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

Good post hatgirl. Yes to tell local authority.you can call ask for duty team report to them
Yes to safeguarding alert

Hat girl is correct. Yes she has a duty of care to get patients. If the home is under resourced and she knows it then she has a duty of care to report it. I know it sounds harsh but she needs to protect herself and make sure people are safe. What type of care home is it? Is it a chain?

I work for a good care provider and we respect people who report issues and we have our systems to report issues. The person is never in trouble for reporting genuine concerns.

I forgot to say that you can ask to be kept anonymous if you ring the local authority and the CQC and they will as far as is possible do this.

The important bit is not ringing in anonymously to them completely as it makes everything so much harder for them as there are so many 'anonymous' malicious/ unfounded alerts about care homes that the real ones can get lost in the mix. All get investigated eventually but those with a real name against them that have someone willing to be contacted will always get attention quickly.

You could keep it anonymous but that does not leave a paper trail for your mum. Far better to raise confidentially.

Just in case you come back to this, please please report it and when questions start being asked your mum needs to be totally upfront about her concerns. As a safeguarding professional I have seen many terrible things, the deepest scars on my soul are from a care home in which staff effectively 'hid' the issues. A few anonymous issues were raised, when investigations happened every was ok. It took a member of staff being sacked for her friends to speak out. What I saw and heard there was horrific and I will never forget the pain, humiliation and fear suffered by those that should have been supported. I stayed at that home long enough to see the guys there turning the corner but those weeks were horrific. I have never been so tempted to harm someone as I was the carer that showed me where the real evidence and incident reports were kept that were hidden in the first investigation. Abusive people could have been kept out of that house the first time if the evidence hadn't been tampered with. Part of working in care is manning up and doing the hard thing for you that makes others safe. If you haven't already- get on the phone to the local safeguarding adults team and give them everything you know.

The case above started with under resourcing, it ended with 'carers' treating humans like 'things' they were bored of. Stop it now, please.

Thank you for all you're messages. I'm def. going to report it if my mum decides not too. I have been making notes during conversations with her so can record adult staff ratios, any worrying trends. She is going to speak to her line manager when she's back from hols and I'm hoping it help her write a letter to the company that owns the home.

I'm definitely not letting this one lie

Am so disappointed with cqc all they seem interested in is paperwork, I have 10 years experience & also worked for an agency & have worked in approx 30 nursing/carehomes in my area. Out of 30 Homes only 2 were any good & I often worked in conditions such as your mum has been working. It's disgusting and exactly why they cannot keep staff in this sector. The responsibilities & pressure is huge and the things I have seen are shocking. Cqc never seem to do anything when things arereported to them & they give chance after chance to these appalling homes. The only way this will ever change is for the government to put a strict ratio of person to say for example 3/4 residents day & night (with no cleaning/housework duties). Also to put cqc undercover staff in to keep the home owners on their toes. Only when the above is done will anything change!

*carer to resident ratio (not person)

"Am so disappointed with cqc all they seem interested in is paperwork"

Yes and arse covering when it's their own scandal to hit the headlines. I don't have much faith in the CQC, neither personally nor professionally (I am a social worker for older adults).

You say "She never wants anyone to feel upset or in trouble bless her! ", but what about the vulnerable old people who are being mistreated?