Bullying Is Rife. If Not In Union No One Helps.

(Scotland)

I worked in a private children's nursery for 10 years. I was a very popular member of staff with the children parents and staff. After 8 years the manager left because the man who owned the nursery was crooked. After the manager left 8 other long term members of staff also left very soon after.

The depute manager was offered the manager's job and at 28 years old had very little experience and no formal qualifications. She accepted a lower wage and this made the owner happy. Another girl who was 23 with no management qualifications was the only applicant for the depute job so got it.

My problems started with the new manager hiring her friends and children of her parent's friends.

She had no control over them and I complained about bad practices such as using mobile phones in playrooms, looking through personal staff files, and mistreating children.

The manager then told these people that I had complained about them and mobbing begun.

The most unfortunate situation for me was the owner's daughter and her best friend were really making my life Hell.

In the end I had words with them and the owners daughter told him.

He came to speak to me and told me if I reported them to care inspectorate it would be futile as no one would back me up. He had previously forced members of staff to lie in statements about how a child was injured and I refused to change my statement.

He owns a cleaning company and brought one of his cleaners with him to threaten me. I told him he was not fit to own a nursery as he was happy to allow all this behaviour to go on. He was furious and suspended me. I am 58 years old, well known and respected in my community and felt ashamed even though I had done nothing wrong.

I reported the behaviour to the relevant authorities and he got all the people I had complained about to lie about me.

He informed SSSC that I had been suspended and gave them fabricated statements from these people saying I was bullying them.

He was so brutal in his treatment in order to make me seem unreliable even although he knew I had cancer.

I have resigned from my job been on sleeping tablets have lost my self esteem cannot trust people and am depressed. Its awful how people can destroy your life to cover up their wrongdoings.