Serious failure to protect individuals

Serious failure to protect individuals from abuse occurred in care homes across Britain. This is an account of the shocking state of an elderly care home in Essex. It has shown the residents being abused, bullied and also physical violence being used toward these vulnerable adults. They had been left in their own excrement for hours not taken to bathroom when they needed too.

In a Hampshire hospital it had shown through the use of hidden cameras had shown vulnerable adults with learning disabilities being assaulted. A third of care homes did not meet the basic standards (CQC) this means that 406 care homes housing up to 15,533 vulnerable adults are failing. Panorama investigated they send in a reporter named Alex Lee to work 36 undercover shifts with a hidden camera. What she caught on film was shocking she filmed care workers slapping a woman with dementia who was partially paralysed also caught others bullying, mocking the same patient. Other residents had their pleas for help ignored many were left in their own excrement for hours and care workers had turned off the call bells. An elderly resident in his late 80s was mockingly called a “bitch” for hours after he called her it after he became annoyed about how she was cleaning his private parts. The head of care quality commission (CQC) stated the care shown in the programme was unacceptable. Since 2011 158 homes have been shut down due to action taken by the CQC.
A spokesman for the care home said they ‘apologise unreservedly for what was covered in the programme. Immediate action was taken those involved were suspended straight away and are not to return to work until after a full inquiry has taken place.

In another situation a girl named Vanessa Evans used a hidden camera to uncover the care of her grandmother. In December 2012 it was shown that her grandmother had called for a nurse 321 times pleading for the toilet 45 times in just over an hour. They had tried to make her walk even though she was immobile for two years. She was taken to the toilet two and a half hour later she still did not go was put back to bed. Vanessa’s Grandmother told her ‘they’re really nice when your here as soon as your gone they are horrible. She was completely ignored by staff. She was bleeding from pressure sores that needed a dressing which the staff had noticed. However five hours later the nurse hadn’t put a dressing on the wounds. A spokeswoman who owns the care home apologised she said they do not tolerate this kind of behaviour that it was ‘shocking and ‘distressing. They acted immediately to notify care quality commission and the police. Staff involved were suspended and later dismissed.

Serious failure to protect individuals from abuse occurred at children's homes in Britain author Alex Weatle writes of how he was sexually abused by a doctor at a children's home thought to be linked to paedophiles involving an MP in Tony Blair’s government. He was awarded an MBE in 2008 he spoke up after seeing an investigation by the Daily mirror about abuse covered up after the MP was named suspect. Alex was targeted in the 1980s by a group of abusers who were working in the same care homes the MP was visiting. He would make visits alone to childrens homes run by a convicted paedophile. Boys would have been taken out of south vale childrens home this is a unit which has filtered out abusers from outside the care system.
Alex sickening account of abuse suffered by children at Shirley oaks care home he states that strange nameless me had entry to the home and he believes that abusers were allowed in and the staff had known he was convince there was a paedophile ring operating at both care homes.

Shirley oaks looked like a nice place to raise children with its hills streams and oaks trees. However in 1995 it was shut down. Outside the building now is a plague that reminds people of the children that once lived there. A friend of Alex took her life not far from there tortured by memories of abuse. Another friend took his life by asphyxiation hanging themselves from a toilet chain. He first arrived there in 1966 he remembers filling coal buckets and getting beat up with hard brushes, belts and shoes. He suffered violence daily described it as part of his day like eating toast. As he got older he heard stories of abuse from friends who started off in south vale and came to Shirley oaks for longer care. ‘bummed’ was a phrase he heard often. Strange men would be around the premises one stayed and we were told his name is mark he taught swimming lessons in pool within grounds as well as private clients he was only adult present each time. Decades later he was jailed for his crimes.
Alex did his best to get through this time he was labelled ‘maladjusted and referred to a doctor. When he seen the doctor the first thing doctor asked him to do was to remove all of his clothing until he was naked. He stood there in horror unable to speak as the doctor sexually assaulted him. He wanted to share it with his friends to see if they have suffered the same but he could not do it.

In secondary education there were still strange men on the grounds at night sometimes during the day. One said he was a football coach he would arrive at a game and take the younger boys away to a hidden part of the premises where it was thought he was giving them extra training, no one would report to social worker for fear of being put somewhere worse.. One of his house mates did object what was taking place she was removed she came back traumatised would not speak. They had heard a staff member had raped a defenceless girl. If you had family that wanted to visit they could apply for a section 2 to even deny any relatives from visiting you. They had complete control and many were miserable and isolated. There were only 3 convicted jail terms there are 19 paedophiles who were not identified or charged and the police said the investigation was a great success. How did these people gain access to these children's homes there were hundreds of children and social workers visited them everyday they must have been aware of the ‘swimming instructor or the ‘football coach because they were visible. They and other paedophiles had somehow had gotten inside these places and to got to abuse these defenceless children. He was convinced there was a paedophile ring running in both south vale and Shirley oaks children's homes that the authorities knew and did nothing to stop it. Alex urges that the inquires made include a complete investigation of the social services safeguarding children and protection policies it should examine all aspects of child abuse including violent, neglect and emotional abuse victims often take their lives because of abuse.

After the Shirley Oaks was shut down someone set fire to the primary school he wonders if it was a victim who felt it would be justice for her who for years had went unheard and ignored. He really hopes his account will help others who have suffered this abuse to come forward and talk about this horrific crimes toward them those strange men must be uncovered and brought to justice no matter if they are alive or dead.