[access-uk] Re: Access to support
- From: "George Bell" <george@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 15:26:32 +0100
Hi Andy,
I seem to recall that Action for Blind are very pro-active
in this area. Have you tried contacting them?
George.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Andy
> Sent: 06 May 2005 15:05
> To: Access-Uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] Access to support
>
> Hi all.
>
> I'll try and not make this too lengthy a message but I
really
> need help from you guys!
>
> On 28 January I was interviewed by a Scottish Local
Authority
> for the post of Community Care Social Worker. Some on the
> list wished me all the best.
>
> The same day, I was offered the post and subsequently,
> received a contract within a few days for the post of
> Community Care Social Worker.
>
> My problems started when my prospective line manager
turned
> out to be more interested in me undertaking a different
job
> than that interviewed for and that contracted to do.
>
> Since January, I have had numerous meetings with Access to
> work, an agency who will provide support for my Personal
> Assistant, and meetings with my new employer..
>
> Unfortunately, Access to work could not commence
application
> until I had a start date from my new employer, and
> unfortunately, my new employer could not provide a start
date
> until my Disclosure Scotland had come through. In
addition,
> my Guide Dog, Nairn, became lame during this time.
However,
> although these things take time, I do feel that my
employer
> has been kicking the ball into the long grass, so to speak
> and that they are no longer interested in employing me for
> the job I am contracted to do.
>
> Since January, I have had three start dates and all have
been
> rolled back for reasons such as you cannot start without
your
> guide dog, you cannot start without your personal
assistance
> and you cannot start because your I.to equipment has not
yet
> been set up.
>
> Some may recall that my Health and Safety Assessment
> recommended that I be located on the ground floor as a
blind
> person may place able bodied people at risk, in the
> stairwell, during a fire emergency. As a consequence, the
> Whole Community Care Team was move from the first to the
ground floor.
>
> My prospective line manager had suggested that rather
than
> undertake the job I was interviewed for, the job I was
> offered and the job I was contracted to undertake, that I
> undertake a Duty Social Workers post. As I was only
awarded
> 24 hours a week funding for my Personal Assistant, I felt
> that I could not possibly undertake this job without a
> full-time Personal Assistant.
>
> I declined the offer a month or so ago and subsequently
fell
> out with my line manager. Since then, I've been fighting
my
> corner. The discrimination I am experiencing is killing
me
> and I don't have the knowledge or skill to hold them back.
> This is really getting me down folks.
>
> On Wednesday of this week, I became very upset and walked
out
> during a meeting. I was so thrust that knowone understood
my
> needs and no one was interested in my views.
>
> I telephoned Access to Work this morning who advised that
> they were only concerned with assessing my needs and any
> difficulties I was having with my new employer was nothing
to
> do with them.
>
> I telephoned my employer and spoke to the Area manager who
> advised that I presented as very aggressive during my
> interview and that caused him concern as I would be
expected
> to work with service users.
>
> I explained that I walked out because I was very upset
adding
> that I was trying to be assertive not aggressive but I was
> indeed very upset. And that I was attempting to challenge
> negative attitudes regarding blind peoples capacity to
hold
> down a job.
>
> I now feel that I cannot possibly work with a line manager
> who has actively discriminated against me for four months
and
> I suspect that the letter which is coming to me is
> withdrawing my offer of a job. However, I do have a
> contract. of employment.
>
> My wife is a nurse and on low income and I am on Income
> Support. I really need help but cannot assess legal Aid
as a
> consequence of my wife's income.
> and I really feel that I need to hammer through to this
> authority that they cannot treat disabled people like
this.
> I'd like to sue the Local Authority through the DDA but
don't
> have the funds or the knowledge to do this. I'm
considering
> writing to Action for Blind People to see if they could
help
> but I thought I'd sound the list out first.
>
> I have had 13 interviews over the last four years for a
job
> and I'm a qualified social worker. I only happen to be
> blind. All of the interviews, apart from my ;last one in
> January, proved negative. The newspapers say that Local
> Authorities are crying out for qualified social workers so
> why am I not working. I firmly believe that it is because
I
> am a blind person. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY SOCIAL WORKER WHO
HAS
> HAD 13 INTERVIEWS AND IS STILL UNEMPLOYED.. I bet you
don't.
>
> My question at last folks, is what do I do now?
>
> I'm really losing it folks and feeling very depressed,
alone
> and unsupported.
>
> Any advice would be very appreciated as I'm at my wits
end.
>
> Andy.
>
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