Protect Yourself, Know Your Legal Rights Whilst Working In A Covid19 Positive Care Home Environment!

Hi Everyone, I hope you are all safe and well. This blog has been written in response to lots of people asking and telling me about some really bad breaches of practice in some care home where there are Covid 19 positive residents and colleagues.

In this heightened time of us all facing a major pandemic employers are doing their best to keep business open and running and this has an impact on staff in two ways  if costs are being kept down more demand on staff is being placed and misusing their power to shift the costs and burdens of this pandemic onto their employees.

As AC's, carers and all who work in the social care sector  we are all deemed to part of the essential key workers who are encouraged by government in the UK, to go to work and keep the country running. Which I applaud and agree with but I have been hearing of some terrible breaches of  practise which is placing workers and residents in danger  in this time.




Your Legal Right's (in the UK)

If you failed to turn up for work , employer authorisation and sickness aside this would be a breach of contract,and could lead to disciplinary action or even dismissal without notice.
The current Covid 19 alters this drastically in various ways-

1. For employers who want staff to come to work may themselves be breaching the implied duty of care in tort and contract. In either case, staff can resign and pursue a claim for constructive dismissal.

2. If employees -you, go to work and contract Covid19 as a consequence they can sue for the loss and injury caused by their employer's breach. But bear in mind you would need to prove that you caught it as a direct result of your's employer's breach.

3. You have every right to not to be made to work by your employer's attempts make you work  without needing to quit. Under the  Employment Right's Act 1996 (ERA) , employees have a right not to be subject to detriments (s. 44(1)(d) or dismissals (s.100(1)(d) for leaving or refusing to return to work where they reasonably believe this is a serious and imminent danger which could they could not reasonably have been expected to avert.
If you believe this is the case and even your commute to work puts you at danger  due to Covid 19 you can stay at home while continuing to be entitled to full pay.

4.Any detriments to you by your employer in response to this would be unlawful, say if they took disciplinary action against you or any pay reduction it would be unlawful under ERAs.44(pay deductions will be  unauthorised deductions. Same with dismissal this would be deemed automatically unfair under  ERAs.100. Both these apply from day one of employment.

5. If you are a member of a union contact them for advice and support.

6. Report concerns to your local Adult Social Services team, Safeguarding Team and CQC.

So inclusion, if you feel unsafe and wish to remain at home you have every right , even if your employer  insists the risk is minimal and you have full PPE, as the current pandemic is deemed an imminent danger.
If you genuinely feel and  believe you are in danger by going to work you have every right to stay home without  fear of reprisals from your employers. 

I hope this help you to clarify your position for those of you faced with this situation. I am by no means a legal expert so I would suggest you seek professional advice if you feel you need to.

Until next time keep shining and remember your worth. Do you like what I have shared?  

Don't Be Alone!
Come connect with me on FB and be part of my online community of fellow AC's at  www.facebook.com/groups/lovejoycentregroup

Until next time, keep safe and keep shining.
Love,
Ann Marie x

p.s Sign up  to go on my mailing list and get my FREE  ebook: "10 Top Tips for Engaging and Stimulating Activities With The Elderly" 

Please click below:
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How To deal With Grief in Your AC Job Role During Covid 19

How To deal With Grief in Your AC Job Role During Covid 19

How To Deal With Grief

 We inevitably experience loss of our lovelies we work with, but in the midst of a world wide pandemic we will be experiencing multiple deaths and this will have an impact on us. I heard today one of ladies that come to day centre has passed away and this is so sad.  It has to be said this is the most difficult part of the job. It is an area that not much support is given to AC's or care staff in general within the care sector. Especially when you work in your role you can't help but get attached and build an emotional bond with the residents you work with, well I am here to tell you it's okay to feel sad when someone passes away.

 But it is important to deal with your grief so you can move on in your own life without it affecting you or your career. I remember one of my first encounters with a death of a resident, I was a carer at the time and remember having to take ten minutes and crying my eyes out but told to pull myself together and carry on with my shift.

 A bit harsh I thought, so from early on you teach yourself to bury your feelings and emotions. Not healthy, as it is important for you to have an outlet of expressing them and remembering the resident who has passed away. 

Also it can be hard to know what to say to the family and residents. Sometimes it's easier to busy ourselves with practical tasks rather than confront our own feelings of sadness and loss.

 Even though you may feel out of your depth talking to family members or other residents about death, in most cases it is usually better to say something. Simply saying, ' I am sorry for your loss, she is greatly missed,' can be enough.

 It can help you move forward and confront your own thoughts about death. It is essential that you have the opportunity to talk about your feelings and acknowledge the death of a resident.

 What You Can Do 

Set up a support group at work. 

Take time out to share special moments about a resident (pin up photos or special anecdotes about a resident in a public space)

  Hold a memorial service for other residents and family members.

 Make sure all volunteers and friends are informed. 

Set up a grief box for other residents and staff to drop cards and notes of sympathy to the family.

GET MOVING! 

Discuss your feelings after work by taking a quick walk with staff members. 

TALK to a counsellor or someone you trust.

 Everyone will experience grief in their own way. Grief can make us feel sad, angry or confused. 

Talking to someone you trust about how you are feeling early on can be helpful. If feelings of grief seem overwhelming talk to your doctor.

 AC  Action Plan 

Talk about how you feel. 

Acknowledge it. 

If you're struggling in this area speak to your GP. 

Set up something in your work setting to acknowledge the death of a resident that allows everyone to remember them and grieve, if there is nothing like this in place then talk to your manager about it.

Until next time keep shining and remember your worth. Do you like what I have shared?  

Don't Be Alone!
Come connect with me on FB and be part of my online community of fellow AC's at  www.facebook.com/groups/lovejoycentregroup

Until next time, keep shining.
Love,
Ann Marie x

p.s Sign up  to go on my mailing list and get my FREE  ebook: "10 Top Tips for Engaging and Stimulating Activities With The Elderly" 

Please click below:
http://eepurl.com/Iw9p1

How To Have The Best Easter While In Lockdown and Raise Some Money For Your Resident's Fund!

Despite being well and truly in lock-down mode we can still make this Easter  amazing ..

 In this quick blog I want to suggest lots of cheap,cheerful and meaningful activities you can do with your residents which  cost next too nothing  and suggest how you can use this time of year to raise money for your residents fund and lots more.

Easter Bonnets- 

This is a great one to do with your residents, ask relatives , look in charity shops for old straw hats you can decorate with your residents. You can get lots of hat decoration from the pound shop or use real flowers and greenery from the garden! Old bits of ribbon or scarves.
Have a Easter Bonnet parade and get the manager to judge the best bonnet and have a first, second and third prize and runner up prizes for everyone else.


Hot Cross Buns and Tea -

Make an occasion out of tea time on any of the days from  Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday . Serve hot cross buns at tea time and share a part of the Easter Story each tea time over the Easter period.  (12 hot cross buns £1 in Asda)

Egg Pacing-

This is a lovely activity that your residents would of done when they where children and it is painting boiled eggs. Once painted they can be given as gifts to each other.
( Iceland 15 eggs £1.60)

Easter Cards- 

Making and giving of Easter cards is a great way to keep in touch with relatives, allow your residents to enjoy an art session. Keep it simple, get printed easter egg pictures that  be coloured and  stuck onto card.

Easter Egg Hunt-

 Simply hide easter eggs around the home and get those who are able bodied and with good mobility to go on an Easter egg hunt and those in their rooms you could give them a quiz with clues of where you would hide eggs and if they guess correctly they win the egg. Ensure everyone is involved. 


Egg Tapping- 

Egg tapping is an old tradition from the North of England which is a bit like conkers . What people do is tap each others egg and whoever's egg lasts the longest wins.Have an egg tapping contest.


Easter Service- 

Hold a special Easter service or at least communion  for your residents , especially for those who are practising Christians as Easter is the main event for the Christian faith. And it is very important that your residents spiritual needs are met.


Make Easter Baskets-

 Buy or ask for people to donate baskets that can be decorated with ribbon and can be either filled with painted or chocolate easter eggs or have a lovely planted flower arrangement in them, like daffodils from the garden.




How to Raise Money For Easter For Your Residents Fund


Raffle- Do a raffle to raise money. ask for donations from local business, relatives and staff. Sell raffle tickets on line and hold a virtual raffle so relatives can be involved as well.


Do A Sponsored Event- You can do a sponsored walk, bike ride, sit in baked beans in a bath, shave your hair anything to raise money for your home.

Sell Home Made Goods- Get your residents to make items to sell to raise money like cards, key rings, pottery etc.

Hope you find this useful. Lots more resources available in my online community.

Don't Be Alone!

Come connect with me on FB and be part of my online community of fellow AC's at  www.facebook.com/groups/lovejoycentregroup

Sign up  to go on my mailing list and get my FREE  ebook: "10 Top Tips for Engaging and Stimulating Activities With The Elderly" 

Please click below:
http://eepurl.com/Iw9p1

Until next time.

Keep shining brightly and by the way thank you for being you and doing such a brilliant job.

Have a blessed, happy and wonderful Easter .

Love,

Ann Marie x