Care Campaign for the Vulnerable is learning of the pressures faced by conscientious led Care Providers striving to offer a caring and safe environment to both service users and staff. Safety monitoring is proving to be a invaluable care assist tool - bringing a more open and transparent culture into care homes as well as saving valuable resources within the care home sector and the NHS
We met Jayne Connery at her latest networking meeting and we were so pleased to talk to people who were as motivated as us to create real and meaningful change for the lives of the service users in care settings. We realised straight away that our goals were the same – keeping vulnerable people safe.
We are proud to be a supporter of the Care Campaign for the Vulnerable and applaud the fantastic progress being achieved by Jayne and her group of experienced and committed Health Care Professionals.
More and more progressive and forward-looking care providers are realising that to include all their staff in contributing and highlighting risk information can only lead to better overall performance and, specifically, greater safety for the service users. Notably, Say So can operate with existing procedures or technical installations such as CCTV safety monitoring and of course will not be limited by privacy considerations so has an access-all-areas deterrent capability. We believe the writing is on the wall, positive change is coming to communication in the workplace in the care sector.
With so many reviews, reports, studies and care staff themselves telling us of the concerns that they were unable to report, our service will unlock much more information than would otherwise be available to management concerning risks to the service user and ultimately to the care provider.
We believe that Say So is not only a tool for improving risk management – it also makes good financial and business sense in so many ways.
We look forward to working with Jayne and her campaign group to reach our common goal of keeping vulnerable people safe while receiving care. All details of our service are at www.say-so.co.uk and enquiries can be made at info@say-so.co.uk
Shaun Keep and Paul Adams
Directors - Say So Ltd
It is important to support good causes, but some are also worthy causes such as JayneConnery - CCTVDementia campaign. I have investigated many concerns against providers as a council officer, which with the use of CCTV we could have put a stop to then and there.
My name is Karin Flower, I am the founder of A voluntary Celebrity Football team, which supports small UK charities and individuals, and my mum Peggy, 79, has vascular dementia.
My mum’s ability to remember, understand, communicate and reason has declined at a steady pace over the last 4 years – with some astoundingly severe changes, following short illnesses.
However, every now & then there are flashes of her prior self – her sparkling personality, her wit, her intelligence (a published author) – which I long to cling too… As I am sure she would too…
At the beginning of this journey, I tried to care for her at home, but with failing health myself, a specialist extra-care home was the sensible option. These facilities offer round the clock care (if and when needed) along with a peace of mind for me that my mum has people on site to help her with day-to-day tasks, which are becoming more difficult as time passes.
The home she is in has been great on many occasions and not so great on others and after a number of falls & lost glasses / keys / food incidents (yes food) my sister and I decided to install CCTV in her flat. Her falls are less now (I can’t explain why) but also, just being able to have a quick peek on her every now and then has really helped with our peace of mind. This is just a cheap, Wi-Fi enabled CCTV inside her flat (not in communal areas) but it still took some persuading of the “facility” – as they didn’t want it initially. But I firmly believe it helps.
Every now and then I’ll call mum on the telephone and she will give me a cute wave on the camera (I prompt her to remember they are there). I personally feel, this should have been a standard part of the property, to safeguard not only mum, but the carers too (my mum can be very vocal when she doesn’t want to take her med’s & if you were listening outside you would believe she was being attacked).
Taking away my personal experiences, I am extremely confused as to how it’s widely recognised that childcare facilities, such as nurseries have CCTV, as do supermarkets to assist with monitoring the care for their charges; but those who care for the vulnerable elderly have no such monitoring system.
It’s been proven time and time again, that the main way to expose care failings for the most vulnerable is to film it.
With CCTV in all care homes and facilities as standard, relatives who have concerns would be reassured. There would be no pressure on the wonderful carers who do a thoroughly good job to whistle blow either as the CCTV could be monitored for any failings.
It would also help with the recruitment of only those who would be happy to be seen doing their job. Thus, weeding out the care workers who for whatever reason are just not meant to be in a role where vulnerable people are being looked after.
With Jaynes campaign and more and more people talking about this, surely, we can go from gasping at horrific footage shown after the event, to all feeling more secure in the knowledge our loved ones and maybe even one day “we” will be watched over and safe.
I know CCTV -Care Campaign for the Vulnerable through my involvement in a dementia-related project for World Alzheimer’s Month.
This project has led us into reading up about the need for CCTV in care homes, and I speak for both myself and my team when I say we have been truly inspired by your proactivity in promoting a cause that doesn’t get enough coverage or support in my opinion.
Obviously today is World Alzheimer’s Day, and my project just went live in collaboration with Dementia Friends.
We have created an interactive ‘Dementia house’ containing a number of household analogies which explain the various nuances of the disease which many people may not actually be aware of.
You can see it here: https://www.allcleartravel.co.uk/dementia-house/
I can’t stress enough how myself and my team have been moved by what we’ve learned about dementia throughout the process, which is why we’re very proud to share this with you.
If this strikes a chord with you, I’d love your support in helping us get it out across social media for #WorldAlzheimersDay today.
Thanks again for the inspiration and keep up the good work,
Daniel Wright
My Father in Law developed the cruellest of disease’s known as Vascular Dementia. After several years of living at home it reached a stage where Mum couldn’t cope with his symptoms and he was admitted to a local Dementia Care Home. This opened yet more pain and anguish as the family wrestled with the guilt and anguish of never wanting to see him away from the home he loved and knew and in having to live in such a place. We visited him 3 times EVERY day and I would take him out each day for a couple of hours to give him some self-freedom. We did this to ensure his welfare was still being attended to … we took him food, drinks and snacks which we knew he would eat and enjoy and gave him reassurance and love.
Part of “His” illness was he called everyone a “Man” and would say “some men have been in my room” so we couldn’t decipher who had been visiting his room … and polite questions simply brought half-baked responses. He began barricading himself in saying he was frightened - but of what or whom we would never be able to detect.
I can honestly say I never witnessed any form of physical harm but I certainly saw lots of poor standards of care, some unfortunate verbal interaction’s and certainly elements of what I would consider neglect.
Eventually we managed to bring him home for the latter stages of the disease so he was amongst his family having arranged full time home care … the look of relief and happiness when he came home was beyond words ….
In our case CCTV in all areas of the Home would have been highly beneficial to have been able to see his room visitors … he had a real dislike of a couple of staff and we would never know how much engagement he would have had with these employees.
I strongly believe CCTV would be a TWO-WAY STREET protecting both the Residents AND the Staff accordingly … giving reassurance to all parties involved that the care required and demanded was being delivered properly.
www.charliecliffordscaffoldingsales.com
I really want to thank CCFTV to help improve the overall care delivery experience.
We need cameras in communal areas in our care facilities e.g hospitals, care homes etc, we have all seen and heard the horror stories about poor practice in the care sector.
Keep up the good work Jayne and lets all help by pushing for more CCTV in order to make public and private healthcare organisations safer places for us all.
Managing Director
Stephen Watson
Our business supports this campaign.
"We have a duty of care to those that need it most. The people who have gone before us, those that led the way to enable us to be who we are today need our help, support and protection. The have earned our respect and have earned their dignity. Its our responsibility to uphold that. CCTV monitoring will provide for them the security and wellbeing they deserve to live out there lives in peace. As Edmund Burke said "The only thing necessary for the triumph of Evil is for good men to do nothing"
John O'Dea
CEO 3Sixty Financial Planning
The Rotary Club of Gerrards Cross & Chalfont St. Peter are privileged to support the campaign for CCTV cameras to be installed in Care Facilities.
It is essential this is carried out quickly. Many of us have, or know of, someone that is being looked after in a care home and need to know that they are being looked after as we would wish. The sooner the better that this is made law by the Government and we hope that other Rotary Clubs will join us in this very worthwhile campaign.
Des Legg, President
'Jayne's energy and dedication to this campaign never ceases to amaze me, considering all the other 'juggling' her life requires. Well done Jayne and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Robert Myers
As a registered care home manager of a dementia care home in Birmingham and one that activity has 24 hour cctv in operation.I fully support your campaign #ivesignedthepetition
Andrew
Care Home Manager
Freckleton Lodge Care Home Statement of Support
All care homes should be proud to support this worthwhile campaign.
As a dementia care home, we believe it not only protects our residents from any form of neglect or abuse, but also staff from false allegations. Families of those at the home are with us in this decision and fully support us. We have operated a total transparency policy without any complaints since having the cctv installed in all communal areas and if this campaign can raise awareness to protect even just one vulnerable resident -Why wouldn't any one not want to have cctv installed is maybe a question loved ones and service users should ask?
"The evidence from Providers who have installed CCTV seems to me to merit careful attention and to be quite persuasive"
Just some of the Care Providers who support our CCTV Safety Monitoring in Care Homes
Download their 'Safety Monitoring In Communal Areas in Care Homes' document
Chiltern and South Bucks District Council SAFE PLACE SCHEME has called on Care Campaign for the Vulnerable to add our support to the initiative for those who are vulnerable in the community to get help if out and about and feeling scared , lost or confused.
Read more
Care Campaign for the Vulnerable is learning of the pressures faced by conscientious led Care Providers striving to offer a caring and safe environment to both service users and staff. Safety monitoring is proving to be a invaluable care assist tool - bringing a more open and transparent culture into care homes as well as saving valuable resources within the care home sector and the NHS