Another Year down to "Experience"!!!

 

I got sacked!

I've never been sacked before- I've "flounced out" a few times but never actually sacked- let alone for "Gross Misconduct"!!!

So, what was my heinous crime?

I had been working as a Children's Advocate for an organisation that sees itself as the lead in its field. 

As an advocate, I am not supposed to transport kids with me in my car...

I am also a Foster Carer. As a foster carer, I am encouraged to transport kids with me in my car...

On the weekend of King Charles' coronation, my foster son asked me if I could take him out. I had been working very hard and had not made enough time for him so of course I agreed. I remembered the plight of an unaccompanied asylum-seeker who has been holed up in a hotel not far from us. He had been complaining that he never leaves his room and was very depressed. I asked my foster son if he'd be up for this lad joining us, he was up for it so I contacted the lad in the hotel and I was on the way to Whitley Bay before I remembered the issue...

Back at work I told my supervisor what I had done and, that I had reviewed the training and understood it was against the company rules etc, I had just made a mistake. I was unprepared for the slightly hysterical response! I commented that I wished I hadn't told her and within a couple of hours found myself suspended on full pay on suspicion of dishonesty.

The subsequent 'investigation' was not about dishonesty- it was a hard one to prove and was ultimately dismissed, instead; things that had come up during my PROBATIONARY TRAINING were rehashed. Things acquired a definitely rat-like odour. I was comparatively unpreturbed: I had been doing the job out of interest not because I needed the money. I had been supporting 29 different kids and had been worrying I wasn't giving my own foster son the attention he deserved. I had discussed with my social worker the possibility of at least asking for fewer hours if not leaving the job.

The supervisor inexplicably (!) made it appear that she had drawn the information out of me during a supervision session when IN FACT, I had contacted her on Teams at my first opportunity. I was also criticised when it was reported that previously I had told my supervisor that 'I was just an Advocate and there to do my job'. I was surprised at the inference they tried to present and made it clear that I said it because I have had A LOT of actual management experience unlike my supervisor and manager, and I was trying not to challenge them.

In any case, I did let it slip in a meeting around six weeks into the paid suspension that I didn't feel safe potentially returning to work with people who had acted as my 'team' had done. I was not expecting to be charged with GROSS MISCONDUCT for a senior moment which I acknowledged, brought to the attention of my superior and for which I had even reviewed the training and, where none of the "potential" things they cited actually happened.

LOL when I challenged the 'verdict' and asked the investigator what she would do if she received a CV of someone who had been sacked for gross misconduct and she plummeted in my estimations by spouting rubbish about "opportunity for dialogue".

They gave me five working days to appeal. In the end, I was more affected than I had realised and it has taken me two weeks to regain real equilibrium so I didn't take action. I think I WILL pursue an action to change the verdict, but I wouldn't work for that organisation again if they TRIPLED the salary. <shudders>. Most of the time I spent there I was in training. They pride themselves highly on their training, so much so that if I had resigned within three years, I would have been asked to repay training money. 

I looked about for similar jobs that would capitalise on the training and I found THREE! I did not follow them up as it was then I began to realise the effect the whole experience had been having on me and realised I needed a break. I will take my time to focus on my foster and, to unlock a lot of writing that has been building up for some time.

I have zero regrets about leaving that organisation - it took them SIX MONTHS from offering me the job to giving me a start date and didn't really improve... One interesting thing was when I went to an event for the whole 'regional team' of twenty plus people... I was the only male and the only person of colour... Just sayin' LOL