To report a care home I haven't visited?

[Imsosorryalan]

My mum has just started a new job in an old age/dementia care home as a care assistant. She has many years of experience and loves her job.

She was so pleased to get this job which has helped her relocate to a place she loves. Except from what she's told me, it sounds a terrible place. She is coming home crying every day and has started looking for another job. She works nights and has to deal with 50 patients with only another assistant helping. She says the room buzzers are going constantly for assistance with toileting accidents or other issues. They are so rushed off their feet, they are not getting breaks and procedures are not being followed. Things like- not wearing gloves and aprons when changing patients who have pooed, not changing bed sheets when they have toileted, just clearing up what they can and putting a new pad under them for the night
Also, a lady was buzzing for two hours before anyone could get to her and when mum did she was covered in blood as she had scratched herself..two hours in that state!

Mum wants me to wait until she's left, but I think this needs reporting now. Those poor people.

One was so shocked mum had actually brought her a cup of tea in the night as she requested, she couldn't stop thanking her. she said she requests it every night and never gets one

She needs to report to the CQC now.

Is there anything you can do to help her financially while she looks for a new job? She could get onto all the local agencies tomorrow first thing, I bet she'd walk straight into something - if her DBS check is recent it may well be transferable.

Gosh how dreadful.what an appalling environment for residents
Itd be easier for your mum to report as she can give first hand account
Of course any report,needs be factual and clear

I'd say report, report,report. Will have more weight if it comes from your mum, and according to whistleblowing procedures she needs to do it whilst she is still working there if at all possible (if her procedures are the same as mine, not a dissimilar line of work...). I feel for those people. If you any reason your mum feels she can't report, I think you should. and yes, i agree she could prob walk into something else very quickly - this sector is always crying out for willing workers - partly because many people are so disillusioned by situations such as the one you have described that they change career. I feel so sorry for those poor people.

Your mum should be the one reporting it, but as she wants to cover her back you're the next best thing.

Whistleblower info

There are agencies to complain to
Scotland care inspectorate scotland make an anonymous complaint
CQCmake a complaint
Do complain,its dreadful adults are treated like this
Police will take complaint too

Keep diary of dates
Factual account
What staff involved,what clients
Is your mum in a union,union would support her

Yes report it. You have to.

As a social worker for older people, I say; please please do report it. People with dementia are particularly vulnerable and rely on people like you to protect them.

Report, report, report - the residents are too vulnerable/isolated to have their own voice heard. As other posters have said try to gather as many facts/evidence as possible. If it makes things easier you could always report and not tell your Mum. In situations like this its best to think that your call could be the one that starts things moving.

Please report.

A friend was working in a care home that was investigated (so bad it was a police job), and they interviewed all staff. So it's possible your mum won't be singled out if the report comes from you.

You can always do the "a friend told me, and I know some of the staff will be willing to talk if asked".

Also, ask the CQC (or Union) what the legal position will be if your mum takes copies/photos of the staff rota. At the very least, she should make a dated note of the number of staff on each night.

It will be self-evident from the staffing ratio that care is inadequate.

Has she got or could she borrow a camera phone - she can take photos of rotas etc if photocopier etc are in locked offices/coded etc.

Thanks, yes I also feel it has to be reported. Unfortunately I doubt my mum will report or be willing to take any photos, notes etc ( as much I try to persuade her) as she was caught up in a mess at her last place ( no fault of her own) and is quite naive in her thinking of how people will react. She never wants anyone to feel upset or in trouble bless her!

I think I will have to report myself. Is it best to say I'm a relative of a staff member / anonymous or pretend I'm heard through a friend? I'd like to make the most effective impression as poss. So they have to investigate.

She has just started and isn't in any union. She hasn't even been given a contract or shown the fire drill!

It's fine to just say the info is coming from someone you know. I'm the one among my friends who people come to with this stuff, so I've occasionally made similar calls: usually I have to convince them I really do mean "someone I know" and it's not myself who is the witness!

It needs reporting yet so much that you would report can be covered up in an inspection.

I would hope people who care would actually be in care jobs and may agree to tell the truth to those inspecting though.

Keep it
Factual
No pretending
Be accurate

Use the links i posted to report

This type of stuff happens more often in places/with residents who are confused. I understand why your mum is scared. It needs reporting outside of the home or else they will just go back when she leaves.

Can you at least persuade her to make a note of how many staff were on each day, "for later, if they ask you"? Its very neutral information, but also checkable and damning.

Whereas if she doesn't make contemporaneous notes, management will just say, "Oh yes, there was that week in January when we were a bit short-staffed through flu."

Your mum needs to do it. You could get your mum in trouble. She has a duty of care to the residents. If she has not gone to somebody after two hours SHE has been neglectful. Your mum needs to report this to the home immediately. If it is a chain she needs to go up the chain of command and also report to the CQC. She needs to cover herself or she could also be in trouble. Please make her do it. She also needs to write and record issues.

At least keep notes of how many staff each day
How many trained staff on premises
Dated examples

Op do not pretend to be staff or anyone else,in attempt to be credible. Keep it wholly factual

report it to the CQC. My o/h works in a care home which could be considered 'busy' but it has NEVER been like how you've described in the original post. If patients buzz for something they get it. that poor lady with her cup of tea :(

Would my mum get into trouble? If she thinks in any way she could be liable for neglect ( I.e not getting to a patient for 2 hours due to being run off her feet) there is no way she would say anything.
If she made notes of staff working and what dates, would qcq not see that it's the manager not employing enough staff to enable a patient to be seen immediately, that was to blame?

Thank you for the links Scottish. I've forwarded them to mum.

No one where can possibly speculate on outcome of a report.that not helpful
Please Do report via the links
Let the investigation run it's course

1. If the care home is owned by a bigger company e.g. four seasons or barchester - call or write them a letter/ email raising your concerns. even if it is a smaller company this is a good idea unless it is literally owned/ managed by the same person. Keep a copy of this.

1. Phone/ email CQC or use the webform to report concerns. Don't do it anonymously if possible as it makes it much harder for them to act if they can't get back to you for more information. Even if you don't want to give a name give a mobile telephone number or an email address. Provide them with a copy of the letter you sent to the management.

1. Contact the local authority that the home is registered with. Tell them you want to make a safeguarding vulnerable adults alert. If your mum has names of particular residents she feels are most at risk (e.g the very vulnerable who don't have family or the ability to let people know they are distressed or in pain) then they will usually act much quicker than they would to 'general concerns about local care home' Provide them with a copy of the letter you sent to the management.

1. As a whistleblower your mum is protected unless the concerns she raises turn out to be malicious. Get her to keep factual accounts of her concerns, staffing issues etc.

1. If she can bring it up with her supervisors regularly that is also good - it doesn't have to be in an aggressive way, just 'such and such incident occurred on such and such night'. Make sure she keeps accurate care notes in the resident's records of any concerns/ incidents and her own records of when she has raised things.