[helskitchen]

I am currently off sick from work (i'm a Prison Officer) after being badly assaulted whilst on duty in January.  I have spent the last few months in blissful relaxation with my animals and my garden, and doing my various crafts I havent had time to do since starting the job, in our lovely farmhouse that we moved into just after the assault.

Today I had to go back to work for a visit because I shall be returning soon, and it reminded me how chaotic it all is, and how you are constantly pulled in a dozen directions at once, and how dangerous the job is, and I sat there with my colleagues (who I have missed alot) and thought I wish I wish I could give it up and work from home!!  I was told by some of my colleagues that although I have suffered over the past few months I look 10 years younger because I have spent so long away from the stressful job.  Oh how I will miss going out to the chickens with a cuppa in the morning, walking the dogs down the lane, doing a bit of weeding in my veggie patch and baking a cake when I feel like it when I go back to work! 

Can't wait for the day when we can cut the hours at work and have more time to spend at home, the animals at home are so much nicer than the ones we have to work with everyday!!   

[Bionic]

I am not sure I could cope with a job where I could get assaulted. Apart from what you will be missing at home it must be very difficult to face going back to a place like that.
My job is also very stressful although in a completely different way to yours. Later this year I will be taking redundancy and buying a smallholding and I can't wait to experience life with some animals and baking when I want to.
Best wishes when you get back to work. At least you have something good to lookforward to on your days off.
Sally

[AengusOg]

Maybe you could work from home with prisoners who would like to experience something of what you've enjoyed over the last few months. Animals are great levellers and many people benefit greatly from caring for and learning how to get the best from them.

I remember seeing a program on tv where there were some young offenders who got the option to prove themselves to be reformed characters and decent members of society. They travelled in a wagon train across America for about 1500 miles. Every day they had to work long hours, getting all the horses and mules seen to in the morning, feeding everyone else, then break camp, travel all day, set up camp at night, and feed and water everyone again. The next day they did the same.

These people dealt with all their hang-ups en route and learned how to have respect for their animals, fellow travellers, their escorts and, ultimately, themselves. There was something over 95% success rate over the journey, with those who didn't quite get it by then having to do the return journey as well. Failure to succeed was very rare.

At the end of the journey(s), all the family and friends went to meet the reformed characters who, by experience, had become convinced that they could do anything they put their minds to in order to change their ways for the better, and for their future. The sense of self-respect and achievement was evident in all of them after their journey.

There's not quite the scope for 1500 mile journeys in this country, but...

Just a thought.

[Hilarysmum]

I really sympathise having worked in child mental healthcare, where it was quite common to be assaulted mostly by the parents but occasionally by a child.

[ellisr]

I used to be a manager in a call centre and was assaulted a few times by staff, now a manage a small office with lovely people and I'm closer to home so I get more time on the holding.

[ellied]

My kind of work stress was nothing like as physically threatening as yours but it got to the point I couldn't live that way any more and left work last September.

Now I have no money, my income averages about £20 a week and I'm not on any benefits or tax credits so I owe nobody an explanation (other than the tax office which is stressing me!) but I wouldn't go back for all the security and financial comfort I had..  The only thing I should have done is buy somewhere else while I could still get a mortgage but life really is too short to have regrets so I went for it.  If it's right for you then you'll find a way too, so enjoy going back and maybe a way will open for you to have a bit more of what you've been enjoying, now you know it's there

[Fleecewife]

Hi helskitchen.  It's great you're back on your feet but a horrible shock to the system to have to go right back in - and from experience I suspect that once you've been back for a day or two the stress will be back up to peak levels again.
I am taken with AengusOgs basic idea. Some prisons do have farms or at least gardens which are very beneficial to the prisoners - if you are stressed they will be too and the calming effect of working with animals and with the soil could just help to turn them around from violent to having more self respect, also learning a job for when they get out. Any chance that you could be involved in setting up a veg garden or prison farm ?

[Sylvia]

I applaud you for doing the job you do :bouquet:My daughter worked in a secure unit for a while and I was terrified for her. Her reaction was "Well, Mother, someone's got to do it" and she was quite right. I take care of people at the end of their life and whilst sad is not really stressful (well not always) but I don't think I could work with challenging behaviour. A picky client is bad enough
You do a damned good job and I'm sure don't get the recognition you deserve. I hope you find a solution and a happy life.

[plumseverywhere]

At 32 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child, I was held hostage by a mental health patient. I was a nurse and totally terrified as it meant that my eldest, then 1 year old was still stuck in nursery and mummy couldnt' get to collect her, I didn't know what he was going to do to my unborn child or myself and I had no means to get help. After 3 hours I was let go. I quit nursing that day apart from a quick stint as a district nurse, I've never gone back.
Nowadays I run a soap business, the milk for which is provided by a gorgeous goat who gives me cuddles every day. Its not a bed of roses, the stresses and strains a different but still very real - however I believe the pro's of smallholding FAR outweigh any cons! I can't say that about my old life sadly.

[helskitchen]

Thanks for your kind words everyone! 

They are trying rehab schemes for the lads where I work including horticulture, they grow the plants design the gardens in the grounds then look after the gardens, unfortunately lots of the time you think you are getting somewhere with a lad, he will be talking about training and jobs and how he is going to make his family proud - then he bows down to peer pressure of the lads who dont think they should work for a living or improve their lives and another life is wasted.

I used to work at another prison where there was a farm, alot of the troubled men used to go and talk to the pigs/sheep/chickens/tomatoes/trees and it used to get alot of anger and troubled thoughts in the open and helped them deal with life.  Lots used to make careers within horticulture/agriculture and turn their lives around - it doesnt seem to happen so much with the younger lads I work with now.  Too much gang culture.

[Sandy]

The risks that some people have to put up with to earn a few £, hate the times I have been in similar positions but the most I got was an injured foot, still hurts to this day, I had loads of very near misses with a college gaining a broken nose, not worth it at all...arh well, some one has to do those jobs and I have been knocked over by our Lab!!!!!