Bad course, bad staff and bad managers! But then there's me!

As some of you will know I'm a course through work. This course has eight modules to it and yesterday and today we began Module Two. Intellectual Disability Studies. 

What we have learnt over two days could have been taught in half a day. We were basically taught how to fill in a work book. A work book that comes with a second book. The second book teaches you how to fill in the work book.

This is why I've had to suffer a tax increase and pension levy! A pension levy that only health workers, teachers and the guards are having by the way! Why only us? Because we're public servants and our job is secure! No it fucking isn't! My job is just as at risk as those in the private sector! Wankers!

Anyway, aside from spending the 1st morning filling a page with stars we did actually learn a few things. Nothing eligible for work or the course but still learning is learning.

I have learnt that some people who work in our industry are judgemental bastards who may not harm a client or service user but given one story I've heard I have to wonder what psychological damage they are doing! Thankfully this is no one in our service!

I have learnt that he who shouts loudest wins. Wrong but true.

I have learnt that my manager, even with his faults, is far superior to others and I'm damn lucky!

All the names have been changed in the following stories.

Story One

Patrick works in a different county for a similar organisation. Every day he deals with young adults who need support due to a learning difficult or physical disability. A few weeks ago he headed off on a train to visit some friends. He told us this story:

"While waiting for the train two guys went passed me in wheelchairs. A train came in, not mine by the way, people got off and some got on and then it left. The two guys in the wheelchairs didn't get on. They head off the platform and as they passed me I said about how disgusting it is that they couldn't get on the train. They said they didn't want to they just waiting for someone and I said sorry as they head off. The next train comes in, again not mine, and a girl in a wheelchair gets off. She looks around as though lost and confused and I assume she's looking for the two guys. I head over to her and say "Your friends have just gone down there," and I point off the platform.
"What?" she asks.
"Your friends. The two guys. They head off the platform. I think they're over there," I tell her.
"I'm sorry I don't understand."
"Are you looking for two men in wheelchairs?"
"No!"
"Then why do you look so lost and confused?"
"I've got off at the wrong fucking stop!"
As I sat back down I saw the two guys on the other platform talking with a man who just got off the train."

When Patrick told his story the people sat around him in the lecture room actually laughed but talking to one of the other girls we were both amazed at his attitude. He'd made two incorrect assumptions that if he'd made at work he'd be reprimanded for. First off why assume that the guys couldn't get on the train just because they didn't? He didn't get on two trains! Should we assume he was stuck to his seat? Secondly how dare he assume that because she was in wheelchair she must be meeting the other guys!

Now, for someone who has never worked with anyone with any form of disability or had any connection with anyone with that background I can kind of understand how that assumption might be made and I'd be forgiving but this guy works with people who need support due to a disability! He should know better! How does he still have a job?

Story Two
Janet, like Patrick, works in a similar field with a similar client base in a residential house in a different county for a different organisation. There they have someone who goes home one weekend a year. The family have applied for a grant for an extension to their house so they are better equipped to cope with this resident when he goes home. He goes home without support! I don't mean that they kick him out the door and say "Seeya Monday!" but I mean that no staff stay with him. He has a sufficient level of independence and enough family support to cope without staff. So, one weekend a month a year he goes and home and the family are applying for a grant to deal with that weekend better. A grant of €35'000 has been approved.

Questions:
1. Have assessments been done of the family home to see if it's already suitable?
2. Have the family been assessed to see how good the family support is?
3. Has the awarding body seen the plans of the current home?
4. Has the awarding body seen the plans of the proposed extension?
5. Will the family take the client, their son, for more weekends once extension is built?
6. Has the client been asked if he wants to go home more than one weekend a year?
7. Has the client been asked if he wants to stay in a purpose built extension?
8. Has the client been consulted at all with regard to any of this.

The answer to all of these questions is the same. No.

Why is Janet not speaking up? If this family are getting the extension they should be able to care for the relatives themselves. From the way she spoke it sounds like he is independent enough to look after his own hygiene needs and can even make himself meals and drinks he just needs support in certain areas that even the most basic family could cope with - especially with a €35k extension!

Yet another reason why my wage packet has gone down by over 10% since April and will go down again as of October!

Story Three

Tommy used to work on the docks works in a similar environment to Janet and Patrick. His manager insisted that one of their clients be given a mobile phone and taught how to use it. Tommy argued there was no need but the manager forced his hand. Given how many times the client uses the house phone it was deemed that €10 credit a week would be plenty and the client was taught how to use it and how to top it up. Everything went swimmingly. The client knew how to use the phone and how to top up and knew that €10 a week was plenty. Six months later a review takes place, as it does with our service users as well.
"And how is he getting on with the mobile phone?" asks the manager.
"Oh fine. He puts his €10 credit on every Friday and that lasts him the week," replies Tommy.
"Can I see the phone?" asks the manager.
Tommy goes and collects it and hands it to the manager.
"How do I get the balance up?" he asks.
"I'm not sure," replies Tommy, "why?" "It's mid week, I just want to see if he uses it all by the weekend and has nothing for the week."
Eventually they work out how to get a credit balance. The balance is €236 euros. It would appear the client never uses it. There are only four calls in the call log, all to the house phone, all dated six months ago when Tommy was teaching the client how to use the phone. The client thinks that whether the phone is used or not he has to put €10 on it.

Whether you are dealing with someone with learning difficulties or not there is a simple thing you can do to make the person feel respected. Ask!

It doesn't matter if the person has a diagnosis of Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Fragile X, ABI or self-diagnosed fake bi-polar! You still ask, you don't decide for them! Even when you know they can't make the decision themselves you still go through the motions of asking because this could be the one time they know what they want and are capable of deciding! If I asked one of our service users if he wanted to get on the bus with another service user he'd say no! He'd flatly refuse! He knows his mind. He knows if he wants tea or coffee, cheese or ham and he knows what clothes he wants to wear. I don't make these choices for him. He makes them. He makes them because I ask him to!

Now the client Tommy was dealing with was even more capable of making his own choices than the lads I deal with. Our lads couldn't have a mobile phone. Three of them can't verbally communicate well enough and the other wouldn't be able to learn how to use it. The manager was at fault in Tommy's story and he should have been reprimanded for it. I agree that Tommy is partially to blame for this as he obviously didn't teach the client correctly but did anyone ask him if he wanted a mobile phone? No they didn't! The manager just decided to do it one day and no one could argue about it. With that in mind why did Tommy have to pay the client back €230? Just tell the client to start using the phone to use up the credit and stop paying €10 a week! Tommy argued but was told either pay it back or they'll take out his wages.

Fucking managers!

With what I've heard over the last two days I can honestly say the place I work in is fantastic. No, I'm not saying that's because of me, but yes I am going to take a small bit of that credit. The staff (99% of them!) are damn good at their jobs and they need telling that! Maybe it's the training we've had, maybe it's the support we get, either way I could happily assure all our families that their loved ones get the best care. Christ, we put up with beatings and go back for more! We get covered in shit and don't quit! We spend our own money on the lads and give up our own time to go out with them and not get paid for it.

We rule!