Staff! Hmmmmm

[Guest]

Hi all you wonderful people here,

 

I need some advice......

 

I have a staff member who has received a written warning for leaving a child in the room alone (this was November 07). At this time we also had issues with this member of staffs attitude, and the fact that the staff member seemed generally uninterested in being aorund the children and involved in nursery life.

 

following the verbal warning things did seem to improve...

 

however, today i have had a written complaint from a member of staff telling me that the member of staff (the one with the warning) had told a child to go away (she then guided him away from herself but did this a little forcibly and the child fell to the floor). Prior to this the member of staff had told the child "why do you have to cry near me". this was said in a frustrated manner.

Now the member of staff who made this complaint had spoken to the staff member to see if there was anything wrong, and all that this staff member divuldged was that she had problems at home.

 

Now the staff member who made this complaint thinks that another staff member saw the incident but she can't be sure.

 

 

Now obviously i need to do something with thie information, but what?. My view is that if she told a child to go away and moved him away forcibly enough to make him wobble and fall then this is againh a cause for discussion and disciplinarary action. But am i being to harsh in thinking this.

 

If i was to call a meeting with her and i knew that the outcome would be a disciplinarray do i need to give her time to get someone to sit in with her on the meeting if she wants, or can i deal with this tommorow....

 

thanks in anticipation of your help, this is the first time i have had to start moving down disciplinarary channels.

 

Dawn

[belle06]

Oh I am probably been very harsh but I would want rid of this staff member ASAP. She does not seem to have altered in her attitude to the children if she is not interested she should not be in the job.

I know when we have disciplinary we have to folow procedure

talk to the staff member get her side of the story (With witness present) explain that a disciplinary enquiry will be conducted we then gather statements from relevant staff memebers

we then take time to discuss with directors senior manager evidence and statements colated and action to be taking

We then arrange a formal disciplinary meeting where the results are made known to the staff member e.g warning, dismissal throughout the procedure they are able to have a union representative or fellow employee present as a witness.

 

Hope this helps but I am sure someone else will be of more help. Lots Of Luck

[Guest]

Obviously following procedure to ensure the facts given to you are correct, if the child fell to the floor, the staff member was not guiding, she was 'pushing'.

Dawn, if you feel 'out of depth' with this situation your professional responsibility is to take it to your superiors for guidance, they are the registered persons and are ultimately liable if standards are breached, which this may prove to be. Don't struggle with this on your own and get 'wound up' in trying to analyse the why's and wherefore's of the staffs alleged behaviour. This is a written complaint from a staff witness of what could be deemed as emotional & physical abuse. The allegations against a staff member procedures need to be followed.

These procedures have been written to enable the fairest and most professional way of dealing with what is a difficult situation, but to not follow them may lead to a worse situation in the future.

 

I know this is difficult but your loyalties are to your employers, the registered person/s, if I were you I would speak to them first thing tomorrow about this.

 

I feel for you and appreciate how difficult this is but at the end of the day the childs' welfare is paramount. ( and the welfare of all the children who are 'possibly' subject to this staff members alleged behaviour.

 

We are all here for you, let us know how things go tomorrow.

 

 

Peggy

[Deb]

Sound advice already. Have never been down disciplinary route either. Follow procedure as recommended. If this alleged incident was as reported, it is unacceptable but you do need to hear the other side of the story. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

[HappyMaz]

I agree with Peggy: refer it up. Make sure you follow procedure to the letter. It may be that the staff member has ongoing, persistent personal problems and her ability to cope might ebb and flow depending on where she is on her own journey through her difficulties. That does need understanding and compassion if that is the case, but ultimately your setting management need to be certain that she is safe to work with the children you care for. If her problems are encroaching so far into her professional life that children are being shoved around in the way that has been alleged, it has already gone too far and does need to be tackled.

 

Peggy is quite right about the procedures: they should help you to tackle this problem but do make sure you get support for yourself - practical in terms of how you proceed and what you do, but also emotional. You (and the person who has made the allegation, come to that) will need some support to get through what might be a difficult process.

 

I hope it goes well - let us know how you get on.

 

Maz

Edited January 9, 2008 by HappyMaz

[Guest]

Hi all you wonderful people here,

 

I need some advice......

 

I have a staff member who has received a written warning for leaving a child in the room alone (this was November 07). At this time we also had issues with this member of staffs attitude, and the fact that the staff member seemed generally uninterested in being aorund the children and involved in nursery life.

 

following the verbal warning things did seem to improve...

 

however, today i have had a written complaint from a member of staff telling me that the member of staff (the one with the warning) had told a child to go away (she then guided him away from herself but did this a little forcibly and the child fell to the floor). Prior to this the member of staff had told the child "why do you have to cry near me". this was said in a frustrated manner.

Now the member of staff who made this complaint had spoken to the staff member to see if there was anything wrong, and all that this staff member divuldged was that she had problems at home.

 

Now the staff member who made this complaint thinks that another staff member saw the incident but she can't be sure.

 

 

Now obviously i need to do something with thie information, but what?. My view is that if she told a child to go away and moved him away forcibly enough to make him wobble and fall then this is againh a cause for discussion and disciplinarary action. But am i being to harsh in thinking this.

 

If i was to call a meeting with her and i knew that the outcome would be a disciplinarray do i need to give her time to get someone to sit in with her on the meeting if she wants, or can i deal with this tommorow....

 

thanks in anticipation of your help, this is the first time i have had to start moving down disciplinarary channels.

 

Dawn

Unless you see it for yourself you can only take on board what your staff have reported to you. Tell your staff that you will be monitoring them during a !!!!!!(period) and that this is a requirement for good practice!!!!!!

Take into consideration all the facts and YOUR OWN accessment of the situation and only then I would act .

Are the staff appraisals up to date?

Whilst we have to take into consideration all our staffs personal. social and emotional feelings the children we look after are paramount to OUR needs (banking staff in the times of permanent staff

Hopefully this will be of help.

toadie

 

 

from an employers point of view i would bring her staff appraisal forward, asking HER whether there were any concerns about the children in the setting!!! and how SHE felt they could be delt with!!!

[Chill]

Do not hesitate Dawn. A written account has ben given to you and you have to act. I agree with Peggy it needs to be referred to the owners for them to follow procedure and to investigate. It is of no significance that you personally did not see the incident. We have a duty of care to the children first and foremost.

[Guest]

Thanks all,

 

I did refer it up to the directors and together we arranged to speak to the staff concerned (and the other staff member in the room) to get their sides of the story too.....

 

after talking to both of the other staff members in the room (seperatly), we all feel reassured that the situation was mis-understood slightly. obviously there were issues there and these have now been addressed with the staff member, but it seemed that some confusion lay with the named staff member not fully understanding the ways to deal with the particular child concerned.

 

needless to say this staff member is being monitored now, and as a consequence of this incidence we have decided to make a member of staff in each room a room supervisor, so that all staff know where they stand, and the room supervisor has slightly more autonomy to assert her authority (i totally know that's the wrong word, cos its not authroity she has, but brain has gone dead and can't think of a better word!)

 

i definatly agree that i needed to refer the initial complaint up, and it was useful to talk with my directors about this....

 

these things are sent to challenge us, hey!

Dawn

[Chill]

well done dawn for seeing the complaint through. Sometimes it is just too easy to duck the issue but if you had you would always have wondered. Now you are clear in your mind and have also strengthened the orgainsation in your setting.

[Guest]

Ditto Chills response, well done Dawn, als you have enabled the staff member to identify some training needs on positive behaviour management ( of children as well as herself )

 

really well done, a positive conclusion to a difficult situation and I am sure your directors have increased respect for your professional management of the situation.

 

Peggy