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Making Complaints

BillieTheBotBillieTheBot Posts: 8,721 Bot
If I make a complaint to my manager about another member of staff, des anyne know what is likely to happen please?

This situation s this:
I've been at my work placement since October and at first had no problems until the deputy left in January.

After thsi, one of the workers would make me do stuff I wasn't that comfortable with and unsure whether I could what she was asking me to do. (She kept asking me to take a child to wash his hands alone. When I first started, I got told that I'm not allowed to be left alone with any children)

I mentioned something to my course tutor about this (what happened, happened several times) and she spoke to one of the seniors at my work placement. I spoke to thsi person when I was next there and she told me that if I didn't want her to, she wouldn't say anything to my manager. I said that would be alright and would spend most of my time there with her.

Today I got asked if I wanted to go into this other person's group and work with her. As the ratio was correct everywhere else (I work in child care and there has to be a certain amount of qualified staff to a certain amount of children of a certain age) I said yes.

so anyway, I went into this group and in the morning all I did was sort the paints out and was basically bossed about. She did the same in the afternoon and at one point she was next door and I was left alone with some of her cildren - which I'm not allowed to be.

Also, last week I was with her and we were working with the babies. After lunch, many of them would either sleep or go home. There are a few who will stay up until about 2pm then either go home or have a feed then sleep. There was a baby crying who was on his stomach. I went over to him to check if he wa alright and was about to give him his dummy and the lady came over and had a go at me because she thought I was turning him over (wich involved picking him p which I'm not allowed to do) anad gave me a lecture on how babies are allowed to be on their stomach when they're awake but not when they're asleep.

So, does anyone know what would happen if I was to say anything?
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What exactly are you allowed to do at this work placement? Are you just there to observe or something? The years I spent as a classroom assistant (unpaid work experience) I would quite often be left unsupervised to toilet special needs kids and I would assist with tube feeding etc - things must have changed I guess!

    Am I right in thinking it's the same lady that leaves you unsupervised with the kids, but had a pop at you when she thought you were going to pick up a crying baby? Some people in the childcare field are a bit funny in my experience - a bit do as I say, but not as I do - especially if you are a young childfree person. I used to find that on the placements I worked anyhow. You get left to it with no guidance or supervision but it's all your fault when something isn't done correctly.

    I don't know what would happen. What outcome do you want? I would put it in writing to your tutor that you are concerned that you are supposed to be shadowing staff, but you are frequently left unsupervised around children - which you feel uncomfortable about. You could mention you are worried about any repurcussions from management on yourself and the implications for any other work experience people. I would ask your tutor to raise it with the management of the nursery rather than a senior member of staff so your concerns are properly noted.

    Hope it gets sorted.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    sounds like the joys of 'apprentice' like work

    tbh none of that really sounds like something to moan about, you'd probably just come across as a bit yappy

    no doubt if you were to make a complaint it would probably be brought up with the said person, but that would just make future encounters with the person a bit more iffy.. your best bet would be to take it up with the person .. well in my eyes anyway
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It sounds like its just this member of staff you have a problem with (or she has a problem with you), so if you find it really impossible and uncomfortable working with her I'd either speak to your course tutor again, and get them to have a word with the manager of your nursery, or speak to the manager yourself. Although me personally, I wouldnt do it, because I think it'd make things even more awkward with her in the future. have you tried speaking to the member of staff herself? If shes leaving you on your own with the children maybe you can just say to her like 'sorry, but im not qualified and i'm not allowed to be left on my own'. Maybe just reminding her.

    Although, i do sometimes feel like it sounds like you're making a mountain out of a molehill. Childcare is exhausting and hard work and you need to throw yourself into every bit of it. Like you say she was 'bossing you around' but thats basically what happens when you're in work placements! When I was training to be a nursery nurse I'd have to do stuff like cleaning the kids toilets sometimes, emptying the nappy bins, basically all the crappy stuff that nobody else wants to do but as long as you're working with the children as well its fine. you just have to put up with it. i understand how you would want to protect yourself, but when i was on work placement i would often be asked to take a child to the toilet to wash their hands, just me, and the first thing that came to mind would be 'great i'll help out' and go and do it, not just 'im not allowed to take them by myself'.

    this seems really long. but one more question. are you really not allowed to pick the babies up?! or just when they're asleep? whats the point of you being there working with them then?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What exactly are you allowed to do at this work placement? Are you just there to observe or something?

    I'm there to learn basically. My 'job' is to be put with a keyworker and have them 'educate' me on the stuff that they do and how they do it. For example, when the other lady was there, they were doing an assessment on how the older children handle books. She explained to me what the assessment was about that most of the children understood that print has a meaning but couldn't read a book.
    Am I right in thinking it's the same lady that leaves you unsupervised with the kids, but had a pop at you when she thought you were going to pick up a crying baby?

    Yes. I'm not really meant to pick up children, but I've had members of staff either give me a baby or ask me to pick one up, but it's totally under their supervision.
    Like you say she was 'bossing you around'

    And whne she was, all I was doign was cleaning. In the baby room there is a note on the wall which says exactly what I'm there for - which is to learn and not do all the cleaning. (which I basically did today. Hardly had any time with the children)
    are you really not allowed to pick the babies up?!

    Well, I can't just pick a random baby because they look bored or whatever. I've been asked to pick babies up (and I did ask if it was alright to pick one up as he wouldn't stop crying) but have only ever done under supervision of senior staff.
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