It was at the beginning of September that the entire regular working group for home care night staffing in Uddevalla, around 20 people, was suspended. According to the municipality's Lex Sarah report, the charges included visits to users that were never carried out, heavy-handed staff who frightened users, and employees who slept on the job.
One manager has now been dismissed and another has been given notice of termination. A third, who is no longer working, is also being criticized in the external investigation that has now been completed.
"The review shows that there are serious shortcomings towards our users where our employees have failed. But there are also shortcomings in the working climate in this group, where the negligence of managers has allowed this to continue," says Municipal Director Malin Krantz.
Passive leadership
The problems within home care have been particularly severe at night, according to Malin Krantz. Back in 2020, a work environment survey showed shortcomings in the group, but no measures were taken at that time.
The years covered by the review have been characterized by passive leadership – and managers who even dismissed the alarm reports, she notes.
"The actions at both unit and department level have been characterized by passivity. It hurts to know that there was already a work environment survey in 2020 that showed shortcomings," she says.
For example, why didn't they go into depth about why there has been such a high turnover of managers in this group?
“Unforgivable manner”
Three permanent employees in the night shift have already been dismissed and three hourly employees have had their employment terminated, while five people have returned to work. Eleven people remain suspended.
However, there have also been shortcomings at the management level, according to the report.
"It is extremely serious, because the municipality is the one that should provide for the well-being of these people. And then we find that there are employees who have behaved in an inexcusable way," says Martin Pettersson (SD), chairman of the municipal board.
There is no room for that type of leadership in our organization.
