General Chat

Im disgusted words fail me

When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible.

When sufferings become unendurable, the cries are no longer heard.

The cries, too, fall like rain in summer. (Bertolt Brecht).

Having worked in social care for all of my working life I feel I must add where i think the failings are!

for 6 years I managed a supported living scheme for adults with an LD, it was on a smaller scale to the residential scheme in the documentary as service users lived in 2s or 3s.
We were regularly inspected in my 6 years as manager BUT and this is the biggy, I was always given at least 2 weeks notice of an inspection.
any establishment who is doing anything dodgy will then have 2 weeks to make sure that all of their paperwork said the right thing, all of their staff had been primed etc. I know that the local authority and CQC can do unnanounced inspections but it never happened to me. A manager will know exactly what the insepctors want to hear and be able to cover up all manner of things.

I think the thing that worried me the most was that so many of the staff were in on it, there are often cases where an individual member of staff is found to be being abusive but the fact that everyone seemed to know about it and join in. those who stood by and watched it happen without reporting it to the correct authorities are in my mind just a culprable as they had the chance to stop it.

I just hope that this case does come to court and lengthy sentences are handed down to those involved however I am concerned that without other witnesses coming forward the prosecution may struggle as the service users will not be seen as reliable witnesses.

and finally- just a reminder for people if you have any suspision that a vulnerable adult is being abused please report it through you local authority social services department, ask to speak to the SOVA (Safe Guarding of Vulnerable Adults) lead, they have to follow up all allegations that are reported to them.

Julia (In Cambs)

Yes l see your point as well Sheila, management, incompetence etc plays a vital role!!

jude :o)

Rose - that's so true. In our local paper, probably 60% of the meagre clutch of jobs on offer are care related. I may be looking for work later in the year but wouldn't consider such a job because I don't think I'm the right sort of person and have no 'vocation' for it. However I am lucky in that I don't have to claim job seekers. I really do think that individuals should have a real desire to do this sort of work, and not be 'pushed' into it - training is essential, of course, but the basic empathy has to be there first.

Shimms....hope you are ok??

l agree with everything everyone says!!

You're right Rita the bigwigs don't know what the real world is like!!

Myself and Vic are lucky in that we have pretty good health (famous last words).....one member of my family needs more help than they're getting though!

But the caring & nursing situation is diabolical in 'some' care/nursing homes/hospitals and something should be set up to help family/friends to be heard if they are concerned!!

jude

Sheila, absolutely agree with you!

Just like to make one point about CRBs as Shimms mentioned them and training, I had one recently, it means absolutely zilch really, just that either I haven't had a criminal past...or haven't got caught! After 3 days training I was in a position of carer to a 90 year old, alone, in her own home,

I believe part of the problem is that with the unemployment situation as it is, job centres are suggesting to all and sundry that they apply for jobs in the Care industry... there is (I was told ) one new job every 9 minutes in the health care system. I have sat in the job centre and eavesdropped (lol) on job seekers being railroaded into applying for such jobs that they have no experience of, or empathy with, or desire to do...because it's "go for the jobs or lose your JSA!".

Or as in my case, on one job description the job centre staff member pushed me towards...'position requres experience in lifting client with a hoist'...I pointed out that I did not have experience of same ....his response? "Well how difficult can it be?"...

I do get sick and tired of people moaning about foreign aid. All the ills of our society seem to be able to be solved if we didn't send money abroad. Sorry, but I don't believe that. This particular issue - and I agree it is disgusting, inhumane and harrowing - is only partly 'money' related. It seems to me that management, incompetence, recruitment, training and superivision are the issues here. Just throwing money at it without looking into the basic problems won't work.

Well thanks to the cuts, a new hospital in Peterborough built with pfi like our local N and N Hospital, will have to cut jobs to make ends meet. As some people said, it should be the managers that go not the nurses etc. That's where the axe usually falls tho and then the workload gets worse and people get stressed, and mistakes are made, or uncaring treatment happens.
Is anyone watching the A & E prog on Channel 4? The things the staff have to put up with, drunks being abusive etc etc - don't know how they put up with it.

Lizx

DISGUSTING, UPSETTING, DIABOLICAL, INHUMANE, just what I can say here, but would like to use much stronger language.

These so called "carers" should be treated in the same way or worse, and I know 2 wrongs don't make a right, but having been brought up with a mentally ill relative, I found this unbelieve in the 21st century.

The government are spending so much money bailing out other countries, instead of facing the problems in their own country. Between this, and the massive cutbacks, how many more cases like this does it take to make the "big wigs" realise where the money should be going? Two patients from a "nursing home" in Edinburgh have died in suspicious circumstances, but thankfully it has now closed down.

Sorry, but this kind of thing really gets my back up.

Its just been ont he news again...did'nt realise the home is in Bristol!!

13 people have been suspended, l hope the management are part of that 13??

jude

I had tears flowing, it was vile ... disgusting ... sadists planning how to bully, torture and more. My heart goes out to those treated so badly by those who were meant to be there for them, their 'Carers'.

There are many wonderful Carers out there, sadly I'm not surprised ... my brother was subjected to ... well, that's another story for another time.

Where was their training? Where were their CRB checks? How did they get the jobs? Where were CCTV cameras ... my word, the list is endless and I should also like to know why the Senior male nurse who reported THREE times with the title ABUSE was not listened to.

How can one human being treat another so badly ... I try not to judge yet I would like to see them all imprisoned.

xxx Shimms xxx

I watched it last night and i was
in tears at what they were doing to
those poor people who cant defend them selves .
i hope that they get a stiff sentence although i doubt they will .
Hazelx

They have been released on bail, I think its disgusting what they did, cant believe such things are allowed to happen. The ought to be sacked, thrown in prison and have done such things to them.

Didn't watch it but read the report in the paper by the person who went undercover. Those poor young people, and how guilty one set of parents must feel as they didn't believe their daughter because they thought it couldn't happen. I am so pleased they are to be punished, thugs. Strangely I am reading a book at the moment (fiction Rosie by Lesley Pearse) Part of it is set inwhat was then called a mental hospital back in the 50s. The treatment of the patients then was similar to that in the report. And we think we have progressed!!

Jude, Rita and Merlin, I fully agree with everything that you've all said.

I was going to switch it off because like you all, it made me feel so sick and angry, but felt that I must watch to the end, thinking how terrible it was for these poor people that had to go through all that abuse and for their families to watch it.

As you've all said, they all need a taste of their own medicine, only ten times worse.


Sallie.x

If they go to prison"Instead of a slap on the wrist or comunity service" It would be retrebution if the other inmates of that prison were told why they were there.**M**.

l did sleep well fortunately but did'nt 2 nights previously, but l woke this morning thinking about it. Last night l just kept staring at the tv in disbelief and the abuse got worse. Poor girl who was kept pinned down by a chair!!!!
l'm pleased it was shown on TV, it needs to be sorted and hopefully more relatives and friend will feel more able to complain if they think simular is going on in home's where they have relatives/friends.

Yes bring in the CCTV camera's, but then alot of homes would say they can't afford them!

Lets hope too that they get their just deserts!!
The one with the tattoo's wants to be a tattooist....god help anyone that flinches with pain!!

jude

I watched it last night and was disgusted and upset by what went on.

Vera, I absolutely agree with everthing you said.

I just hope that these people will get get what they deserve, and never allowed to work with such vulnerable people ever again.

Just seen on the news that 4 people have been arrested.

Sallie.x

Morning all..

Ive just watched this on BBC news.....

I am disgusted this goes on ,,but not shocked .. ive had tears running down my cheeks this morning..

Hope they all get what they deserve.. i agree with Vera.. give families more help

jgee..