Care home problems

[hammerman]

Hi guys, not sure if this should be in here but i hope some people can help me.

Untill last week, my wife was a senior carer in a residential care home for the elderly. It was not a nursing home.
Some of the practises that were carried out....or sometimes not carried out were beyond belief. Healf and safety, risk assessments and method statements were non existant and some of the residents were far too ill to be in a care home.

Residents HAD to be bathed and washed by 5pm, fed before 6pm and in bed by 7pm....otherwise the carers get severly shouted at by the owner.

Shifts were run with dangerously low staffing levels with staff who were either not trained at all or quite frankly, should be residents in the homes.
My wife was never allowed to fill in an accident book if she hurt her back for example....not that she was given any manual handling training etc. Only one of the entire work force has a first aid certificate.

My wife has now handed in her notice as she just can't stand be bellowed at every single day. I hope this doesn't sound like sour grapes but we feel we should report this care home to someone.....The HSE, a governing body or even the police. I kid you not, the place is like Colditz.

Any help, suggestions or advice would be most welcome.

Thanks in advance

[plowter]

The National Care Standards Commission is the regulatory body for England and Wales.

Your local authority social work/care service might provide more info on other aspects of licensing.

[cheries]

Okaaaaaaaay, a few very worrying items mentioned in your question hammerman. The Care Standards Commission has an anonymous "whistleblower" line that you can call and report all these shortcomings to.
I worked as a management NVQ assessor for nursing and care homes for three years. The industry comes under an intense amount of scruitiny and I'm shocked but not surprised that this has been allowed to happen.
You talk about "dangerously low " staffing levels; the Commission has something called a "staffing notice" which is a minimum legal requirement of staff ratio to residents, all staff working in this environment legally have to have moving and handling training, and the accident book probably was hidden from staff to prevent the manager from getting a black mark against her name when she was inspected.
You need to contact NCSC as soon as you can and relay these points to them, the home will be then subjected to an unnannounced inspection and hopefully these points will be addressed. Good luck!

[archeraddict]

The NCSC is no longer the regulatory body. It was superceded in 2004 by the Commission for Social Care Inspection. (CSCI).
They are far more 'outcomes' driven than before and are not as prescriptive about staff ration numbers. They would expect risk assessments to be done on the service users (residents) and for the home to be staffed appropritely. 10 heavily dependent residents may need more carers than 20 fairly able ones.
That said, I agree that you shuld contact them as abuse of vulnerable people is apalling. They may do an 'unannounce' visit or present theowner and manager with details of your complaint and ask for their comments. They may also talk with social workers and local doctors who would have a good idea about the care being delivered.

[jodie73]

Contact CSCI and they will probably shut them down. You could notify the police because from the 1st May 2007 anyone working in care, not doing their job properly can be arrested and charged for abuse or neglect (i.e. putting people to bed when they don't want to go.) Your wife should leave and look for alternative employment or be dragged down with the rest of the staff at Colditz.