|
||||||||
Community outreach work and challenging behaviour. |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,464
|
Community outreach work and challenging behaviour.
I need some feedback about a situation at work
I work in social care and recently have been tasked with community outreach work with a new client who has complex needs and behaviours. These include aggression, verbally abusive outbursts and running away. He has no sense of personal risk or social interaction, or road safety, and due to his condition he is very obbsessive cannot be reasoned with. He has a tendency to hit out when he is unhappy about something. The company is keen to bring new clients in, based on the premise that we can offer the type of care most others can't. Up until now this has mainly been along the lines of high support/physical disabilities based within the company premises. I have worked with challenging behaviour in the past. Some of those experiences were highly risky and stressful based on the idea that these people should have access to the community, when in reality they found it difficult to cope and act appropriately out in the community. This new client has been assigned two staff to accompany him. We have had no training in understanding the particular disability he has, no real chance to get to know or build a relationship. Essentially we have been told to just go along, pick him up from home and take him out. I'm not happy about it. To the point it's been really stressing me out. Soon I will be asked my opinion by the manager. I can either smile and tow the party line, or I can be honest and possibly mark my card with a manager who isn't known for their understanding attitude and is more interested in bringing in new punters. The other staff who I worked with doesn't seem to mind the situation, just seems to plod on with whatever he's told to do and claims he's lucky to have a job. I wish I could be like that but I can't. I think it's a very risky situation. I'm happy to work with him within the confines of the centre. I just have major concerns about going into the community with him. Question is, am I being overly cautious or do you think I have a valid concern. |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 9,113
|
You have a valid concern and you need to raise the issue with your manager. What if something happens and an investigation and report has to be made? The fact that you had previously mentioned that you weren't 100% happy with the situation would support your side of any story if it were to come to that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,443
|
Have they done a risk assessment? I'd have thought that it would be better to allow you to build a relationship with him before you all going out, just so you had an understanding of his particular needs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,776
|
Really difficult situation for you OP. I have experience of placing clients like this and know how unrealistic expectations (often family expectations can be) ie demanding that the client is taken into the community long before they are ready to do it with someone who isn't family.
My advice for meeting with the manager would be to be positive about the job and the contribution you can make towards providing positive, purposeful activity for the client group. Stress your willingness to learn and develop and then say you have identified a learning need in relation to this client and you would like additional training in both your skill development and someone to discuss the risk assessment with you so that you can make sure that you are keeping the client, the community and yourself safe. If you are positive and keen to engage and learn then it shouldn't put your job at risk. If it does then I would suggest that's probably not a manager you want to work for anyway and you will easily find a similar role with another company. And to answer your original question, yes you have a valid concern. But take a solution focussed approach to expressing the concern - managers have a lot to deal with as well! |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,464
|
Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to go down the route of asking for a familiarisation period in a safe environment until we get to know each other better. The idea of a discussion about the risk assessment is good. But bearing in mind how my manager might be, a straight forward refusal to go into the communityl could be on the cards. I'll just reiterate that I'm willing to work with him but only in what I consider a safe environment.
Either way I'm not going to end up putting job security above my own peice of mind, especially as I've had stress relatedmental health problems in the past. |
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 25,198
|
Quote:
Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to go down the route of asking for a familiarisation period in a safe environment until we get to know each other better. The idea of a discussion about the risk assessment is good. But bearing in mind how my manager might be, a straight forward refusal to go into the communityl could be on the cards. I'll just reiterate that I'm willing to work with him but only in what I consider a safe environment.
Either way I'm not going to end up putting job security above my own peice of mind, especially as I've had stress relatedmental health problems in the past. |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 9,229
|
Dont you always have risk assessment plans in these situations? I would have thought so
What are the contingency plans if he runs off or becomes violent, are either of you restraint trained and if so what type and if so under what circumstances has it been agreed for him to be restrained. Does he have capacity or is there a deprivation of liberty situation in place (I dont know the proper terms for adult care) Is he allergic to anything, what physical needs does he have, does he need to be near toilets or away from particular noises, is he safe around other members of the public and animals I would have thought these issues and many more are the usual questions people ned to consider before taking someone into their care, even just for a few hours. |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,776
|
Quote:
Does he have capacity or is there a deprivation of liberty situation in place (I dont know the proper terms for adult care)
OP I would expect you to have been given the risk assessment though and possibly to have participated in drawing it up. If you haven't even been given it that's where the problem lies. |
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,464
|
Quote:
You've got it - it's deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS). My guess is that the OP wouldn't be required to know about that but would need to be able to carry out the practical implications (eg positive manual handling) as you indicate.
OP I would expect you to have been given the risk assessment though and possibly to have participated in drawing it up. If you haven't even been given it that's where the problem lies. There was a meeting with the parents to familiarise ourselves with him but I wasn't party to that as I was brought in to replace a staff member who he took against and became abusive to. Information was just cascaded down ad hoc. With regards to restraint or actions to take as and when a situation arises, I'm aware of no training or contingency plan. Indeed from working with the company I think restraint and breakaway techniques are regarded as unsavoury or abusive. Which is silly, given the circumstances. Unless I've missed something here, it seems to be a pretty fly by night approach to the situation. I'm seeing my senior today and will discuss it a little more just to clarify things. |
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 11:03.

