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Savvy_Sue

It's perhaps worth saying that when I did a basic H&S course, we were told that trips, slips and falls are one of the most common accidents in the workplace, and given some horror stories of the injuries resulting from avoidable situations. Sensible footwear is definitely recommended (I wish I could enforce no flip flops or high heels at work), but not rushing up and down stairs also a sensible precaution.

starlight94

Is there a way I can delete this thread?

I wish id never asked the question, I feel some of the comments were unnecessary and were trying to make me look stupid.

I didn't say I needed training for walking up and down stairs, I mentioned the training for an enitrely different reason.

I was just looking for helpful adivce, if you thought that I had no reason to claim, fine, i didnt mind people just saying that, but I feel some of the comments people left were unnecessary.

Thankyou to everyone who was just trying to be genuinely helpful.

Torry_Quine

starlight94 wrote: »

Is there a way I can delete this thread?

I wish id never asked the question, I feel some of the comments were unnecessary and were trying to make me look stupid.

I didn't say I needed training for walking up and down stairs, I mentioned the training for an enitrely different reason.

I was wearing the correct footwear, I was just tired, rushed and felt like id been thrown in at the deep end trying to care for 3 clients different needs at once. The clients also have problems which can potentially cause dangerous situations. There has been times where ive been alone working and fights have erupted, causing glasses and furniture to go flying, ive phoned for help and nobody came. Im not experienced nor trained enough to deal with these situations alone. Obviously that situation has nothing to do with the accident but this is the exact reason I feel I should not have been lone working.

I was just looking for helpful adivce, if you thought that I had no reason to claim, fine, i didnt mind people just saying that, but I feel some of the comments people left were unnecessary.

Thankyou to everyone who was just trying to be genuinely helpful.

I'm sorry you feel like that but I don't see anyone saying anything which could be seen as wrong. Lone working is very common and I would have thought you would have been aware of this at interview.

I hope you soon feel better ande get back to work.

jacques_chirac

Your problem is that you are confusing two distinct issues - the accident, which was exactly that, and your lack of training. Speak to your employer, you may be able to do some training or observe more experienced staff while you are getting better.

starlight94

Thank you

elsien

starlight94 wrote: »

I was wearing the correct footwear, I was just tired, rushed and felt like id been thrown in at the deep end trying to care for 3 clients different needs at once. The clients also have problems which can potentially cause dangerous situations. There has been times where ive been alone working and fights have erupted, causing glasses and furniture to go flying, ive phoned for help and nobody came. Im not experienced nor trained enough to deal with these situations alone. Obviously that situation has nothing to do with the accident but this is the exact reason I feel I should not have been lone working.

I can see how as someone new to the role that this can be a difficult situation to be in. I remember when I first started someone threatening to throw me downstairs, and how scared I was at the time. So aside from any money/compensation issue you do need to address it if you plan to return to the job.
Did you have any sort of induction - shadowing, working through a portfolio, that sort of thing? What about the mandatory training such as first aid?
Is it a residential home or supported living set up? Either way CQC should be checking that staff are trained and supported.
Do the people you support have behavioural support plans telling you what to do if things are going a bit pear-shaped? Plus how these work in practice, along with techniques to distract and defuse the situation?
If you are calling for help and nothing is happening are you recording this, filling in incident forms and passing them back up the line management structure?
Are you having supervisions at which you are raising your concerns? If not, request one and make sure your concerns are recorded.
Does your organisation have a HR dept you can contact if your manager is not being helpful?
The employer is responsible for your health and safety but you also have a responsibility to yourself and the people you support to take action if things are not right.
And if the employer genuinely has thrown you completely in the deep end with no training at all and no experience, personally I'd be looking elsewhere for a job.
Having said that, with all the training and support in the world, some people find the lone working aspect just isn't for them. You need to be honest with yourself as well about what's going on and whether it's down to the employer or the role just not being what you are ready for at the moment.

Crazy_Jamie

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I don't see anyone saying anything which could be seen as wrong.

The issue is not so much what is said but the manner in which certain points are put across. Unfortunately there are some members that always approach threads of this nature in such a way, notwithstanding that it is a spectacularly unhelpful approach to take with members that are genuinely looking for advice.

OP; dickydonkin's post a few above mine is the one that you need to be looking at. From where I'm sitting it may well be that your employer has been negligent in one or more respects, but the main issue that I see that non of these aspects seem causative of the accident. In order to succeed in a personal injury claim you need to show not only that your employer has been negligent, but that that negligence caused your injury. If it didn't, your claim will fail. For example, it may well be that the hand rail was loose and that the employer was negligent in not repairing it, but if you were not going to use the handrail anyway then that negligence cannot have caused your fall.

Personally this doesn't look like a claim which has reasonable prospects to me, but as dickydonkin said it may well be that a more cogent case will become apparent when someone looks at the facts in more detail. If you want a definitive answer as to whether or not you should bring a claim, your best bet would be to find a local solicitor who can assess your claim and determine whether or not they would be prepared to take it on a no win no fee basis. You can always wait for their assessment before making any definitive decision, and if for whatever reason you don't want to make a claim after that there will be nobody forcing you to. But if you want a more certain assessment of your case your best course of action would be to go to a local solicitor. Just make sure you don't end up paying for an assessment; any solicitor who practises in personal injury litigation should be willing to look at and assess your case for free.

Poppie68

You mention in your first post you were wearing a pair of shoes, then further down you say you were wearing a new pair of winter boots? Anyway for a sole to of been ripped off a pair of boots would have taken some force, unless they were faulty in the first place. Maybe they are the guilty culprits?

C_Mababejive

Could you please tell us more about your work pattern?

Did you say it was a 24 hour "sleep in " shift?

How does that work and how are you paid for it?

jobbingmusician

Poppie68 wrote: »

You mention in your first post you were wearing a pair of shoes, then further down you say you were wearing a new pair of winter boots? Anyway for a sole to of been ripped off a pair of boots would have taken some force, unless they were faulty in the first place. Maybe they are the guilty culprits?

Actually I feel I am on the side of the OP, for two reasons.

1. If the sole was ripped off the footwear, surely this must have been caused by a trip hazard?

2. It seems unreasonable to me for the employer to insist the OP returned to work after her visit to hospital. When the OP went to hospital the employer had no idea of the severity of the injuries, so how could they insist in advance that the OP returned to work?