Bullying whistleblower was ‘forced out of job he loved’ at Sheffield mental health trust

The former Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust employee says he was passed over for promotion, excluded from training and subjected to foul, abusive and racist language.

The man furthermore claimed the leadership of the trust know ‘full well’ what is going on but have turned a blind eye to it because of loyalty to the manager in question.

He said: “I couldn’t stand any more of it. I was under the doctor and on antidepressants. Something has got to be done.

“It was like a prison camp where you are waiting for who is the next person to be punished for something. I have been suicidal, there is no compassion or empathy.

“I have lost a job that I have enjoyed and I have had to find a new job in my 60s. I can’t get local work so I am working away from home which is putting a strain on my relationship.

The man, who does not want to be named, said staff were ‘overjoyed’ when The Star first reported on allegations of bullying in another of the trust’s departments in March.

He said: “People were saying there is some hope. We thought they were invincible and they could get away with anything.

“But the investigation won’t be made public so they will sweep it under the carpet again and grievances take years to be dealt with.

“It is mental health but they can’t look after their own people. You’ve got people who work for the trust getting counselling because of what it is like at work but no one can do anything about it.”

Earlier this year, the trust became embroiled in a bullying row about the behaviour of a manager within another of its departments.

An investigation took place, the results of which have not been made public, and the trust have never confirmed or denied if the manager is still employed there.

Last month, the trust unveiled a zero-tolerance pledge on bullying signed by the entire senior management team and said events would take place for staff to have their say.

Speaking about the latest allegations, a spokesperson for the Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust said: “The health and well-being of our colleagues is our top priority, obviously we are really concerned to hear about these latest reports of bullying and harassment in our organisation.

“We would urge these individuals to come forward and report their concerns through our HR department or our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.

“There is absolutely no place for bullying and harassment in our organisation and we stand by our values, we want everyone to feel happy and valued at work.”