How can "care" assistance be so cruel?

[R1Geezer]

.. to vulnerable people, these animals must be a collection of the most sadistic bullies, savages of the highest order. Will they end up in jail? or, more likely some sort of soft option, disgusting creatures.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13617196

[4getmenot]

one of the questions in pub quiz tonight was what town did this happen in. Funny thing is a lady from cqc visited us today and was talking bout it but i wasnt listening lol

[ladybirder]

I can confirm all places are not like that. Welsh/Ratter my daughter is senior therapeutic carer in a privately run residential home for vulnerable children who have been neglected, abused (physically and/or sexually and/or mentally) and it is a wonderful place. No way would the behaviour shown in that programme be tolerated for one second. My daughter would do exactly what Ratter did and so would the others who work there. The children are very damaged children and live in small residential communities, just six in my daughter's case. If I can give you just one small example that particularly moved me of a little 6-year old who, during his first week, was falling asleep in his bed with my daughter stroking his cheek when he opened his eyes and said to her, "I wasn't born until I came here you know". Fills me up whenever I think about it; he'd never known love in his life before. There are some lovely kind caring people out there.

[welshlibranr]

coli, I know what you're saying, your daughter should be fine as long as she had someone who visits often, and looks closely at the way she's feeling!......if you have nobody that can do this for her and you, then I think you should contact Social Services, and ask them to see her regularly to check on her care.............

[coli05anna00]

ladybirder that is so lovelyto hear, and as i said its the minority that destroy the confidence. i dread the day i die purely for my daughters sake.

[starone]

That brought tears to my eyes, ladybird. What a marvellous feeling that must have given your daughter to have a child say that to her.

[RATTER15]

Thank you for you kind comments, the thing is, I am passionate about my work, I've always said its the best job I have ever had and the worst paid at barely over minimum wage. I wish I was getting the wage packet that those so called "carers"in that home were getting!!

Oh well, i,m happy with my lot and I wouldn't change a thing :-))

[coli05anna00]

welshlibrarnr hopefully i am along way off death yet, but i do worry about her future when im gone. its not something need to put in place just now but certainly promotes my fears which were already there. when you see stuff like that going on you just cant help but worry that could be your child suffering in the same way.

[welshlibranr]

ladybirder!.............lovely, your daughter is a very caring person!..........bless her!.......

[saxy_jag]

In my grandad's last weeks of life, his dementia meant that he had to be cared for in what was once an asylum and then became a mental health hospital. Naturally it had a very dubious - although never justifued - reputation locally. When I went to visit Grandad a couple of days before he died, the long, cold Victorian corridors did little to dispel that reputation. I became even more concerned when we got to his ward to find it with a locked door. However, once we entered we couldn't believe what we were seeing. Warm, caring staff. Happy patients/residents, no-one moaning or rocking in corners. The ward was only locked because of the patients' propensity to wander at times. The ward had been nicely decorated for Christmas and was clean and didn't smell of wee or anything like it. I am thankful that, in such an austere building with such a reputation, the staff there had made such fantastic efforts to ensure a quality of life for their very elderly patients, and that grandad's last days were spent in such a loving, caring environment, even though he may not have been sensible of that at the time.

[classylady60]

What I'd like to know is why can they not "police" these care homes without the care homes knowing? I mean they have plenty of mystery shoppers for businesses why isn't there a body of people under the wing of the authority overseeing care homes etc...whereby they can put mystery carers or even a patient in homes for a week or two where the homes and assistants can be checked upon. Surely it needs something like this to keep these places and people in check, after all if they can do it in the retail business then they can do it for things such as this.

[welshlibranr]

classylady they can do this, but rarely do, they normally do an inspection yearly, unless they suspect a problem) and notify the homes of the date they will attend!..........not a good idea!.....but makes life easier for all! (except the patient!)

[ladybirder]

Yes she was very moved. But she just loves her job although it can be very very stressful at times. She's done it for 7 years, it's a vocation I think.

[coli05anna00]

im off to bed now to have many nightmares. just has me in tears to even think about it anymore, i just hope my child will be loved and respected as much as i love and respect her.it made me physically sick seeing that today, how can one human being treat another like that?

[welshlibranr]

sure it is a vocation ladybirder,very challenging and hard work too!....but if these folk are not up to it then they shouldn't be there!............they seem to me to need help themselves!.............not well balanced folk at all!................that's where the problem lies!........years ago they would never be working in this field,. now it's so different!...they don't need to care any more!......just be willing to work for the mi nimum wage!........says it all!................

[RATTER15]

welshlibranr, CQC do not always tell a home that they are visiting, they will turn up unannounced for inspections, I have experienced one of these which came as a result of one of my complaints against a Deputy Manager. They left no stone unturned and was in the home for nearly 2 days, this was mostly going over paperwork and medications etc.

It really is difficult working with these people watching your every move, very stressful. CQC really failed at that home but in general they do a very good and difficult job.

[R1Geezer]

Insepctions, even surprise ones are useless, like all bullying scum they spot a threat early and modify in seconds. Any inspector would be spotted in reception and everything would change instantly. Just put Cameras everywhere so they know they are being watched. What amazes me though is that so many like minded people get jobs in these places, I mean surely they cannot all be pityless. The guy who made the panaorama film must have been in inner turmoil the whole time. How they didn't spot him and wonder why he wasn't joining in, gawd knows.

[Davethedog]

In this case a senior medical professional "blew the whistle" and was ignored.

CQC can have no defence in anyway, stating that they made "errors" is not acceptable, people suffered through thier inaction. An independant review of CQC should happen and all responsible should be fired, including senior managers who's policy enable such a report to be ignored.

The talking heads will just, talk wait for the outrage to fade and carry on as normal.

The scandal over Southern Cross proves that the vulnerable shouldn't be in the care of a system where profit always comes before people.

[RATTER15]

I agree much of what is said by Dave and R1 but it really isnt that simple, CQC actually prevent a whole of abuse going on daily and they do a great job in general, I accept that they screwed up big time here but I am also aware of all the good work they do.

As for putting cameras everywhere, so simple? What about the privacy and dignity of these vulnerable people, I wouldn't want a camera fixed on my daughter while using the shower, the toilet, in bed etc. These abusers would just do their bullying off camera!

Please remember that the vast majority of these homes are great places, full of genuine, sympathetic carers who love their work and will anything for those in their care.

These cases will always come up no matter what we all do, we can only hope that this case will be a big heads up to all concerned with the welfare of these peoples.

[Davethedog]

Ratter I am not in anyway criticising you or the vast majority, though, as is the medias wont, I expect another home to be uncovered soon.

I am talking about this case and this case only. I could understand, possibly, if an individual was swallowed up, axe to grind etc, but whe a senior healthcare professional reports and is ignored, then the buck has to stop somewhere.

[R1Geezer]

I take on board the camera objections ratter, I guess I was thinking that anything would be better than having these bullies run riot. Ratter, you are clearly the expert here, what Ideas do you have to prevent this sort of thing in the future? I for one would have you in charge of the CQC mate!