To think there should be a national register for carers?

[clairemcnam]

Carers who look after vulnerable people can treat people in their care terribly, even get sacked, and just leave and find another job. At the moment the only thing that will stop this happening, is a criminal charge, But criminal charges can be hard to get as the people who are being badly treated/abused are often incapable of giving coherent statements or evidence in court e.g. people with dementia, confusion, severe learning difficulties.
A national register would mean that someone who behaved badly could be struck off and would not be able to get a carers job anywhere. This would protect the most vulnerable adults.
And yes, I am posting this because of a personal situation where a carer behaved terribly, and nothing is happening. The carer continues to work with vulnerable adults.

What’s to stop employers just making up lies to get someone struck off the register? Most care homes/agencies treat carers like shit.

I work in early years education and our enhanced DBS checks show up more than just convictions, they show up cautions and police intelligence if the police think it is relevant. Are the same checks not done on those looking after vulnerable adults? If not then they should.

Carers do have enhanced DBS checks done but the issue is that employers rarely contact the police if for eg a carer has been witnessed verbally abusing an elderly resident with dementia, so non of the terrible behaviour would ever be known.

And some carers are privately employed by individuals.
There are also lots of things that may not be physical or verbal abuse, but is still treating the person badly. For example, manipulating someone to buy them expensive gifts. Not a criminal offence, but is abusive.

Fission Nurses, Drs and others can be struck off. There is a hearing with evidence presented. But the burden of proof is less than a criminal conviction.

Yes, but like most registers they would have to pay for it. The majority of carers are paid a pittance so I can't see them paying to register and their employers certainly won't.

Nearly everyone I know who has had carers for several years have been abused in some way, stolen from and mistreated and the carer just moves on

There is a register in Scotland (SSSC), and the enhanced DBS checks show a lot more than you'd think.

I've been in the situation where I've whistle blowed (blown?) and after a full investigation the people involved were banned from ever working in care again.

Also - psychological abuse is a crime in the UK.

YABU for not calling them care workers - I came on thinking you were talking about unpaid family carers which is what a CARER is.

Yes, theres the SSSC in Scotland as a previous poster said. It costs £25 a year and once registered you need to gain a caring qualification within 5 years.

Nurses, Drs and others can be struck off. There is a hearing with evidence presented

Who will fund it? Who’ll be doing the judging?

What about young carers? My DS has been a carer since he was 6, he's 15 now & still caring as well as going to school.

I am talking about care workers.
daisydreaming Sadly that has been my experience too.

divgirl Yes perhaps, but I can tell you that getting the police interested is almost impossible. Even the vulnerable adult team in SS were not interested.

I've been out of care a while but does the POVA list not exist any more?

Answered my own question, yes it does. However a quick read and memory says that people are referred by agencies or homes to the POVA team and it is investigated from there by them. You can be provisionally or permanently be put on the POVA and anyone responsible for providing care by employing staff must check the list and not employ someone. I don't think you have to have a conviction to get on the list rather be dismissed by the employer with evidence?
So the onus is on the employer to report.
And registration of carers will never work as it's not in the interests of the people employing them. With registration will come some type of union protection and that means employers will have to start treating staff properly and staff have a way to fight back. As well as the affordability aspects of a scheme like that.
There of course are bad care workers that are just bad, but often if you look beneath the surface you'll see that the worker has been scapegoated to protect the company, because institutional abuse comes from higher up than floor staff, it's built into homes and routine and borne of not enough staff, equipment or training - because those things cost money and care homes and agencies are businesses where profit is the bottom line.
Until we cap the profit that a care business can make, and force them to reinvest in the people being cared for properly, nothing will change.

@citysmog i thought the same too.

A small thing that would help is if ppl wernt sanctioned for not taking ANY job. Then there wouldnt be ppl doing jobs they are totally unsuitable for and less risk of abuse.