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Care Campaign For The Vulnerable (CCFTV) HOW FAR WE'VE COME...

''Care Campaign for the Vulnerable was initially set up to influence providers to adopt safety monitoring in communal areas in all care homes. It has become every evident the many positives this would bring everyone living and working in care homes. Vulnerable residents, carers and families require better protection.'' Jayne Connery Founder Care Campaign for the Vulnerable

'' I was unfamiliar with the care sector back when my mother entered a care home for the first time. I saw many amazing people at work (realising it had to be out of the love of the job - it certainly wasn't the pay or in many cases, which I was privy too, how carers were treated by employers). It seemed the care homes my mother was in, failed in the safety and protection of vulnerable elderly residents and the safety of care workers were not at the forefront of the care service providers agenda. Often relationships between families and registered managers were fraught.''

''Safety monitoring is not there to take over from good, well trained staff... it is a care assist tool to help bring in transparency should any incident or accident happen.''

''I spoke up when I saw failings in my loved one's care. Sadly, I saw elderly residents often living with dementia having no family regularly visit them. Last year (2016) I took my mother out of the care home sector. I knew I had no choice. The level of care I expected and knew she and others deserved was very much lacking and the injustices thrown at us as a family were rather abhorrent. I felt the care sector could work but only if it started being more open and honest. Care Service Providers are not always without blame nor did they look or deal with issues raised from a families point of view''

'' Our mother's care home did not have safety monitoring either in communal areas or exits and upon entrances. I often witnessed elderly people walk out the door of these homes confused and on more than one occasion I would leave mum and go and encourage them back in even before the carers noticed, mainly due to them being too busy with other residents. I often witnessed elderly who had fallen in the corridor area or tripped sustaining an injury and when the family quite rightly ask what had happened they were told 'it was unwitnessed''. I sat and watched elderly residents unable to communicate and left unstimulated and often sat in their own excrement waiting more than what was acceptable to get help, many carers rushed off their feet and also upset when seeing this. ''

Part of our our commitment at CCFTV is to visit care providers to champion and influence the adopting of safety monitoring in communal areas in all dementia/ care homes. Conscience led care service providers that place the safeguarding of staff and residents at the top of their agenda should be made a good example of. A care home can never operate one hundred per cent all of the time without incidents or accidents happening and safety monitoring would offer families a clear indication that providers strive to be open in the care delivery of loved ones.

Andrew Geach CEO Shedfield Lodge Care Home at our Care Show 2018 supporting CCFTV safety monitoring in communal areas in care homes initiative

''I took my mum back home not because the carers couldn't care for her but because care service providers could not give answers when my mum suffered severe bruising or cuts. Asking questions and receiving no clarity and only replys of ''we don't know'' or ''your mum must have done this herself' brought very little confidence to me and other family members''

The care sector would improve with safety monitoring and many good reputable care service providers already have CCFTV installed. Families and care workers want it and in a recent poll, 73% of carers would not be phased working with it. CCFTV believe by making it mandatory it would improve the care sector and give a clear indication that care providers are placing safety and striving for good care at the very top of their agenda.

On the 14th April 2017, On behalf of Campaign for the Vulnerable our team will be attending 10 Downing Street to hand in our Government petition. It has the signatures of thousands of supporters for the requirement of safety monitoring in dementia care homes signed by families and care workers.