Whistleblower Hails Review of Care Home (UK)

 Whistleblower hails review of care home
5 March 2012
By LISA NIGHTINGALE
5 March 2012

A NURSE has welcomed a serious case review at a South Tyneside care home described by a crown court judge as plagued with “systematic failures”.
Phil Brown blew the whistle on the appalling state of care and hygiene at Bamburgh Court Care Centre almost eight-years ago.
He also helped the family of Martha Benham fight for justice after the 91-year-old died in 2004 after months of neglect by staff at the home, which was known as Bamburgh Court Care Centre and was run at the time by Ashbourne Homes.
It was taken over by private healthcare company Southern Cross in 2005 and became St Michael’s View.
Joyce Wordingham, 80, was found dead in her bed in February 2010, prompting a police investigation which looked into 15 other deaths at the home.
Last Friday the Gazette reported Daphne Joseph, 47, was handed a suspended nine-month prison sentence and 60 hours of unpaid work after admitting neglect in the pensioner’s death.
The probe into the home also led to the arrest of care assistant Sean Abbott. The 22-year-old was jailed for 12 months by Newcastle Crown Court on Friday after admitting assaulting two elderly residents.
After the sentences, council, police and health chiefs launched a serious case review into the events at the home in St Michael’s Avenue, Westoe.
And as well as welcoming the review, Mr Brown also called for a ban on under-25s being employed as carers for people with dementia.
He said: “It’s important a serious case review is carried out into what has happened. Questions need to be asked and answered.
“Questions need to be asked as to why this home was given a two-star rating and why checks weren’t carried out to ensure this company was delivering the level of care to residents it should have been.
“I am also looking for a local ruling to be put in place that carers under the age of 25 years old are not employed as care workers to look after people with dementia. I feel those under the age of 25 lack the life skills, emotion and cognitive maturity to care for those with such complex needs and demands, day in and day out.
“We need more mature people working on these wards, who should have access to a progression of ongoing training and development within this specialist area.”
St Michael’s View is now under new ownership and in the hands of Countrywide Care Homes after the collapse of Southern Cross.



SOURCE:       The Shields Gazette
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