News

Joy Morrissey MP and Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO Care England, attending Care Campaign for the Vulnerable's Safety in Care Roundtable in May 2021

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable is delighted to have gained the support of MP for Beaconsfield Joy Morrissey on our call for the use of safety monitoring particularly in the care of elderly living with dementia and their dedicated carers.

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable invited to care homes that already have safety monitoring in communal areas for the protection of staff and residents

Marbrook, Cambridge

For over thirty years, many older vulnerable people have been admitted to care homes as a consequence of failing health and a need for 24/7support. Whilst accepting for some, that experience has likely been positive, it is regrettable that for many others that has not been the case. Many families have confirmed to us that their loved ones have/had not received the level of care anticipated which in some circumstances led to serious neglect, injury and even premature death.

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable is contacted by families asking for support when they are faced with loved ones sustaining unexplained injuries in care.

''Elderly with dementia or any type of cognitive impairment are often left vulnerable in care especially when they suffer unwitnessed and unexplained injuries. Many of these injuries are probably sustained innocently but without confirming this, trust will inevitably break down. Our family fully support CCFTV and their call for safety monitoring in communal areas in all care homes '' Jacqui S. (Family in care)

Societies oversight of the care home sector has been woefully inadequate. The principal regulator has ‘changed its coat’ many times, appointed new leadership on a number of occasions and adopted different strategies for sector inspection, yet safeguarding referrals continued unabated, unexplained injury frequency prevails, with findings of neglect and revenge evictions continuing to rise.

It is truly hard to countenance that any advocate should have to accept a safeguarding outcome of ‘unexplained injury’ in this day and age. Technology is available now that if adopted will ensure that never again has to be the wholly inadequate response for a grieving or distressed family.

CCFTV continues to call for the mandatory use of overt safety monitoring systems that have proven (where currently used);

1.To eradicate the ‘unexplained injury’ phenomena,
2. To create safeguarding evidence of care quality and
3. To allow providers and families to make decisions about a loved one’s care on the basis of the visual ‘witness’ to events.

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable would urge this Government to demonstrate its commitment to older people and their families and care staff. Some 400,000 care beds are registered across the UK for older peoples services and virtually no consistent daily overview exists at all. That must end soon as possible by requiring the use of safety systems in all UK care homes that would

Save the NHS in excess of £195 million a year with the mandatory use of Safety Monitoring in communal areas of Care Homes.

Reduce pressure on the NHS & avoid unnecessary 999 calls & Ambulance ‘call outs’, distress to Service Users & their loved ones.

Create a culture of open, honest & transparent care, building relationships with families with open lines of communication that negate conflict often leading to evictions.

Safety monitoring gives a voice to the most vulnerable in our society, protecting all those who live & work in Care Homes, providing answers that, without Safety Monitoring, would go unanswered.

Our Director Jayne Connery, speaks on GB News on the need for safety monitoring in communal areas in care homes. If you would like to know more about our work influencing the care sector on safety monitoring in care homes, please get in touch ccftv.cares@gmail.com