Management and team leaders are clueless, lacking people skills and any knowledge of running a day centre. Their main priorities are ticking boxes for HR, and money. "Do as I say, not as I do". That's the attitude you get, they do as they please and do not lead by example. And if you dare speak out, prepare to be repremanded. And they do stick together. If you ever have a concern or issue with management, a 'seperate' centre manager will intervene. Unfortunately. So whatever you say can be nipped in the bud, shoved under the carpet and forgotten. Next thing you know they'll return to their cuppa and a smoking break together.
The experience of myself and others is that we are constantly and consistently understaffed, overworked and pushed to our absolute limits. The dedicated and hardworking unfortunately not valued, thus a skeleton of staff remain.
Receiving rotas three days before they start, rotas being changed without informing those they affect, staff being pushed to sickness, and witnessing extreme bullying in the workplace.
The hardest parts for me were;
1. Having to explain to parents and guardians why those we support spend everyday inside the centre with hardly any staff.
2. Watching important safeguarding matters being pushed to the side and having to do my absolute best in quite frankly diabolical conditions.
3. Being classed as experts in helping those with complex disabilities and those who are deafblind. As well as a charity with plenty of multisensory technology and knowledge, and helping people fill their potential. The resources are sparse, dated and far from what they advertise. And sadly, a lot of time is spent sitting.
4. I always stuck to my own standards, as a dedicated and hardworking team member. And I did try my hardest to make management happy, but there was no appreciation for staff. You were very lucky to receive a thank you. Throughout my time I remained hardworking, doing my best for individuals I supported and for the team. I worked my socks off at times but there wasn't any acknowledgement of that. The only people that cared were my fellow team members. And they often said I was too good for the place. A thank you would have meant a lot.
5. Those who want to grow and flourish in the company are not encouraged or wanted. British Sign Language is no longer something they are interested in you studying and care qualifications are not of management's interests. It would have been brilliant to have felt valued, wanted and workplace growth to have been encouraged. But they made sure I understood that I had my place and that was adequate enough.
And lastly, the 'I Statements'? Well you won't be listened to, respect doesn't exist and there's plenty of decisions made about you without you.
Do not rely on the reputation that the name of the company perceives.