There has been a incident where a service user has put in a complaint about a care worker not amking them feelsafe due to a member of staff pulling up there mask to have a bit of choclate, and it has now gone to a full disaplinaery! can i refuse to work with this service user? would it be a conflict of interest? the manager has said that they will take it to safe garding but have said they wont. this person is known for doing this to staff and i am worried i will loose my job.

If you have concerns about a care worker not making you feel safe, you should raise this with your manager. It is not appropriate for a care worker to pull up their mask to eat chocolate around a service user, and if this is part of a pattern of behaviour that makes you feel unsafe, it could be classified as bullying or harassment.

If your manager does not take your concerns seriously, you could make a formal complaint or raise the issue with your local authority’s safeguarding team. If the care worker in question is known for this behaviour, it is unlikely that you would be considered to be in conflict of interest if you refused to work with them. However, you should discuss your concerns with your manager to ensure that they are aware of your reasons for refusing to work with this service user.

The short answer to this question is no, you cannot refuse to work with a service user based on a complaint that is currently being investigated. However, if you feel like you are in danger or are not comfortable working with this individual, you can speak to your manager about your concerns and see if there is a way to accommodate your request. Additionally, if the investigation finds that the care worker did not act appropriately, the manager may take disciplinary action against the care worker, which could include terminating their employment.