Sleeping facilities standards?

fishtaxi

I work in a supervised housing project, which is staffed 24 hours- in which we have 2 members of staff on duty and have an allocated part of the shift for sleeping (7 hours).
There is a small room provided with 2 single beds, seperated by a flimsy curtain.
The beds and mattresses haven't been replaced for years, and have seen better days.
It is mixed sex, and you have no say who you share with (some new members of staff may not yet have a CRB check through yet, and levels of personal hygiene vary....).
It has become more of an issue now, as due to recent 'shuffles', it means rather than the occasional shift there, it means ALL my shifts are there.
I have searched all over the internet, but can't seem to find any specific guidelines or laws on the standards of work provided staff sleeping accommodation.

Other than find a new job (I'm working on it), does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks.

Savvy_Sue

If there's only one of you sleeping at a time, is there a way of upgrading the accommodation? so there would be just one bed.

I'm just thinking that if you can offer a solution when you raise the problem, that may be a good start.

fishtaxi

Its always 2 people at a time.
We have raised the problem, and they don't seem to want to spend any money on upgrading the facilities (i.e. providing seperate rooms).
I was wondering if there were any guidelines which have to be met, as it doesn't seem quite right?

kymbogs

I found this;

5.0 Sleep-In Facilities –Minimum Standards
5.1 Where possible a separate room, either a bedroom or study/ Sleep In room
will be provided. However, in some premises it is recognised that this may
not always be possible. A good quality bed/ sofa bed and mattress will be
supplied. The bed must conform to current and relevant Health and Safety
regulations. Mattresses must be replaced 3 years minimum.
Clean linen, duvet and pillows of a non-allergic fibre filling will be available
and will be regularly cleaned or washed, and replaced annually. Clean
sheets will be available for each Sleep In shift.
Wherever it is possible provision should be made for staff to store their
clothing. Staff should use existing bathroom and toilet facilities.

Here:
http://www.drh-uk.org/drh_docs/resources/121.pdf

Which looks like a contract or t's and c's for a supported living type place. Is there anything in your contract about sleeping facilities?

SarEl

fishtaxi wrote: »

Its always 2 people at a time.
We have raised the problem, and they don't seem to want to spend any money on upgrading the facilities (i.e. providing seperate rooms).
I was wondering if there were any guidelines which have to be met, as it doesn't seem quite right?

As far as I am awrae I do not think there are any guidelines - and if there are, they are just guidelines which means they can be ignored. But there may be another way of approaching this - by being exceptionally concerned for your employers rather than for yourself! It's the sort of strategy that you can get other workers signed up to because it doesn't involve complaining, making grievances, or upsetting apple carts.

Use other laws to come at this through the back door. These are work premises and the law is clear that you are "at work" if you are required to sleep on the premises. So if, for example, that mattress was giving you a bad back in the morning, that would be a health and safety issue. You wouldn't want your employers to be sued for personal injury for causing or contributing to physical injury, would you? I mean, some new matresses would be a lot cheaper than the legal bills, never mind if they lost a claim. It would be just dreadfull for that to happen wouldn't it? And as a concerned employee, you feel that you just have to bring this to their attention in a helpful sort of way.

Similarly, in these days where sexual harassment claims are so commonplace, and employers are facing massive payouts (OK - we all know it isn't actually that easy or that true, but like the "general public" the "general employer" doesn't know that!) then it would be soooo easy for a litigatious or disgruntled employee to make a claim of sexual impropriety (and that doesn't just happen in "mixed" circumstances!) and for the employer to be found liable. We wouldn't want that to happen, would we? It would be darned irresponsible of you not not to point out the jeopardy the employer is putting themselves in.

In fact it would just be really sensible of the employer to decide that a full risk assessment should be done, not just from the employees health and safety point of view, but from the point of view of potential risk to the employer. A few £100,s spent now would be such a worthwhile investment compared to the potential loss, given how wide open they are leaving themselves. After all, just one single claim, even if they win, could easily cost them well over £15k in legal fees, a more complex claim in excess of £25k - and a really serious claim could see the best part of £60k down the swanee....

Tiddlywinks

fishtaxi wrote: »

....some new members of staff may not yet have a CRB check through yet, and levels of personal hygiene vary.....

This is pretty depressing in itself - new recruits having access to vulnerable adults before CRB checks - is this normal? I really hope not. I'm more worried about the residents that their colleagues.

Also, people with dubious personal hygiene are hardly going to be setting the right example to those they are assisting.

Are you employed by a LA or an agency?

Savvy_Sue

And now you know why we missed SarEl ...

That's genius, although I like to think I was working my way slowly to a similar solution!