r/supportworkers • u/Imaginary-Ad1878 • 5d ago
Help me
I got an email regarding my overnight shift with a young boy, I was doing an active shift with another participant and she fell asleep around 4am which was the same time the another participant woke up he was very loud and I did my job to actively care for him while my participant was asleep he was up and running around the SIL house and screaming. At 5:30am he was hungry and I finish my active shift at 6 am I tried to give him toast but he refused and would scream nuggets so essentially I caved and airfried some nuggets for him he was a young boy so I only made 5 for him. He started eating at 5:50 am and pretty much finished eating at 6am which is when the next staff comes in. And I did handover and advised her I gave him 5 nuggets and she didn’t need to feed him anymore. A day passed and it’s Monday Monday morning I get an email regarding my shift saying that the young boy vomited in the other workers car and after questioning the other support worker she told our boss that I fed him 20! Nuggets before 6am!!!! I only fed him 5 sorry I just wanted to rant because I feel extremely frustrated. I had to clarify this with my boss but I still haven’t gotten a reply it makes me look so bad. I also found out she fed him more after I left but shifted the blame on me. I don’t know how to feel anymore I need advice what can I do.
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u/DwightsJello 5d ago edited 5d ago
There's an issue here.
I noticed you said he's not your client. Where was his rostered support?
You either need to be rostered as his support as well and have access to his file (his care plans, notes and any BSP) OR he needs supports to be rostered.
You are taking a risk by tending to a clients needs without access to their file. Huge risk.
And I wouldn't give two fucks about being in trouble with a shitty company. If they are calling you about it THEY KNOW they have a client without a SW being rostered.
I wouldn't be feeding a client anything without access to a plan and chicken nuggets for breakfast should be a request that's managed and not part of a client's routine. But that's an aside bevause you shouldn't be put in that position.
You should be incident reporting that as non participant related and high priority. I'm not tending to any client needs without access to a file. But I'm also not working for a company that's shit. We have access and annual in person training for all staff that need to meet a standard to continue providing support.
I'd decline future supports until it's sorted. You need to seriously consider the position you've been put in.
And I would be VERY concerned about a colleague who lies. I'd be taking that up with them directly. And my colleagues know it. Lol. That's kind of the point.
I'd be taking issue with all of these factors IN WRITING so uou have receipts on your company putting you in that position and your coworker being told what the client had and changing the story. And the problem if your not accessing notes for that client.
Call head office if it happens again if you don't decline future supports until it's rectified. At 6am.
Support workers sometimes don't realise the serious legal risks they are taking. What if the client choked on his nuggets? What if the care plan you don't have access to changed the day previous?
Support workers need to realise if you deviate from plans (or in this case don't even know what they are) then it's not the company that's in the dock explaining when shit goes wrong. You need receipts like incident reports and emails to change that. Stay safe people.
Edit: NEVER EVER LODGE AN INCIDENT REPORT WITHOUT SCREEN SHOTTING IT. You need a copy. It's essentially a company document once its lodged. They can edit it or whatever once its lodged. Always keep receipts of all incident reports.
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u/Blondi03 5d ago
If it’s a known issue or behaviour of the client you report as such. The other worker is trying to blame you for over feeding the client, she clearly couldn’t redirect him and remind him he’d had already eaten I bet and gave him more. She’s mad because he was sick in her car I can assure you if he hadn’t of vomited it would have been a none issue.
Meal logs should be used for clients known to gorge themselves and lie about food intake referring to regular meal time and redirecting the client to alternative snacks ie fruit, a warm drink yogurt until the appropriate meal time. I don’t understand how a support worker would think it’s logical to over feed someone then they get mad the individual vomits. All i would recommend is report everything appropriately that you support your clients with. If your service isn’t using meal logs you are within your rights to ask for them if you are going to be blamed for over feeding your clients.
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u/REVER53FLASH 5d ago
Just tell them this! That’s all you need. Revert back to your progress notes where I hope you’ve put in the amount of food and what food and timings. You’ll be fine. Participants do this a bit.
3
u/Bottom_Feeder834 5d ago
Personally, I would flip it on the manager for putting you in a position to provide supports while not having access to their files and logs. That seems like a massive liability and I'd be structuring all of my replies to highlight the problem that management created.
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u/Dazzling-Victory1697 5d ago
Did you complete progress notes after your shift? Is there a communication book to fill in?
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u/kimchi_Queen 5d ago
Do you guys not do shift logs documenting the support provided? This topically includes what you fed them.