Published on 12, July, 2020
I started a new job last Monday, and after a very frank review with manager on Friday afternoon I'm considering quitting after only a week.
The basic theme of the review was that I'm not showing an aptitude for the work and not engaging with the clients well enough.
I will start by explaining some of my background and situation.
I, unsurprisingly have had long gaps in my employment and need money desperately. And I cannot be choosy! So obvious route is finding paid employment. Any paid job!!!!!
Other routes are trying for more benefits. One debt advisor suggested I apply for PIP. The next three professional advisors ( same week) laughed at the suggestion. Saying that my social skills problems are minisule compared to some people they deal with.
I have and had multiple advisors giving me all types of contradictory advice.
In applying for this job, one of my employment advisors actually changed my answers.
For confidentiality reasons I will not give specific details but the job is full time at the minimum wage and involves supporting people with complex physical/mental needs. Over the past twenty years I've been involved in doing this type of work for family and neighbors, so I am familiar with the issues and can emphasize with most autistics and their problems.
The problems are that I'm not showing enough enthusiasm and the will to get involved in specific tasks while shadowing existing workers. I am too reserved.
And the end of week review was very very negative.
Should I quit? Or turn up tomorrow morning and carry on ?
At the moment I'm intending to continue and apply for other jobs simultaneously. Just doing application for work at local poundstrechter.
How are things going, Robert? Have you decided on a way forwards?
I have not turned up for work today. Waiting for their reaction.
I'm still worried that I have no formal written proof that I was even employed in that place.
I have sent a comprehensive email to the quality care commission outlining my misgivings about the way the place is run and the risks to clients/customers.
That's good. So, as far as they're concerned, you're off sick. You've done the right thing.
Well... all I can say is that in my first job, there was a service user who had no learning disabilities, but who had suffered great abuse in her life which had affected her severely. Her symptoms and behaviours were much more like PTSD. In my first week, the (abusive) deputy manager and his (equally abusive) wife (who was a Senior - how right is that in the same home?) told me to ignore her if she started saying things like 'So-and-so has asked me to lend them some money. Is that alright, Tom?' because, as they said, she 'likes to wind people up and set people off against each other.' It wasn't long before I could see through all of this. I knew they were taking money from her, and otherwise exploiting her because of her condition. All of this went into my report. But they didn't prosecute because there was no 'hard' evidence.