Change to the way Agency workers log shifts.

[Pot of Tea]

The agency that supplies my son’s support workers have changed the way the daily log is recorded. Up until this week, paper log sheets have been completed at the end of each shift, agreed and signed by myself (I am my son‘s appointee) and a carbon copy kept by me. Each log notes the time the shift started, time finished, total hours worked plus what happened during shift and any notes to hand onto the next worker. Thus, when the monthly invoice is erroneous (most months) I have a signed paper copy of all hours worked and the invoice can be easily corrected.

I also have a full paper trail for my son’s care funders.

This week, without any prior notice, the Monday worker informed me at the end of the shift that she no longer fills in a paper log but has to go home and send in an electronic one. I do not get to countersign anything. When I questioned the agency about this they told me it is being done to be environmentally friendly and that it is a fait accompli. I have been verbally told that I will be sent the electronic sheets by email. I was told, in writing, to keep an A4 book at home in which to log shift hours myself and any handover notes.

I have had no feedback about Data protection. Nor about the resolution of any dispute of hours. Nor about the loss of financial protection this affords users.

Is what they are doing even legal? How do other people log agency workers?

[Booksey]

Im not sure if its the same thing but my respite sitters log in to their office via phone when they arrive and when they leave. I also sign a work sheet for them. His notes are left here and each worker updates and leaves for the next one

[Pot of Tea]

Hi Booksey

Yes, my mother’s workers used to log in using her land line phone and log out the same way; it was an automated logging service.

Nothing like that is happening with this agency where the system is now dependent on the workers ’accuracy’.

[Guest]

I would not be happy with this arrangement, I would question the security of the information held on your son, it appears not to be encrypted if you can have a copy emailed to you, it is also reliant on a care worker updating the record in a timely manner and on the next care worker checking the previous record before visiting and you have no way of knowing whether this has happened.

[charles47]

Parsifal is absolutely right. If staff are using their home computers for work purposes, then it's likely that anyone in the family could have access to personal details - which would almost certainly be a breach of the Data Protection Act, although encryption isn't of itself a legal requirement.

It relies on everyone doing their bit on time - and on the information going to ??where, precisely?? to be read prior to the next visit...too many holes. The enviromental argument holds no water at all - there are lots of better ways to do this.

Whoever dreamt this up lives in a strange world...