I started work in a care home not long ago. It's supposedly a really good one.
I've already seen a few things that to me, aren't up to standard, but I've chalked it up to my only previous experience being with a company that were very strict.
I have seen on more than one occasion, staff speak to residents in a manner I find rude or abrupt, but something happened this week I am really uncomfortable with and I'm not sure how to go about this.
I overheard a conversation between a senior staff member and their subordinate, asking her to pleas ask one of the team members, let's call that person A, not to make a particular joke to a resident that A has been supporting, as this resident – B, does not like it. It wasn't anything offensive, it was just silly, and with some residents they'd like it, but person B does not. The shift manager said she'd speak to A, and around an hour later I saw this take place. She said please don't say that to B, he doesn't like it and he has told the senior staff member he doesn't want you to say that anymore. A didn't seem to take it too seriously, but laughed and said ok. I thought that was it over and done with.
Later on, I worked with A to support B with some personal care, and to my shock, A brought this up with B, poking fun in a way I wasn't comfortable with. I could tell B felt awkward, and although I don't think A thought it was a serious problem, this was extremely inappropriate to me. I didn't like that I could see B feeling uncomfortable and I tried to change the subject but A wouldn't drop it, and I think this was because they were cross. I felt that the care delivered was also a bit abrupt and not as nice as it could be, I'm assuming, because A was annoyed. B gave me a few looks as if to say "what on earth", and I just tried my best to show I was supporting B and it was ok.
I felt intimidated and awkward myself, and being so new to the place, and with A being a long standing member of staff I didn't know what to do.
I can't get this out of my head because I feel that now B will think they cannot trust the staff if they have a complaint or something they are unhappy with, and frankly I completely agree and also think A was being silly and unnecessary in the first place, and I think bringing it up was completely unacceptable and unprofessional.
Unfortunately the next person in chain of command who I should speak to if I go by protocol is also not someone I would feel I could trust, and is also someone I have seen behaving in ways I disagree with. I confided in another new staff member I have a good rapport with and asked them what they thought I should do, and they said that they thought it would make things more awkward if I made a fuss
But I just don't think this is right. I haven't been in this job long enough to even know who I can trust, and considering that anything you say seems to get around to everyone and nothing is kept confidential, I don't even know how to go about this without causing a rift between staff and residents. I get the feeling that things like this are not considered a big deal at this place, but to me, at my previous job, this would have been a very big problem and thwre would have certainly been disciplinary action taken. But I think here, I'd be seen as causing problems or stirring trouble.
Does anyone have any advice, insight, or thoughts? I don't know if I am overreacting.