Staff coming in my room without my permission.

[Charlie C]

I live in supported living with three other tenants so there always a couple of staff around, I find it annoying that certain members of staff don't respect my rules that when I'm in my bedroom (my only space) that they shouldn't come in without my permission, recently I've been staying awake all night and sleeping in the day because I like the quietness at night but throughout the day staff keep coming and disturbing me saying its time to get up, opening my door, eg. I hate it. How can I stop then entering my room?

[justine1]

As someone who works in a care setting and has to sons with ASD, I find this very alarming. They are breaching your privacy by doing that and you need to speak to someone. If you have.a key worker ask to have a meeting and explain your concern,get them to put it in your care plan. If you feel your request has been ignored then you need to make a formal complaint. Prehaps you could come to an arrangment where they will knock every 3hours just to check you are alright but they should leave you once they know you are okay.

[LancsLad]

Charlie, I can only start to guess how frustrating this might be I know I am very precious about my office which is a converted bedroom which I consider my space even though there are 6 other rooms in the house. As this is the only space you have I understand its importance. The closest I have been to a similar situation was in a secure mental health unit where I would be checked on every hour and there was nothing I could do about it. My decision then was to be naked for most of the time and I borrowed some lipstick and got another patient to help me write semi abusive messages directed at the nursing staff onto my backside which i would turn in their direction. My experience was that this was not the most constructive way to deal with the sitiuation so here are some possibly better thoughts.

 

My advice would be to see the manager of the building and make sure you find out exactly what the rules and regulations are, you might even have a copy, but would see them to simply check they havn't changed. I suspect these members of staff do have a right to come into your room, but there will be guidelines as to how they should go about that.

 

I would also ask why they feel it is important to check on you. Again they might have valid reasons but it is important the manager explain these reasons to you.

 

Once they have explained the rules and regulations I would then calmy lay out the reality of what has been happening and be honest about how this makes you feel Charlie, it might simply be that these members of staff are simply not very thoughtfull are a bit bored and simply go on a walk about to see whats going on in the building. It might simply be that. However it might be an instruction they have been given to check on you because they have concerns, if it is they should have enough respect to explain their thoughts on this decision.

 

The answer is to talk to somebody in authority who can help you clear this up.

 

Best wishes.

[robert7111a]

I'm not clued up on supported living. Do you live in a type of care home or do you have your own room/flat within a block? Do the staff knock (and wait) before they come in? This seems to defy common decency and respect, not to mention a breach of privacy. Is there somebody you could complain to?

[Charlie C]

Its an house share with three other people, our bedrooms are our own tenancies. I pretty much had no choice but to move here after getting discharged from the hospital after my section and I hate the place. Some staff are very cliquey with each other discussing what they did the night before and answering and playing with they're mobiles while being on shift with you when they aren't ment too. Social services pay £16 an hour for them to come in to support us but most of the time some staff just in in the office outside chatting.

[matzoball]

My mum works in the care industry, so I am kind of clued up(as much as an outsider can be!) on care practices - if they know that your sleeping pattern has shifted then they have to shift their processes for your care package e.g. providing more support at night instead of the daytime(checking on you to see if you are okay sporadically of course). They can't just assume that what they say goes - it's careless at best.

 

If you have stated that they need permission to come into your room they HAVE to ask for permission - even if it is just to open your door! They are not allowed personal calls on mobiles, however they need to be reachable so that is probably why they are allowed to actually have them with them.

 

Justine1 is right - you have every right to complain. If they do ignore you you have every right to go to someone either more official or higher in seniority. Write everything down that you have a problem with and approach your key worker if you have one. If they say they are going to make those changes and don't - take note of times, dates and who is breaching your privacy.

 

They are there to support you. Not antagonize you.

 

Chin up xx

[Special_talent123]

Hi Charlie, I am in supported living and the rules are the same as what you say. We have tenancies for each bedroom, and the staff aren't allowed in our bedrooms without our permission. At first they have to knock at the door, if i say come in then i say come in otherwise they are not allowed to just enter. I sometimes stick note at my door saying 'NAME' (who i wrote note for) and you can enter my door or i am in my bedroom. There are other times when they have to enter my room thats when workmen need my room , so if agreed for workmen to do the work there then i give permission as long as the female staff is there when they doing the work when im in my bedroom.

 

Who is it that entering your room, if its key worker log a complaint at the boss of where u live.

[A-S warrior]

tell them to f*** off lol.

[matzoball]

That's not really appropriate...

[Special_talent123]

agrees that would make matters worse and will result in being in trouble

[dekra]

I agree that you should talk to your keyworker. Get it confirmed exactly the boundaries you are entitled to. If there is a reason for the intrusions that is valid and appropriate for your situation is there anyway things can be re-arranged to minimise both disruption and upset to you.

 

I do think many people in the care profession are there just because a job is a job and have no notion of actually wanting to help and support service users. On the otherhand I have also met some wonderful care workers that do care and genuinely want to work WITH their clients for the best results. I hope at least some of those that work with you are second kind.

[trekster]

Have PM'd you Charlie C really hope the forum can help you sort this situation out.

Can you access any advocacy type services? Can you put a lock on your bedroom door? (from the inside)

Do you have access to any MH services? If you wish to email me your care plan and what you feel is wrong

about it feel free to PM me. We could write a care plan together.

[Charlie C]

I've recently been given a key for my door after waiting since December, been complaining since then but I kicked off when a member of staff again just walked in and I completely bollocken them, but what use does it make, they now say they have the right to check the smoke allarm every week even when I'm out......

 

Really feel unhappy living here, I hate being around people 24/7 especially the staff. Thanks trekster for link.

[trekster]

Anytime charlie,

 

Check the smoke alarm when they can hear it the same time each week by pressing the test button.

Some doors if you leave the key in the lock on the other side they cant get in.

[Special_talent123]

we have weekly fire alarms go off every week- but they dont come in our room. the only people who test fire alarm in bedroom is if the work men come and do a tester if nothing faulty and checked and stuff.

[Special_talent123]

plus the house staff would usually have spare key for each door, but you have to give them permission to go in there room still