Abuse of vulnerable people at County Durham hospital.

[Dogbark]

I think this stems from thick people ending up in roles working with people they don't understand. I only caught the end but seeing a little bit more on the news now and the 'care' workers clearly feel their patients are just misbehaving. Unfortunately this World does serve up a large amount of f***ing idiots that don't have the brain cells they're born with.

I wish we could just exterminate them based on evidence that they're clearly too stupid to exist.

It's as if they were employed by a company wanting to save the most money. That is contracted by an 'organisation' to also save money.

 

[shadowplay]

I completely agree that lack of funding is an important factor in causing these problems. Having said that, that would explain standards of care and safeguards falling short. It doesn't explain staff being actively evil like this

That's the worst thing about it. It's not like the staff are just incompetent, they're actively trying to be bullies. I have experience in a mental health ward and the staff there were first class, couldn't fault them. I'm sure this isn't representative of every learning disabilities worker but maybe there's a difference in culture in the treatment of these people.

 

[mickb2112]

Learning disability services are in crisis all over the country. People are treated like prisoners, have "privileges" removed and are isolated, excessively physically restrained and detained in hospitals for literally years for being unwell because the funding and expertise to support them in the community just isn't there. Support staff that are fundamental to supporting people to develop independence and skills whilst overcoming challenging behaviour are paid less than staff at Aldi or Tesco's and private hospitals charge up to 5000 pounds a week claiming to provide specialist care. It's a f***ing scandal that eight years on from Winterbourne view next to nothing has changed, even more scandalous when there are small, independent not for profit organisations that do have the skills to support incredibly complex individuals in the community for less with better outcomes but no one learns from their good practice.

Yet we spend billions on illegal wars. It boils my blood the way essential services are starved of real investment yet the gov`t will spout off about record levels of investment when we all know it`s an absolute lie. It is an absolute disgrace.

 

[Scorer]

I completely agree that lack of funding is an important factor in causing these problems. Having said that, that would explain standards of care and safeguards falling short. It doesn't explain staff being actively evil like this

The evil behaviour usually starts from being ill prepared, having poor managerial support and doing a very difficult job, being on long shifts, having poor facilities and dealing with a level of challenging behaviour that is stressful without any recognition. That leads to people using excessive physical restraint and in my experience that is much more likely to escalate behaviour than reduce it, then staff dehumanise the people they support to be able to justify their own disgusting behaviour and it becomes normal. In places where the front line are low skilled a culture of oppressive control can soon develop.
That said some people just enjoy the power and get a rush of adrenaline that becomes addictive and it seems a few of those staff were enjoying the power differential.
I've worked with a lot of complex people over the years in hospital settings( albeit not as a member of hospital staff) and I've never been hit or had to restrain anyone. Why not? It's not rocket science- I'm respectful, recognise triggers and don't behave like a twat.

 

[Kevj]

I was genuinely lost for words watching that.

I don’t think I could work in that environment and have respect for those who do. But I’d never treat anyone like they did.

At first, I wondered how a group of like minded individuals managed to all work at the same place. I presume the behaviour of the staff is an evolution due to poor management not controlling or having the correct levels of discipline, pack mentality over time and employing people who were not right for the job in the first place.

 

[sidneyeric]

Yet we spend billions on illegal wars. It boils my blood the way essential services are starved of real investment yet the gov`t will spout off about record levels of investment when we all know it`s an absolute lie. It is an absolute disgrace.

It boils mine when people vote Tory, shame Milliband eat a bacon sarny funny.

 

[Scorer]

I was genuinely lost for words watching that.

I don’t think I could work in that environment and have respect for those who do. But I’d never treat anyone like they did.

At first, I wondered how a group of like minded individuals managed to all work at the same place. I presume the behaviour of the staff is an evolution due to poor management not controlling or having the correct levels of discipline, pack mentality over time and employing people who were not right for the job in the first place.

It's exactly this. One hospital I worked at ( as part of a team closing it down and moving patients in to community support )employed pretty much all their " non qualified" staff from a car factory redundancy programme. No doubt some of those factory workers were good but many were simply not equipped to deal with the people they were supporting in positive, low arousal ways and just made things worse even when they were trying their best and had no support from management or proper training.

 

[tynevalleyblackcat]

Aye we were on minimum wage and the owner had a Mercedes. Capitalism at its finest.

My daughter worked in a care home in Newcastle a few years back. They were told times were hard when it came to pay rise time and got nowt. A few weeks later the owner of the homes was all over the chronicle because he hired Take That to perform specially for his wife's birthday in a marquee in their garden.

 

[Two million voices]

My daughter worked in a care home in Newcastle a few years back. They were told times were hard when it came to pay rise time and got nowt. A few weeks later the owner of the homes was all over the chronicle because he hired Take That to perform specially for his wife's birthday in a marquee in their garden.

Amazing. I worked for southern cross before they went bust and the owner was paying himself 500k a year.

 

[tunstall birdman]

My twin sister was born with profound disabilities. As she aged she developed behavourial problems. Back then, we were born in the early 50's, there was little support and little understanding. My dear old Mum spent her life fighting to keep out of the care system but as she herself aged and the problems worsened there was no alternative but to surrender my twin to residential care. It wasn't ideal be any means but the staff were, appeared, dedicated, patient and humane.
To watch this programme has me heartbroken. To think that all these years later, with all the changes in society for the better, all the greater understanding we allow the most vulnerable members of our society to be treated in this manner is beyond shocking.
We should be judged as a society by how we treat our most vulnerable members.
It's 8 years after Winterbourne. Private health care, profit driven, isn't the way it should be. And there should now be criminal prosecutions not just of the staff directly involved but the whole managerial pyramid over and including those who inspected and procured the providers.

A very personal and passionate post mate.
I totally agree!

The care of vulnerable people should be nationalised instead of private care. Too many owner 'Dell Boy's' in suits(I've met some), with self gain as their biggest priority. There needs to be much more accountability to all concerned, from top to bottom, if expected care standards slip. Those at the top should get appropriate conviction at court, just as much as those below who carry out the abuse. Such failings in responsibility of care, deserve heavy punishment, if we are to prevent such things like this happening.

 

[tynevalleyblackcat]

A very personal and passionate post mate.
I totally agree!

The care of vulnerable people should be nationalised instead of private care. Too many owner 'Dell Boy's' in suits(I've met some), with self gain as their biggest priority. There needs to be much more accountability to all concerned, from top to bottom, if expected care standards slip. Those at the top should get appropriate conviction at court, just as much as those below who carry out the abuse. Such failings in responsibility of care, deserve heavy punishment, if we are to prevent such things like this happening.

The bosses will no doubt say they were not aware and are conducting an 'urgent review'.

The reality is they are culpable as its happened on their watch, but I would be prepared to bet a lot of money that none of the directors of the company concerned comes from a care working background.

 

[Slim999]

Hopefully prison is the next place they end up.

Agree it's very disturbing viewing.

Several off the people on screen appear to be guilty of abuse.

Thete should be a full enquiry to establish when thus abude started and with it was allowed to continue.

The buck should stop with the management.

Ignorance is not a defence . They are responsible

 

[tunstall birdman]

The bosses will no doubt say they were not aware and are conducting an 'urgent review'.

The reality is they are culpable as its happened on their watch, but I would be prepared to bet a lot of money that none of the directors of the company concerned comes from a care working background.

There should be no excuse, by law.

Convictions at the top would help put an end to such abuse I believe. The standard 'We will learn from our mistakes' is not good enough when it comes to the importance of safeguarding, care, independance, dignity, etc, etc.

 

[Scorer]

A very personal and passionate post mate.
I totally agree!

The care of vulnerable people should be nationalised instead of private care. Too many owner 'Dell Boy's' in suits(I've met some), with self gain as their biggest priority. There needs to be much more accountability to all concerned, from top to bottom, if expected care standards slip. Those at the top should get appropriate conviction at court, just as much as those below who carry out the abuse. Such failings in responsibility of care, deserve heavy punishment, if we are to prevent such things like this happening.

I agree that profit driven care isn't the answer but the problem is bigger than that. Support staff are paid very poor wages even in NHS settings and the state is far from good at care for complex individuals. We actually need a societal shift-recognition of the skills needed for carers and appropriate pay to be able to recruit well and a less selfish approach in general, a greater willingness to help those that need it even if it means an extra penny on PAYE or NI.
People get stuck in these places, there's little incentive to providers to move people on if they're getting paid 5k a week and proper external scrutiny to push along discharge plans, via the court of protection if necessary would go a long way. I genuinely believe that would not only get people better support in the community significantly sooner but would save the NHS a huge chunk of money. Some people I've supported have gone from poor quality hospital settings costing 4-5k a week to much better independent community( still 24 hour care) settings that cost 1.5k. Literally everyone is a winner in that scenario apart from the profit driven private care provider.

 

[Exile in Ayr]

I have a son with learning difficulties and my wife had to fight tooth and nail to give him a place in life where he is able to have some sort of quality of life. For him to be given 24/7 care was on appeal which just proves how flawed a system could be and still is unless you can convince authorities of the obvious. We have done the best we can for him and are probably overprotective but no wonder when you watch such a programme. The real annoying part about it all is that we were appalled by the footage but not surprised. We will both do our best to protect him and what those staff at that institution deserve is just not printable.

 

[mackem in milan]

The evil behaviour usually starts from being ill prepared, having poor managerial support and doing a very difficult job, being on long shifts, having poor facilities and dealing with a level of challenging behaviour that is stressful without any recognition. That leads to people using excessive physical restraint and in my experience that is much more likely to escalate behaviour than reduce it, then staff dehumanise the people they support to be able to justify their own disgusting behaviour and it becomes normal. In places where the front line are low skilled a culture of oppressive control can soon develop.
That said some people just enjoy the power and get a rush of adrenaline that becomes addictive and it seems a few of those staff were enjoying the power differential.
I've worked with a lot of complex people over the years in hospital settings( albeit not as a member of hospital staff) and I've never been hit or had to restrain anyone. Why not? It's not rocket science- I'm respectful, recognise triggers and don't behave like a twat.

I've been working in this kind of area, but more of a community setting and not for profit, for about 2 1/2 years and agree with everything you've said there. Sometimes physical intervention can't be avoided. Watching the documentary though the staff caused the behaviours, in none of the situations was restraint necessary, and the restraints used were unnecessarily dangerous for the patients.

I have once helped restrain someone on the floor, and mostly had to use restraints to prevent people harming themselves or other service users. I have been hit, pushed, spat at, and kicked, but this all been pretty minor stuff. Only once was I worried I might be seriously hurt but I got help and the person was supported to calm down with no physical intervention.

It can be hard thinking you could do an easier job for the same money, but then it wouldn't be as rewarding either.

 

[tunstall birdman]

I agree that profit driven care isn't the answer but the problem is bigger than that. Support staff are paid very poor wages even in NHS settings and the state is far from good at care for complex individuals. We actually need a societal shift-recognition of the skills needed for carers and appropriate pay to be able to recruit well and a less selfish approach in general, a greater willingness to help those that need it even if it means an extra penny on PAYE or NI.
People get stuck in these places, there's little incentive to providers to move people on if they're getting paid 5k a week and proper external scrutiny to push along discharge plans, via the court of protection if necessary would go a long way. I genuinely believe that would not only get people better support in the community significantly sooner but would save the NHS a huge chunk of money. Some people I've supported have gone from poor quality hospital settings costing 4-5k a week to much better independent community( still 24 hour care) settings that cost 1.5k. Literally everyone is a winner in that scenario apart from the profit driven private care provider.

You make many great points that I agree with.
There needs to be a whole new overall and reform of the care provision and the NHS with regards to this I truly believe. It would be far too complex to discuss in a post, but in simple terms, reforming the NHS, putting external care under its control, the transition from hospital to the home/care home, would be far more efficient and ensure the standard of care required, is delivered to the individual.

 

[Cheesy Feet]

I went on Google maps just to see where the place is..there's a comment on there about a home in Newcastle...fkn hell man..

 

[Scorer]

I've been working in this kind of area, but more of a community setting and not for profit, for about 2 1/2 years and agree with everything you've said there. Sometimes physical intervention can't be avoided. Watching the documentary though the staff caused the behaviours, in none of the situations was restraint necessary, and the restraints used were unnecessarily dangerous for the patients.

I have once helped restrain someone on the floor, and mostly had to use restraints to prevent people harming themselves or other service users. I have been hit, pushed, spat at, and kicked, but this all been pretty minor stuff. Only once was I worried I might be seriously hurt but I got help and the person was supported to calm down with no physical intervention.

It can be hard thinking you could do an easier job for the same money, but then it wouldn't be as rewarding either.

Restraint is sometimes needed but all the research suggests it tends to lead to more restraint being needed so it's much better to use other strategies whenever possible. Im an advocate these days and that's great but I still miss the 1-1 support work I did for over a decade. A sometimes very challenging job but a great one most of the time. Sounds like you're good at it.

 

[JAZZMANB]

That's what's frightening here. It seems 'the norm'. As far as they're concerned she's a new lass working with them, they don't even know her, yet they're happy to behave like that in front of her. It shows they have no scruples whatsoever.

Only watched the clips
To me " privately run "means low paid people with no real skills
Put them in challenging roles and they just treat it like a street fight against very vulnerable people
Dole by the weekend the scumbags