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Founder/Director of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable Jayne Connery meeting Dominic Grieve MP at Westminister to thank him for publicly supporting safety monitoring to be made law in all communal areas in all care homes.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/992852/new-law-cctv-protect-elderly-abuse-care-homes-dominic-grieve-uk-campaign

Jayne Connery Founder of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable attended a press meeting on Thursday 19th July 2018 at Dominic Grieve MP London’s Westminster Parliamentary office. In attendance Daily Express journalist Giles Seldrick. Mr Grieve, former Attorney General spoke very positively regarding the huge benefits safety monitoring would have in communal areas in all care homes for everyone, if made law. Jayne who set up Care Campaign for the Vulnerable after her own mum suffered failings and much spending much time in care homes as her Mother's care partner, believed safety monitoring would be a valuable asset to have. Her mother was physically assaulted, in a corridor by a night-time carer, who, police said would have gotten away with this shocking abuse against a vulnerable person, if she hadn’t had confessed to slapping her mum who lived with dementia because there was no evidence available to them.

In less than two years, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable gained tens of thousands of supporters including carers, care providers, care industry professionals resulting in Jayne visiting 10 Downing Street in April 2017, handing in a Government petition with thousands of signatures, calling for safety monitoring to now be made law in communal areas in all care/nursing homes.

Before her meeting with Dominic Grieve at Westminster, Jayne said ‘I cannot believe we are finally at this point. I’ve been championing safety monitoring for so many years now and because my own mother suffered abuse and preventable neglect it baffled me why my mother’s care homes had no safety monitoring in communal areas. I would often see frail residents trip or fall, left unattended because staff were too busy, residents left with no stimulation and being lifted or moved incorrectly. This was sometimes because of poor or inadequate training or sometimes just an accident that couldn’t be prevented. Safety monitoring would without doubt help identify poor care practices and allow solutions to be put in place so to not happen again. It would also pick up good care practice and be used in training. I often saw carers blamed if residents had unexplained bruising or injuries. Many of these incidents if safety monitoring had been present could have evidenced what could have saved a lengthy and costly investigation process. Safety monitoring is a must in an environment where vulnerable people are placed and it’s very much a two-way street - safeguarding and protecting our good dedicated care staff and eradicating those not in the job to care because sadly this can also be the case . Since setting up Care Campaign I have learned so much over the last few years about care providers. I have met many decent, hard-working, empathetic professionals that have invited me into their homes and all eager to deliver the best care and safety standards but who work under enormous pressure and so safety monitoring would be a huge benefit here".

I first met Dominic Grieve, my local MP in 2014, I was very keen to get his support and I remember our first meeting so well. He was empathetic and understanding regarding my mum’s failings but didn’t seem at all convinced for safety monitoring to be mandatory across the sector. Setting up Care Campaign-for the Vulnerable and giving up my then full-time employment, I decided to concentrate on raising the profile on the work I do by gaining more supporters and working with care industry professionals and families who were affected by poor care. I also wanted to highlight much good across the sector too and showcase good care very much being achieved. It is so important to highlight on a national scale both the torment many families are going through in the care sector, often helpless and feeling alone when faced with inadequate care as well as the brilliance our sector has. My own Mother suffered inadequate care and in so many instances I knew her neglect was preventable. In 2017 after many meetings and presenting my MP with much evidence of our work and gaining national awareness to Care Campaign for the Vulnerable, Dominic Grieve MP was persuaded the care sector was struggling and safety monitoring in communal areas in all care homes ‘was needed' for everyone who lived and worked in care and he was very much of the mindset making it the law was very much achievable.

''I founded Care Campaign for the Vulnerable over five years ago now and it was because I couldn't see the sense care homes not having mandatory safety monitoring. I wanted to promote the positives and with the help of our loyal supporters I really feel we are making progress.''