pregnant and dangerous job, please help!

Morty_007

I'm afraid i'm dipping out of this discussion for now. The initial advice I offered early on has been totally ignored without even being acknowledged and everything else that is suggested just gets talked out of.

OP, your managing challenging behavior breakaways (if someone gets hold of you) can be used whether you are pregnant or not (though I agree, you wouldn't want to be involved in single person restraint whilst pregnant) If you need to protect yourself, you use what you have been taught. And if your training isnot up to date you need to get yourself onto a course ASAP, even if you just watch.

Good Luck.

MrsE_2

Person_one wrote: »

What you would do doesn't remotely help the OP as her employers aren't giving her that option.

They are a business, these are tough times.

I'm just pointing out a bit of realism.

While the OP may be jumping for joy at the thought of an extra 9 months off PAID, they are not going to do this IF there is another option.

They are trying to get her to carry on working where she is (by signing the RA), I would have thought the best they are likely to do is the minimum required by law, keep her safe on suitable duties & by that they would likely place her doing her hours at a different location (house or office).

Feisty_Fairy

Morty_007 wrote: »

I'm afraid i'm dipping out of this discussion for now. The initial advice I offered early on has been totally ignored without even being acknowledged and everything else that is suggested just gets talked out of.

Im sorry if you feel you have been ignored, i can assure you that you havent, i am grateful for all advice i recieve, i just was trying to get across to people that i HAVE NOT been offered alternatives, which is what everyone seems to think.

OP, your managing challenging behavior breakaways (if someone gets hold of you) can be used whether you are pregnant or not (though I agree, you wouldn't want to be involved in single person restraint whilst pregnant) If you need to protect yourself, you use what you have been taught. And if your training isnot up to date you need to get yourself onto a course ASAP, even if you just watch.

Good Luck.

I have only recently updated my training, but was not aware that i could use breakaways, so thank you for that, i was basically told that anything i was taught on my training was now out of bounds!:eek:
Thanks for your advice once again xx

Feisty_Fairy

MrsE wrote: »

While the OP may be jumping for joy at the thought of an extra 9 months off PAID, they are not going to do this IF there is another option.

I can assure you i WAS NOT jumping for joy at the thought of paid time off at all, i was worried about the effect this would have on the working relationships that i have spent a lot of time building with my clients! And the fact that i would be away for so long altogether inc maternity leave, i was worried about the fact that i would have to start all over again and would miss so much of their progress!

PLUS i think i would go mad at home with nothing to do, i also do a lot of overtime at work in order to bump my wages up so would miss that too, so this decision that i decided to take when offered was not taken lightly and was taken because i have to put my baby 1st.

williacg

I'm afraid that I can't be of any assistance regarding the legal implications of your situation, this can only be determined by the legal eagles and powers that be, I did however wonder if there was any possible option of you carrying out company paperwork from home? This however doesn't address the major points raised so far, but could you approach them with the initial idea?

Savvy_Sue

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

I have only recently updated my training, but was not aware that i could use breakaways, so thank you for that, i was basically told that anything i was taught on my training was now out of bounds!:eek:

While I'm not saying Morty is wrong, I WOULD say that you must follow instructions and guidance from YOUR employer. You can of course check whether their instructions and guidance are correct: it could be that they think of breakaways and restraints as two separate things, it could be that their advice needs updating, but doing something or even thinking that you can do it just because someone on t'internet says so - well, it needs checking out!

DVardysShadow

Googlewhacker wrote: »

So its not illegal then to ask them to sign it? Just shouldn't ask them under duress or force them?

'Illegal' or 'Legal' is barely relevant. What is relevant is what the signature indicates.

The significant point which dpassmore is making is that to sign a risk assessment is to indicate authorship and responsibility for the content. OP should not do this, because she is not an author or responsible for the content or even, presumably, competent to conduct a risk assessment. However, it is legitmate to request a signature to indicate that the OP has been made aware of the existence of the document and of its content.

OP's employer don't seem to be recognising the distinction nor are they asking for a signature in such a way as to make it clear what is being signed for

Morty_007

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

While I'm not saying Morty is wrong, I WOULD say that you must follow instructions and guidance from YOUR employer. You can of course check whether their instructions and guidance are correct: it could be that they think of breakaways and restraints as two separate things, it could be that their advice needs updating, but doing something or even thinking that you can do it just because someone on t'internet says so - well, it needs checking out!

Said I was going, I know, but I can't let this go, it has me really worried now:


Totally agree with checking with your employer... I could be anyone...however if you have been taught to use techniques to improve your chances of escaping from a dangerous situation that you have been placed in by your service user and when you are placed in that situation you don't use the techniques...that would just be lacking in common sense whether you are pregnant or not.

Your breakaway training should provide you with the skills needed to escape from a service user in an emergency, nothing more. Breakaway, run away. You have already identified that your service users pose you a risk so why would you throw out of the window all those things you have been taught to use to protect yourself at a time like this?!? **PLEASE - revisit this with your employer!!**

I have already said I agree with your employers advice that you should not use restraint techniques but breakaways have a different focus.

surreysaver

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

i would prefer to stay where i was due to the relationships i have with the clients

That should not come into it. It is a business, not a friends reunion.

Person_one

surreysaver wrote: »

That should not come into it. It is a business, not a friends reunion.

Continuity of care benefits the client (ie, person being cared for) just as much if not more than it benefits the carer.