My partners workplace

Dalkirst

Hope this is the right place.

My partner has worked in the same care home for around 12 or 13 years and about 11 of those as a care assistant.There have been 3 or 4 owners since then as it's a private home.Anyway the current owners have been right **** to the staff.
My question is they have just told her she needs to provide them with 2 references to keep on their records and it can't be family.Now the thing is as i just said she has only ever worked in that place.She has shown them total loyalty even though they pay crap wages.She has said they will suspend her if she doesn't do this,can they?
They have suspended one of the cooks for not providing a CAB.Not only that but it's things like training courses.They have had to do several over the last 2 or 3 years ranging from health and safety to NVG level 2.Now the thing is the NVQ 2 they still haven't got because the people that provided the trainging wouldn't realease the certificate becuase the money they sent to the owner for the staff's training has been kept by the owner who has said she is keeping it to fund future courses...can you believe that?
She has kept the staff's money for herself:rolleyes:

I've told her to get another job but it's handy working there as it's close to home etc.By the way none of the staff are with a union so we can't seek advice from them really.They also want a copy of her driving licence to keep.I told her to tell them to **** off why would they need that i don't want that kept on their records for whatever reason it might be.They have done without it for this long.

hjb123

The best advice will come from someone at your local Citizens Advice Bureau! They will be able to tell you wont is allowed and what not! I can understand the need for references on file but when she has been there that length of time!

Dalkirst

Thanks it's just very annoying that she's been there that long but this owner treats her staff like **** she really does.

Who could provide references for her then if family can't and that's the only place she has worked?
One possibility maybe is my brothers fiance who is a teacher.Though she will be family when they get married in July she won't have my partners surname as we aren't married plus offically at the moment she isn't family as such;)

hjb123

Has she done any part time studying - ie night courses? Any teachers from them that know her? Have you any neighbours that have good jobs that could be referees?

nearlyrich

If they treat the staff badly it makes me wonder how they look after the people they are caring for, it makes me angry that unscrupulous people are in the care "business" just for the money, I could tell a story that would make you hair curl about one of our local homes.

Dalkirst

hjb123 wrote:

Has she done any part time studying - ie night courses? Any teachers from them that know her? Have you any neighbours that have good jobs that could be referees?

No nothing like that and we haven't lived here that long since moving so don't know anyone near us now:o

Part of me thinks leave it don't bother see what she does.If they then suspend her well i will get involved then;)

her ideal job she would love to do is be a midwife but not sure how you go about that,anyone any info on this or what we could do?
She hasn't got the 5 GCSE's in C or higher that the websites say she needs but what with there being a shortage of midwifes i wondered if they would have dropped this?

cattie

I think there is another way of looking at this. The new owners may well want to satisfy themselves that the staff they have inherited are all that they are supposed to be.

We hear so much about the terrible abuse that goes on in some care homes & also how some old folk are milked of their cash & belongings by seemingly caring staff & we are all up in arms when things like this hit the news. We wonder at how the staff were able to get away with such things & demand that staff should be vetted more thoroughly.

I myself would have no problem with complying with having to give references & a copy of id to be kept on my file. I think maybe you are looking at it as being a negative thing directed at the staff, when it isn't really. There are a lot of big companies that have copies of staff id on file, so is nothing unusual.

There must be someone your partner can ask for a reference, a long time friend for instance. Or perhaps one of the neighbours from where you just moved from?

Dalkirst

When i say they are new owners they are not as such.They have had the home for well over 3 years now.Sorry they are just new to us as we have known 2 or 3 other owners.
She could have asked for this stuff ages ago so why now.Trust me when i say the way she trests her staff she isn't a caring owner:(

Dora_the_Explorer_5

It could be that this is something the care home have decided to do or have received new guidance on, which may explain the decision to suspend anyone who cannot provide references. Character references can be provided by someone who has known your partner for several years and knows them well. References from their previous employers (the previous home owners) may be more difficult to obtain but perhaps your partner can write to the previous owners c/o the care home which will show they are making serious attempts to secure these references.
I can understand why your partner might feel irritated, given their employer 'could do better', but if they can look on it as doing the right thing for the safety and security of the residents it might make things easier to bear. A copy of the driving license should give the employer immediate evidence of proof of identity whilst waiting for the references, and again if it can be looked on as benefitting the residents - which it does - it would probably be something your partner would be happy to do.
I wonder if all the staff have been CRB checked?
I don't think there is anything that prevents people from joining a union an benefitting from the information and advice it could give but of course employers do not have to recognise the union.
I'm afraid I can't offer any insight into the training issue as I'm not sure I understand what the problem is but will try to help if you would like to clarify a bit more. Hope this helps.

Dalkirst

Thanks as i said earlier my brothers GF is going to do one reference as she's a teacher so good standing.We could ask her dads mate who has done our passports in the past who's a bank manager i suppose.We have also photocopied the licence using the new Brother printer that posted on Grabbit;)
I can understand where you're coming from but if it was me i wouldn't do it as i know how badly the're treated in ther(the staff)

Just asked the other half who said they did do a CRB check a while ago which the owner paid for but for some reason and don't ask me why the old manager who's no longer there put a different home down on the form.The home she put down was the managers old home.Now the owner is saying they might have to do another one which she is going to dock from their wages.She has already took 5 or 6 days pay from them in the past which she said she will keep incase people leave without notice...can she do that aswell?

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Dalkirst wrote:

.She has already took 5 or 6 days pay from them in the past which she said she will keep incase people leave without notice...can she do that aswell?

I'm no employment law expert but this is unfair and may be illegal. Obviously it would be worth checking this out with CAB, but it also may be worth ringing the local council's inspection unit and asking them if this is accepted practice in both council and private homes in your district - it won't be of course. HTH