“Dear Jan, This is a really difficult one, so I hope you can help! We have a very loyal volunteer who has been working at our care home for many years. This person is dedicated, reliable and generous. They are also a friendly, familiar face to our residents. Unfortunately, they are very difficult to work with. They are much older than me and my colleagues, and speak patronisingly to us about the paperwork we need to do or the activities we have planned. They don’t respect our schedules or requests. My manager doesn’t want to upset them and certainly doesn’t want to lose their support, but we all dread the days that they are due to come in. Help, please!”
Anon
You are quite right, this is indeed a very tricky one! I used to have a volunteer who was lovely and really sweet. However, when she helped out in a craft session, she would try and do all the stuff herself because it was quicker and easier than the resident doing it. She totally missed the point that the end result didn’t have to be perfect, it had to be something the resident had enjoyed having a go at!
Your volunteer appears to be stuck in their ways and it can be hard when you are much younger to stand your ground. However, they have no right to speak to you and your colleagues in a patronising way, and they need to be made aware of how they are making you feel. Of course, this needs to be handled carefully so that it doesn’t offend them to the point of leaving.
Do you hold volunteer meetings? Maybe you could introduce them. Your manager should chair the first one. This could offer the chance to emphasise that you are the professional and that your schedules and requests are there for a purpose. As part of your meeting, explain the role of CQC and the expectation that you should reach certain goals. These goals are there to ensure that residents’ needs are met. Explain that paperwork is an essential part of care home life, and incredibly important for the overall wellbeing of the residents, staff and volunteers.
They may be so used to the current set-up that they will be shocked to be challenged. They may be completely unaware that they are treading on others’ toes. It is important that you handle this in a firm but polite way, at the same time pointing out how much you value their input.
Give them a list of your goals for each month and ask them for their input. Where could they fit in to the overall plan for the month? If they prefer not to be part of scheduled activities, then perhaps you could discuss alternative ways for them to provide support. There could be days or times that feel more appropriate to the type of care they wish to offer, or the sorts of tasks they prefer to do.
Each time they arrive, provide them with a copy of the schedule for that day, and inform them clearly what their role is within that schedule. Make sure that you thank them and praise them if and when they do what is asked.
If after all of this they continue to upset the staff, well, maybe it is time to recruit some new volunteers!
Best wishes,
Jan
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