk isnt allowed. Also if you do the 730am-9pm shift you still get the same break!!

[wendilla]

So it sounds to me as you are the only one doing the work and the Deputy manager walking around showing her authority.This don't work in a care home you have to be dedicated to these residents after all they were very well educated people some of them in there day. I would report any things not being done to higher authority . Is it council or privately owned

[lillyme]

Privately owned. And yes there are some educated residents, they don't miss much! One was a nurse for years in London. 2 of the staff have a parent in there who get extra special treatment.
Who do you report them to though? The deputy manager is all over relatives if they come in or if they complain

[wendilla]

I have never come across where I had to report anything but if I did I think I would get advice from Citizens advice .Yes I can see your problem looks like a family concern and they will all stick together.It would make it awkward for you if you did this while you still worked there so in the meantime try and get your break times sorted out as this is important for your own health.

[kira000]

Hi Lilly,

Yout might lie to try contacting the Cqc, who are the national care standards organisation responsible for monitoring private and nhs registered care providers.

I have included the links to the regional teams. They may be able to offer advice on what is or is not allowed, and may be able to help in terms of you epressing your concerns about the place.

http://www.cqc.org.uk/guidanceforprofessionals /contactcqc/contactyourregionalsocialcareconta ctteam.cfm

[lillyme]

Many thanks for the helpful replies. I will contact to get advice.