Panorama - Failings in care system

[WillyBumBalls]

Just wondered if anyone else is watching this.

I used to work in a care setting where the staff were not great and given all the publicity thought I'd watch this.

I was going to watch this tonight however I don't think I will now.

How bloody heartbreaking and awful.

I couldn't watch this, as just reading about it upset me. I worked in a home for adults with learning disabilities and behavioural issues for a couple of years as a manager many years ago. It isn't a scientific example, but I would like to say that I NEVER saw anything close to the horrific things going on in this film. The people I cared for were supported, encouraged and stimulated and the staff well trained and supervised. We took them on holidays, on trips out and did a wide range of activities with them. It doesn't have to be this way (and I really, really hope that the vast majority of places look more my experience of the system than this one.)

Agree with Colditz- I have worked in many care homes/hospitals etc as a Non qualified- as a student nurse and as a qualified RMN. I have never seen anything so awful as this. I cant understand how so many people can all be in on this bullying together- I work with caring people- I work in an extremely challenging environment- we are spat at, kicked, punched - faeces thrown at us- but nobody treats any of our patients with anything other than the upmost care they deserve as the most vulnerable members of society.

Im fucking outraged.

My DH's first shift as a qualified nurse was a "baptism of fire".He was also sworn at,had his finger bitten, and punched on the jaw. But he spent time building up a therapeutic relationship with his patient, who turned out to be a real sweetie.:)

As a nurse or a carer-that's what you are supposed to bloody do.

I just wanted to go and cuddle those patients, as well as perform acts of violence on their tormentors.

the staff have been released on pail

I think I've just lost all faith in humanity

*bail

the last sentence is strong, but wtf?? such clear damning evidence??

Do you think they should be on remand?

they should be put in alcatraz

even thought thats too go for them

One professional who was shown the tapes was so horrified,he likened it to Guantanamo Bay...maybe that's where they should be remanded.

I suppose the magistrate reasoned they are not a danger to the public so granted bail.

Hopefully prison is still to come

One professional who was shown the tapes was so horrified,he likened it to Guantanamo Bay

the chair thing reminded me of that

News on now aboit this. Not one person from govt, coumcil, care comission or company willing to talk. Covering up wankers. Nor the local council. Shame on them.

haughty- the chair horrified me.

we have to restrain (quite frequently unfortunately) at work- I cant think of anyone who would suggest using a chair as a prop to hold someone down. Im amazed that the one girl didnt suffocate with the methods they were using.

Just watched some footage of this. I had to stop. Having worked at two care settings with adults with LD I would also like to join in with reassuring those parents with children who may end up in a residential setting that I have never ever seen anything like that in the 5 years that I did support work. Yes staff got snappy and tired on occasion, but we used to support each other as a team, had regular meetings about how best to support the people as their needs changed, and were very well trained. I hope that organisations like the one I used to work for are the norm - they damn well should be.

Here's a link for National Autistic Society's petition to make sure that the Government takes urgent action to prevent this happening again. This is from the Every Disabled Child Matters FB page.

Please click on this link to help prevent the fight against abuse of vulnerable adults.

Locked homes shouldnt exist. More small group homes with one to one advocates. And the more disabled people are included in every day lofe the safer they will be.
South glos releasing some sound bite statement. They are fucking useless.

I totally agree Riven. The home I worked in had 4 people living there. We were very close as a staff team and we were all very passionate about the best way to support the people we worked with - when I worked there it was all about 'ordinary life principles' but I think it has moved on now and is even better - but the service user was always at the centre of the care, and we tried so hard to advocate for them in the best way we could if they weren't able to communicate.

We had a fantastic manager though - it makes such a difference. We also had a very clear whistle blowing policy- and it was used, and people did get the axe on occasion- for stuff that seems minor compared to the small amount of footage I watched before switching off.

Also - the organisation I worked for is not run for profit. I think that makes a huge difference.

I watched this, it reduced me to tears. I am about to qualify as an RMN and Ive worked in the care industry for over ten years, yes there are some terrble staff out there!.... permanent, bank and agency. Being bank staff is tough as you are staff but not treated like it most of the time and agency work is even worse, different places and different people all the time, but it doesnt excuse some of the awful staff that are out there. This documentary showed the industry at its worst, I think the fact that you can be a care worker or a support worker without any specfic qualifications and although the care industry in general pays low it pays more than being a cashier at Tescos or many other unskilled jobs and attracts some very uncaring and unmotivated people because of this. I am waiting for the 10 o'clock news as there is going to be a focus on this and so there should be. I dont think anybody couldve watched that and not been affected it was appalling

Again Riven totally agree.

The man who was shown the footage in the program and was seriously upset by it was on the news yesterday and he also said that as a society we need to step up and take more responsability for vulnerable people rather than shoving them in homes away from normality.

You would think given the fact that David Cameron's son would've most likely had to use these facilities at some point in his life that he would understand more than most the need to sort the system out before it gets any worse and more vulnerable people are left isolated and terrified.

I was in tesco this morning and a middle aged man came in with his support worker. Thats what i want to see. However, various others were shying away and starring. If inclusion was normal from school age then ireckon this woildnt happen. I loathe the 'lock them away in homes' attitude for both disabled people, people with mental health issues and the elderly. Locked 'hospitals' like winterbourne view are breeding grounds for abuse. Ive seen it on locked dementia wards too. Horrible name calling and impatience and threats.
Sure people with learning disabilities, MH issues and dementia need lots of support but it should be supoort for still being part of society as much as possible. That home struck me as boring as shit for its residents too. With nothing to do, no purpose to life. Likea holding pen :(

Riven - This abuse was appalling but in lots of places people are included in society. My high school shared a site with the local special school and one of more physically able but severely LD lads used to come into our common room and spend time with us, someone would always take him back over to make sure he was safe. No one anything of it and he was never teased inappropriately. A few years later I worked over the summer in a group home where he would come for respite. It was a lovely place, we used to go to the pub and into town and had a lovely garden and a cook who made great meals. I used to feel guilty for getting paid as it never really felt like work, although the older carers would always do the personal care as they felt I wasn't experienced enough. The supervision that I got was really good, the care that they got was great. Later at Uni, 1993 I went on placement at an awful "asylum" hospital where the adults with LD had been horribly abused and most of the staff were sacked went it all came out. The placement was about moving these people into group homes. The behaviours of these people markedly changed as they were moved into community homes for the better. I was shocked to find that any LD/autistic people were still in any hospital like establishment as in the area that I work and where I live they are all now in group homes. I go into some group homes now and the atmosphere is very postive and staff are interested in and care immensely about the people in those homes.

We used to take the people we supported out to do their own shopping, out to do the activities they liked. We used to plot graphs of their segregated and non- segregated activity so that we could see it was going the right way - but also making sure that this was their wish - sometimes they wanted to spend time with people they had known for years and had lived with in institutions. One of the sad things about institutions closing (because there were cons as well as the many pros, and that sort of thing needs to be acknowledged) was the fact that some of them had formed strong bonds with other people who they didn't get to see again :(

I just couldn't watch this.The tv clips on the news were bad enough.:(

I hugged my (learning disabled) daughter very hard last night.

I hope they lock the torturing evil bastards seen on that film up for a long time.If I had it my way they would throw away the key too.

Scumbags