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Support worker/healthcare - been treated unfairly. Any advice?

ABOUT ME:

I currently have just over 1 year's experience in health and social care
I am just turned 20
I have lived in the UK all my life
I have got a full set of GCSE's
I am currently studying for my QCF level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (all self-funded at a cost of £1000
I have wanted to become a Clinical Psychologist ever since 13, when I learned about careers/job choices
I genuinely care about people and really feel for those requiring care
I get extreme social anxiety (has been so far life-long)
I have paid for my first module of an OPEN UNIVERSITY degree in PSYCHOLOGY which has started this month
I drive to work since having learned to drive 1 year ago
I am an 'Assistant Care Worker'

MY SITUATION, BASICALLY...

I got fed up with my job because of the lack of organisation in the company I work for, the lack of support, the lack of solidarity within the staff team and the way in which I feel I have been treated by the manager&co
I had received a disciplinary hearing at my job about 8 months earlier (due to faking sickness to as a way to get time off, on *one* occasion)
I started a job search for 6 months solid, applying to the same companies repeatedly
I got offered 2 job interviews within different companies, in the same month
I went to both interviews and got offered both jobs 'subject to references'
One of the job offers gave me a starting date (because I particularly impressed them at the interview so much) but the other did not give me a starting date
I handed in my notice at my current job
The HR dept. at my job take an extremely long time to reply to people requesting references generally
There is so much crap (that my manager has made up and exaggerated) on my record, that I may not get either of the jobs due to unsatisfactory reference
I could now be out of a job in a months' time -when the notice period ends and the HR haven't contacted my potential new employers or have given me a really bad reference.

Has anyone ever had an experience like this one before at all?

Extra information...
- The new jobs are: one in a secure psychiatric hospital and one in a brain injury unit.
- The reference for the brain injury unit consists of a few scales of 1-5 for the referee to 'mark' me on, concerning subjects like 'sickness', 'trustworthiness', 'flexibility', 'time-keeping' etc...

What is the likelihood that I will become JOBLESS?

Of course, if I do, I am likely to take legal action.
Reply 1
Avatar for moonkatt
moonkatt
19
If your manager has made up or exaggerated things in your reference then you should be able to take legal action against them. ou will need to be able tot prove this though.
Reply 2
Avatar for niknak24
niknak24
Obviously its bit late for this information- but they do say not to give in your notice until you get your start date because the job is not guaranteed until everything has been approved. I guess when they receive the references they will ask you to clarify things, you just have to be honest, but don't slag off your previous manager as i doubt it will go down well. hope everything goes well for you :smile:
Reply 3
Avatar for JamesyC
JamesyC
10
Most employers take references with a pinch of salt because this is fairly common.

Your employer isn't under any obligation to give a reference and most won't rather than give a bad one, in my experience at least. I've had a bad reference given once and the new employer shrugged it off because the employer in question had a bit of a reputation for it. But these were charity jobs, not public service like I would assume these are. A bad reference does not mean you won't get the job! It is at the discretion of the employer!

If you do get a bad reference, request a copy from your new employer. Then take it up with the HR of your previous employer and basically tell them to prove it otherwise you will take legal action. Your sickness and disciplinary will have been recorded somewhere, if the information doesn't add up then you know something is up.
This sort of thing can happen, but it will really depend on whether or not the issue is around having a negative reference or one that is just delayed. As you are working in healthcare people may be a bit hotter on references and CRB checks and such, but you can always call to hurry the process along a bit.

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