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While I mostly like my job there are a whole lot of stressful and sucky situations that repeat. A new horrible situation is rare. Yesterday, however...
I was advising someone about taking out an injunction against her ex. when the ex. attempted to barge into my interview room to shout at her.
Domestic violence cases are never fun but we don't do the in depth work on them (we know who to put people in touch with instead - in this case I got the women a free solicitor).
She told me the ex. was following her. That may well be but I later discovered that isn't how he ended up bothering me. Our receptionist (the good one!) later told me that she'd been very disruptive in the waiting room because she'd got a call on her mobile, and started arguing with the caller who was clearly the ex. She was yelling and screaming and among other things had said "Well I'm at the [our organisation], how do you like that!?"
*sigh*
He was remarkably easy to get rid of. I just had to tell him firmly a couple of times to go away - I think he wanted to argue but I just said that no one else was allowed in the room (which is true, I ask one person at a time in, and unless they ask someone to come in with them no one else gets in) i'm fierce about defending my room.
Even though it was easy in the end I still got really nervous in case he did cause trouble, or there were problems when she left. It made me feel slightly sick.
I also HATE it when people come in about something so personal and bring in children - young enough not to need to know these kinds of details but old enough to take everything in. it's half term here and the schools are shut so she brought a 10 year old with her.
Worse - much as I generally prefer it when people don't get upset and cry I get a bit disturbed by people who are gleeful about terrible situations. I'm sure this woman doesn't enjoy the current problems (and I do feel sympathetic) but once she got talking about things she was just really enjoying the drama. I've seen it before - not necessarily similar cases all kinds of crisis situations. Horrible in front of the child particularly.
I don't want to start having to advise and act as a bouncer. Particularly as the manager is away and we have so little back up at the moment.
Victoria J
I was advising someone about taking out an injunction against her ex. when the ex. attempted to barge into my interview room to shout at her.
Domestic violence cases are never fun but we don't do the in depth work on them (we know who to put people in touch with instead - in this case I got the women a free solicitor).
She told me the ex. was following her. That may well be but I later discovered that isn't how he ended up bothering me. Our receptionist (the good one!) later told me that she'd been very disruptive in the waiting room because she'd got a call on her mobile, and started arguing with the caller who was clearly the ex. She was yelling and screaming and among other things had said "Well I'm at the [our organisation], how do you like that!?"
*sigh*
He was remarkably easy to get rid of. I just had to tell him firmly a couple of times to go away - I think he wanted to argue but I just said that no one else was allowed in the room (which is true, I ask one person at a time in, and unless they ask someone to come in with them no one else gets in) i'm fierce about defending my room.
Even though it was easy in the end I still got really nervous in case he did cause trouble, or there were problems when she left. It made me feel slightly sick.
I also HATE it when people come in about something so personal and bring in children - young enough not to need to know these kinds of details but old enough to take everything in. it's half term here and the schools are shut so she brought a 10 year old with her.
Worse - much as I generally prefer it when people don't get upset and cry I get a bit disturbed by people who are gleeful about terrible situations. I'm sure this woman doesn't enjoy the current problems (and I do feel sympathetic) but once she got talking about things she was just really enjoying the drama. I've seen it before - not necessarily similar cases all kinds of crisis situations. Horrible in front of the child particularly.
I don't want to start having to advise and act as a bouncer. Particularly as the manager is away and we have so little back up at the moment.
Victoria J
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