Case Studies

A care worker contacted Care Campaign for the Vulnerable telling us she was forced to whistleblow on a senior colleague on the very first day of her employment when witnessing the abuse a vulnerable resident living with dementia. The distraught carer contacted CCFTV telling us she was told to carry out nineteen hours of module training which she passed including what she should do if she witnessed the abuse of a resident. On her first day on the job she told us she witnessed the abuse of an end of life patient and said she felt ''punished'' by the home manager and deputy manager for raising the complaint.

'While assisting the resident with a senior staff member the elderly lady was very stressed and scared and pulled at the senior carer's hair. The senior carer immediately grabbed the resident's hair and 'yanked' her hair and head backwards in a ' revenge action'. I was so shocked. I said to her straight away that she couldn't do that but she ignored me and carried on.

We finished assisting the resident and I was in shock at what I had just witnessed. The lady was also was very upset and agitated. I called my husband straight after. I was so upset and he advised that I write down immediately what I witnessed and to tell a senior member of staff, which I did. I heard absolutely nothing. No manager came to me but then told me to place the note I had written under the door as the manager had left to go home. So I did. I am still so shocked by what happened, but I'm equally shocked at how this was handled.

My role is to work two twelve-hour shifts, two days a week. On Wednesday when I returned to work I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the offending care worker still working on shift AND with the lady she previously mistreated. I was completely lost for words and told by the assistant manager the RESIDENT was placed onto a different ward. I went back home so upset and I called my sister in law who is a social worker who advised me to call the Adult Safeguard Team. I left a message on their answering machine and the next day they did call me back. The man took all the details and said he would definitely get back to us. We heard nothing. I continued to work in July but I was moved to 'one on one care. It appeared everyone knew about the incident. I called the safeguarding team for an update. No one got back to me or offered me any support.

THE NOTE PLACED UNDER THE CARE HOME MANAGER'S DOOR BY THE CARER GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT SHE HAD WITNESSED AGAINST AN ELDERLY RESIDENT WHO WAS AT 'END OF LIFE.

In the meeting with the home manager thankfully I had my husband for moral support. I asked the manager why I had no shifts. He said I was a bank worker and I would be called upon as required. He told me they had employed too many carers but when I checked online the home was still advertising for care staff. It was very obvious I was being punished for raising a concern. I became upset and my husband then said to the manager about the nurse accused of abuse and he looked at my husband and was very rude to him. I understand this was my issue but my husband was speaking up for me seeing I was so upset.

The manager became very irate. I told him I would not be bullied. The manager said the senior care worker who I had seen abuse the elderly lady had been 'sent on a course'. He told us the family of the resident had been informed of the abuse incident and were, in fact, 'ok with the home's response'. We were astounded. I decided to go to the police with my husband as I was seriously concerned for residents under his care and he told me the carer would be going nowhere. The police said there was nothing they could do.

We had no choice but to leave the police station and I was so very very upset. As a dutiful carer who has been a carer for twelve years taking care of my own parents, I couldn';t believe on the first day I was forced to whistleblow. But what shocked me more was how it was dealt with by this care home. I understand investigations need to be carried out but no one came to me to ask for a full accurate account of what actually happened. The abuser was protected. I wasn't and this is the reason abuse of our elderly often goes undetected. Safety monitoring is needed in the care of vulnerable elderly and especially their carers. This could have been proven in a matter of minutes and I wouldn't feel like a criminal for safeguarding a vulnerable resident who couldn't defend herself.'' Care Worker (name withheld)

My husband drove me back to work to do a shift at 730am. I walked in and was immediately told the home had 'no work for me'. The manager or deputy didn't call or email me - only waiting for me to walk into the home - humiliated. I am devastated and no doubt I was punished for whistleblowing. No one contacted me from the home or management until the Care Campaign for the Vulnerable took up our case. Now we have what seems like a far more proactive and professional response happen. I even contacted the CQC and it took five days before the CQC got back to us and the county council safeguard team also failed to get back to me as promised. I arranged a meeting with the care home manager. We just felt we needed to protect vulnerable residents if this was how they conducted themselves. I didn't know what to do so I walked across to the police station and this actually shocked me more when an officer told us they received everyday calls regarding alleged abuse of residents but rarely can do anything about it. All solved in a house with safeguarding teams. I honestly couldn't believe it.

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable spoke extensively to this care worker. Our priority is the safety and good care of vulnerable residents. We have made contact with the Provider's Managing Director and have assurances this case will be investigated. We have been promised CCFTV will be kept informed of the investigation outcome.

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable contacted the Managing Director of the care provider and we raised a serious complaint on behalf of the care worker. We also wanted assurances all vulnerable residents were safe. We have been informed that the care home manager is 'no longer working at this care home' and the care worker has been suspended pending an investigation. The care worker (whistle-blower) has now received official correspondence from the provider's HR department and will be giving an official statement. She has also received a call from senior management. CCFTV has be continuing our support to this care worker. The CQC has been informed and CCFTV has been promised an update on the outcome of the investigation by the Managing Director.

Care Campaign For The Vulnerable Statement

CCFTV is saddened to realise we are absolutely no further forward in terms of protecting our vulnerable elderly in care or our dedicated care workers who bravely report care concerns. There has not been any Social Care legislation announcement to address critical funding issues, no willingness by Government to make elder abuse a hate crime, no insistence that vulnerable people and their dedicated carers are protected by safety monitoring. All of this in action at a time when Coronavirus has taken so many older peoples lives and when they have been deprived of their families. Carers are stepping up and raising abuse/wilful neglect of vulnerable elderly should be better protected and should not feel how this care worker felt. Reporting on a colleague is a stressful and brave action and the industry needs to adopt an independent reporting system in all care homes where carers can feel protected and not have to face the distress of being ostracised when raising legitimate care concerns in their place of work.

CCFTV would urge Government to recognise the urgency of the situation. It really is time to address the many chronic issues as highlighted above. Our elderly and dedicated care workers deserve better and our continued refusal as a society to remedy these long-standing issues is to our lasting shame.