advice please

[rhu115]

hi guys

Just looking for some advice on where I stand please.
I work in social care where i support someone who has a mild learning difficulty. We are a team of 3members of staff, (1 is currently off sick). Every day we take our service user out for a cup of tea/lunch however he wants to go to a cafe that is very small you are lucky if they have 6 tables. I have expressed my concerns to my boss that myself and another member of staff feel uncomfortable going there due to coivd and also to the size of the cafe , but she says we have no choice as its part of our job. There is loads of other cafes that are well spaced out that I feel will be safer not only for me but for the person that I support. Can my boss make me go somewhere that I don't want to go?

[Loobylou_82]

I thought all cafes were shut because of the lockdown. Only takeaways open.

[rhu115]

Originally Posted by Loobylou_82

I thought all cafes were shut because of the lockdown. Only takeaways open.

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sorry I live in scotland, we have no lockdown yet!

[Scotty]

We are in Scotland and where my sister lives - as a service user - the managers will not allow them to go out other than to walk round the courtyard. What a difference.
Good luck. I don't think you should be made to go, personally.

[Island mamma]

Email your boss with the distances etc in the cafe and say you understand that this is the client's preference so will your boss please do a risk assessment. Amazing how bosses change their minds when they contemplate the prospect of being held responsible

[Beth_Disney]

As the cafe would have needed to do their own risk assessment to ensure they are COVID-secure for the number of tables and customers I don’t think you could reasonably refuse in this instance. Does your service user like going to that cafe due to the nature of their learning difficulty and wanting routine?

You can refuse an unreasonable management request but I’m not sure that going to a cafe (presuming they have done COVID risk assessments) would be unreasonable.

[disney332]

Report the cafe to the local authority as they are breaching the rules.

Disney332

[rhu115]

Originally Posted by Scotty

We are in Scotland and where my sister lives - as a service user - the managers will not allow them to go out other than to walk round the courtyard. What a difference.
Good luck. I don't think you should be made to go, personally.

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We are going out everyday with our service user which I feel myself is too much. You are lucky if I leave my house on my days off and if I do its only for essentials not to go gallivanting to coffee shops. I just feel that my boss is going to make us go to this cafe as it's what the service user wants even though there is plenty of other choices. Surely she has a duty of care to her team of staff, and should respect our worries ?

[rhu115]

Originally Posted by Beth_Disney

As the cafe would have needed to do their own risk assessment to ensure they are COVID-secure for the number of tables and customers I don’t think you could reasonably refuse in this instance. Does your service user like going to that cafe due to the nature of their learning difficulty and wanting routine?

You can refuse an unreasonable management request but I’m not sure that going to a cafe (presuming they have done COVID risk assessments) would be unreasonable.

See more...

He prefers this cafe due to how cheap it is lol. But there is other cafes that he also enjoys thats also reasonably priced.

[lizzie145]

Firstly you need to be clear whether the restaurant meets the covid secure requirements or not.

Can the service user make reasonable decisions on their health and wellbeing? If so then you need to speak to your manager about what is reasonable

If not then the manager and staff need to make the decision and whether it is an acceptable risk for everyone