Is it worth fighting a Toxic work environment
Hi guys, just after some advice because I feel like my workplace has become really toxic, and it’s also my first job in the disability industry.
I’ve been working in a SIL home for about a year now. (In a small country town) There are three other regular workers in my unit, two of whom are older and have been in the industry longer than me. I genuinely feel like some of them have lost sight of the actual care side of the job.
I believe that as support workers, part of our job is to recognise and document both the good and the difficult things, not just constantly focus on the negatives. One client in particular is constantly being spoken about negatively by my coworkers. They openly say they don’t like her, call her lazy and rude, and seem to look for things they can report against her BSP rather than actually trying to understand why she is doing something.
I’m really interested in the behavioural side of disability support and would eventually like to become a BSP myself, so I’ve been trying different approaches with different clients and personalities. I’ve actually been getting some really positive results, particularly with encouraging independence and using their BSP strategies consistently. But my coworkers don’t seem to like the approaches I’m taking and will go to management over really small things. Now when I have a genuine concern to raise, it feels like it gets dismissed as just more “drama.”
Another thing that really bothers me is that they don’t encourage independence with another client they really like. They’ll do things for her that she is completely capable of doing herself, like putting her dishes in the dishwasher or doing her laundry. I’ve tried explaining that I’m getting really positive results when I actually give her the opportunity to do these things herself, but nobody seems interested.
It honestly feels like I work in a hotel and I’m a maid rather than an active support worker. There are so many little things that seem unnecessarily controlling too. Clients aren’t allowed to put their own pictures or decorations in common areas, they aren’t encouraged to try new foods, and we’ve even been accused of “stealing” carrots because we used some extra carrots for dinner.
I’m 25 and relatively new to the industry, so I’m completely open to the possibility that there are things I don’t understand yet. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to try new approaches, encourage independence, have fun with clients and actually focus on their goals rather than just ticking boxes and doing the basics.
There also seems to be a lot of restrictive practice happening in my unit, and from what I can see, management doesn’t seem particularly concerned about it.
I’m honestly at a loss about what to do. I care about my clients and I really enjoy seeing them achieve things when they’re given the opportunity, but I’m starting to feel like I’m fighting against the culture of the workplace rather than being supported to do my job.
Has anyone else experienced this? Am I being too idealistic because I’m new to the industry, or does this sound like a genuinely unhealthy workplace culture? What would you do in my position?