Slough Children's Services Trust discriminated against worker

The trust's HQ is in Bath Road, Slough

The trust that runs Slough's children's services discriminated against an employee, an employment tribunal found.

Slough Children's Services Trust discriminated against the woman's sex, breached her contract and did not follow its own employment policies.

It also subjected the claimant to harassment related to sex and was ordered to pay her £15,844.38 in compensation.

Other claims of direct discrimination and harassment against it failed.

The woman, who worked as a family support worker for the trust from April 2017 until April 2018, fell seriously ill in January 2018. She missed two months of work and returned in April 2018.

But the tribunal found her manager "showed no empathy or sympathy" after she returned to work. On the day she returned, he sent her an email simply detailing her work arrangements.

It "did not contain any inquiry about the claimant's health or how she was feeling, any words of support or a welcome back".

'Upset and tearful'

The woman was also told to get a sick note corrected twice while on sick leave, which left her "shocked, sad, upset and tearful".

The tribunal found the service did not give the woman a personal development plan, an induction or any one-to-one supervision meetings for the first four months of her employment.

The trust was approached to comment.

A report last year said it was at fault for "serious errors" in some children's care but it said improvements were being made.