Telford support worker awarded £9,000 after 'life put in danger'

Birmingham Employment Tribunal judge Miss Mary Cocks agreed that the support given by employers Next Step Management Ltd of Hollingsworth Road, Telford, to Mrs Lisa Tait while working on her own with the 17-year-old had been totally inadequate.

Mrs Cocks made her decision at a previous hearing but delayed the announcement of the award.

Now she has awarded Mrs Tait a total of £9,291, including a loss of pay and the return of her £1,200 tribunal fees.

Mrs Tait, who is now living in Stourbridge, made legal claims against the the Telford firm for constructive unfair dismissal and breach of contract.

Next Step Management Ltd helps people from broken homes who have been in care. Alcoholics and former drug users are among those found accommodation by the firm.

The tribunal was told at a previous hearing that the drug user, assigned to Mrs Tait, was known to police and to be heavily involved with a drug gang and that he had been sleeping with a 14-year-old girl at the accommodation Mrs Tait helped to find him.

He had been aggressive towards Mrs Tait, had taken part in other sexual activities at the address and was also involved in a gang kidnapping plot.

When the respondents discovered what had been going on, behind Mrs Tait’s back at the accommodation, she was told to “clean up” the property.

Mrs Tait said she felt her life was put in danger by working with the drug addict without enough support and training provided by her employers.

“I was exposed to risk and harm to my life by working with someone I was not trained or experienced enough to support,” she said.

Mrs Tait who is suffering from stress and depression, said that the drug addict had been due to provide evidence in court in relation to an incident involving his kidnapping and assault over a debt connected with drugs.

Miss Donna Sussenbach, a Next Step director, had denied Mrs Tait had been put at risk and said the firm prided itself on providing a safe environment for its employees.

Mrs Cocks said at the previous hearing that the employer’s action had been totally inadequate.

“She should not have been put on her own to work with this drug addict,” said Miss Cocks.

“She worked with a person she was untrained to deal with and was unprotected and vulnerable. She felt unsafe, uncomfortable in his presence and out of her depth.”

Miss Cocks said Mrs Tait felt her life was in a dangerous situation and that she had been “thrown to the lions.”

When told to clean the premises where the drug addict had been found accommodation she found a knife, condoms, used needles for drugs and bags of rubbish. She found the drug addict “stoned” and also discovered he had been sleeping with a 14-year-old girl.

“By this time Mrs Tait felt she had had enough and resigned,” said Miss Cocks.

“She felt that the trust and confidence between her and the employers had been seriously damaged.”

Miss Cocks said at the latest hearing that the worry of what had happened and the her subsequent resignation had made her ill and unable to work.