It’s harder than most people would imagine to sack staff who have
abused residents. Hard to uncover the abuse and harder to put together
a strong enough case to get a dismissal.
The worst kind of bad practice is rarely picked up by
inspections, sometimes there are rumours, sometimes managers have
concerns but without specifics nothing happens until you get a whistle
blower. It’s hard to speak out In a residential home for people with
learning disabilities or frail and confused older people because most
staff live and work locally there is every chance your children attend
the same school, you shop at the same corner shops and drink in the
same pub as those you have accused. And their friends! There are
poison pen letters, late night threatening phone calls and excrement
through the letter box its distressing and frightening.
It no surprise then that your typical whistle blower is new to the
workplace. In residential work it is often a temporary member of staff
someone brought in to cover in the short term for sickness or
holidays, someone who has worked elsewhere and knows this type of
think should not happen, someone who has no intension of staying,
someone who knows a manager from outside of the home who won’t ignore
their concerns.
Blowing the whistle is only the start. There is the struggle to be
believed, then the fear of retribution. An anonymous allegation may
trigger an investigation but if no one is prepared to make a statement
and appear as a witness it is difficult to mount a successful
disciplinary case.
Investigations and disciplinary action in these cases are notoriously
drawn out. Staff are suspended often for months whilst an
investigation is carried out and if there is evidence of abuse a
disciplinary hearing held. And at the end of it there is no guarantee
those accused will be found guilty and dismissed so they could be back
at work alongside their accuser.
The whistle blows faith in management is rewarded by the abuser’
dismissal. But it’s not over the abuser can appeal and has nothing to
lose by doing so. Appeals against dismissal in some authorities are
heard by members who in my experience are more likely to give the
abuser a second chance. May be they buy the line that the abuser
lacked appropriate training, was not adequately supervised or acted
out of character simply snapped due to the pressure of long hours and
constantly working understaffed. Maybe they want to believe the abuser
is genuinely sorry. Officers are less likely to accept this mitigation.
Whether the appeal is heard by members or a panel of senior managers
they are unlikely to have experience of working in a residential care
home for older people or a group home for people with a learning
disability and therefore may not appreciate the sheer wickedness that
can be inflicted on vulnerable, powerless residents with out ever
resorting to physical violence or verbal abuse.
Presenting the case to the appeal panel involves being graphic with
the details. The simple act of making a cup of tea for a disabled
resident becomes an opportunity for torture when the drink is
deliberately placed just out of reach, the member of staff returning
half an hour later saying,” oh you haven’t touched your drink, didn’t
you want it” and rushing off without waiting for an answer.
Helping some one with dementia get dressed and deliberately dressing
them in someone else’s ill fitting clothes, rather than making a trip
to the laundry room. Throughout ignoring the individuals protestations
telling them they are confused.
Making someone wait for their pain killers to teach them not to be
so impatient and demanding. Intentionally delaying taking a wheelchair
user to the toilet so they wet themselves and then drawing attention
to it saying in a loud voice ,” you should have said if you were
desperate”. It’s the same with helping someone use the commode at
night or leaving them in a soiled bed, not thoughtless acts or even
lazy indifference, bad though that would be, but calculated acts of
cruelty to intimidate the individual and other residents. Such
individuals couldn’t getaway with this behaviour acting alone they are
the leader of a small gang who rule the staff room terrorising
residents and intimidating other staff. They don’t deserve a second chance.
Blair McPherson former Director, author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk