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Where are they sending all the clients? Surely the limited spaces mean other facilities are becoming overcrowded?

 

There are hundreds of empty 'beds' throughout the country.

 

High quality provision that actually meets the needs of the individual is an entirely different matter, and costs.

 

Because of the media coverage those being moved will stand a better chance than most of getting a half decent service but let no one kid themselves, if you cut finances to the extent this government are it will affect front line services.

 

No matter what the lying politicians tell you.

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Care watchdog struggled with unrealistic goals, say MPs | Society | guardian.co.uk

 

 

 

Care watchdog struggled with unrealistic goals, say MPsCare Quality Commission had to cut inspections to divert resources to registering dental practices

 

 

 

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David Brindle guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 14 September 2011 09.48 BST Article history

Stephen Dorrell, chair the health select committee, said the commission had been distracted from its core function. Photograph: Eleanor Bentall/Corbis

The health and social care watchdog was set an impossible working brief but failed to raise the alarm before an inevitable collapse in the number of inspections it carried out, an inquiry by MPs has concluded.

 

Inspection activity by the Care Quality Commission plunged 70% in the second half of 2010-11 compared with the year before, after it was forced to divert resources to registering dental practices, according to the Commons health select committee.

 

Finding that the commission was set up with unclear and unrealistic objectives, that timescales and resource demands were not thought through and that the process of registering care providers was untested, the committee said: "The CQC failed to draw the implications of these failures adequately to the attention of ministers, parliament and the public."

 

The report caps a torrid summer for the commission, which was established in 2008 to provide a single regulatory body for health and social care services in England.

 

The organisation has faced criticism for failing to raise an alert over the plight of Southern Cross, the leading care home chain that is now being wound up, and for failing to act on a whistleblower's concerns about the regime of abuse subsequently exposed at Winterbourne View, the private learning disability hospital near Bristol that has since been closed by its operator, Castlebeck.

 

Plans put forward by the commission for an excellence kitemark, for which social care providers would have to pay extra, have been roundly rejected and are expected to be ditched.

 

The select committee says a "significant proportion" of evidence given to the inquiry expressed concerns about the commission's work. "The overall impression is one of frustration with the CQC and a lack of confidence in its ability to execute its main functions efficiently."

 

Stephen Dorrell, who chairs the committee, said the decision to shift resources into registering 8,000 dental practices, in order to meet a statutory deadline of April this year, had distracted the commission from its core function and distorted its priorities.

 

Ministers have now agreed to defer for 12 months the registration of GP practices, which had been due for completion by next spring. The commission has asked for a 10% increase in its budget, which was £161m last year, to cope with the workload, but the select committee is "noting" rather than backing the request.

 

Asked if he was surprised that the CQC's leadership remained in place, Dorrell said: "I welcome the fact that the leadership in place has now made clear that it is doing some things that, in the view of the committee, should have happened some time before."

 

The CQC, which has undertaken to visit all care providers annually, said inspection figures were now rising rapidly. Between April and June, it had published 2,527 inspection reports on NHS and social care providers, compared with 886 between October and December last year. An additional 100 inspectors were being recruited.

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It's fucking sickening mate, all about the fucking benjamins. Me nan turned 80 last month, has to have a carer visit morning and night to help her get washed and cook a bit of tea and shit. She's been paying 10 quid a week for this service for last 2 years or so, got a letter last week telling her she now has to pay 60 quid a week for the same service. What are her options? Stump up the extra cash from what little savings she's got, or go into a home and lose all independence, oh aye and sell yer house to pay for the home.

The absolute scum in charge of all this at governement and local levels want hanging out to dry, Care provided to the sick and infirm should be an abosute right of any civil society, anyone profiteering from it, I hope they end up in a right shit hole when their time comes.

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Last Friday the Police 'seized' my original hand written diary notes.

 

Although I had given lengthy accounts of individual criminal acts I had been witness to, the 'originality' of my scribblings apparently will carry a great deal of weight if/when cases go to trial.

 

Terry (the whistleblower nurse in the programme), is now helping the CQC develop appropriate inspection criteria and train new inspectors.

 

 

 

EDIT: When I used the term 'seized' I meant in a technical fashion, it was an agreed way forward but it takes me anaother step closer to be made 'public' unfortunately.

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A fourth Castlebeck care home is to be closed.

 

BBC News - Ranaich House care home faces closure by watchdog

 

 

 

Ranaich House care home faces closure by watchdog The home cares for people with learning disabilities and those with "complex needs" Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

Third Castlebeck care home shut

Q&A: Who monitors care homes?

'Abuse' care home to close down

A Dunblane care home run by a company at the centre of abuse allegations is facing closure by the care regulator.

 

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the Care Inspectorate was "seeking the deregistration" of Ranaich House, which is owned by Castlebeck Care.

 

There were "continuing concerns about the quality of care" at the home, Ms Sturgeon said.

 

Castlebeck, which has shut three care homes since a BBC probe into the firm, said it had appealed the decision.

 

The BBC One Panorama programme filmed the abuse of residents in another of the company's homes.

 

Ranaich House, on Gibson Grove in Dunblane, has 13 bedrooms and is a "rehabilitation service" for people with "learning disability, challenging behaviour and complex needs", according to the Castlebeck Care website.

 

'Frequent checks'

 

It is understood that the Care Inspectorate is actively trying to re-house residents before deregistering the home, which will force its closure.

 

Ms Sturgeon revealed the measure in a written parliamentary answer to Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman, Jackie Baille.

 

The minister said: "I understand that the Care Inspectorate has advised Castlebeck Care (Teasdale) Limited that it will be seeking the deregistration of Ranaich House as there are continuing concerns about the quality of care provided by this particular service.

 

"The Care Inspectorate is undertaking frequent monitoring visits and liaising with local authorities for alternative placements for the residents."

 

The other three care homes to be closed by the company this year are in England.

 

Undercover filming

 

Arden Vale in Meriden, near Coventry, was shut in August, after becoming the subject of legal action by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

 

Castlebeck also owns Winterbourne View, in Bristol, where abuse was filmed by an undercover BBC Panorama journalist.

 

The footage showed residents being pinned down, slapped and taunted.

 

Since the programme was broadcast in May 2011, the home for people with learning disabilities has been closed by the CQC.

 

And it was also announced in August that Castlebeck was to shut Rose Villa, in Bristol, for "operational reasons".

 

'Improvement needed'

 

Ms Baillie said: "It is critical that the inspectorate work closely with the councils concerned to find a solution that is in the best interests of those who are currently resident at Ranaich House."

 

But Castlebeck chief executive Lee Reed said the company had made a "robust appeal" against the Care Inspectorate's proposal to close the care home.

 

"Whilst we accept there are elements of the service that continue to need to be developed and improved, this appeal has been submitted as we believe significant improvements have been, and continue to be made, to the service," he said.

 

"We believe that the issues identified can be addressed by all stakeholders working together and a solution that comes through cooperation will also minimise disruption for the people in our care."

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Funding agreed to support Winterbourne View compensation claims.

 

 

PUBLIC funding has been approved to support a multi-party compensation claim by families of people who live at Winterbourne View.

 

The private hospital in Hambrook closed in June after the BBC’s Panorama programme aired undercover footage of adult patients with severe learning difficulties being physically and mentally abused.

 

The scandal led to a public outcry and has sparked numerous policy reviews and independent investigations.

 

Hospital owners Castlebeck apologised unreservedly for the abuse and 13 staff were arrested and remain on bail.

 

At a meeting with specialist lawyers Foot Anstey in Bristol, relatives were told public funding would be used to set up the logistics of a multi-party claim.

 

Steve Sollars, whose son was at Winterbourne View, said: "We all feel stronger for this meeting and I would urge other affected families to get in touch so they can get support whilst this investigation takes place.

 

"We just want to find out what happened and make sure that other people don't go through what we've been through."

 

Andrew Hannam, partner at Foot Anstey, said: "With the encouraging news on public funding the families can really feel the momentum building; a group action of this kind will ensure the families have a collective voice and that public funds will be spent wisely."

 

 

Funding agreed to support Winterbourne View compensation claims (From Gazette Series)

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10 charged today!

 

 

Ten people have been charged in connection with the ill treatment and neglect of patients at a private hospital near Bristol.

 

The charges come after secret filming by the BBC's Panorama at Winterbourne View, which has since been closed.

 

The 10 people face a total of 40 charges against four victims under the Mental Capacity Act.

 

Castlebeck, the firm which ran the hospital, is also holding an internal investigation.

 

Seven men aged 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 42 and 58 and three women aged 21, 22 and 24, all from the local area, are due to appear before Bristol magistrates on 15 December.

 

Three men aged 25, 27 and 41, who were arrested on suspicion of causing ill treatment under the Mental Capacity Act, remain on police bail, pending further inquiries.

 

A 40-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of common assault has been released without charge.

 

The programme, which was broadcast on 31 May, appeared to show residents with learning disabilities being pinned down, slapped, doused in water and taunted.

 

Winterbourne View's 24 patients were transferred when the hospital, in Hambrook, South Gloucestershire, closed in June.

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Police have today (Monday November 28) confirmed that they have charged 10 people in connection with ill treatment and neglect offences under the Mental Health Act.

 

This in relation to allegations that criminal offences were committed at the Winterbourne View Hospital, Hambrook.

 

The following have been charged: Wayne Rogers, aged 30; Graham Doyle aged 25; Allison Dove aged 24; Jason Gardiner aged 42; Charlotte Cotterell aged 21; Holly Draper aged 22; Michael Ezenagu aged 28; Kelvin Fore aged 32; Sookalingun Appoo aged 58; and Danny Brake aged 26..

 

They face a total of 40 charges against five victims.

 

Three men aged 25, 27 and 41, who have also been arrested on suspicion of causing ill treatment under the Mental Capacity Act, remain on police bail, pending further enquiries.

 

A 14th person – a 40-year-old man – who was arrested on suspicion of common assault has been released without charge.

 

Avon and Somerset Constabulary - Winterbourne View Hospital investigation - 10 are charged (Hambrook)

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Learning disability units found lacking in wake of Winterbourne View scandalFour of first five services inspected after the Winterbourne View abuse scandal don't meet essential standards, commission finds

 

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reddit this David Brindle guardian.co.uk, Thursday 8 December 2011 12.00 GMT Article history

Abuse at Winterbourne View hospital prompted a programme of unannounced inspections of 150 care facilities. Photograph: BBC/PA

Four of the first five services for people with learning disabilities that were subject to snap inspections in the wake of the Winterbourne View scandal have failed to meet essential standards of care and safety.

 

Inspectors believe that the findings, together with early results of more than 60 other spot-checks, show that hospitals and care homes for learning disabled people need stronger leadership and better staff training to ensure that care is appropriate and abuse is not widespread.

 

Winterbourne View, a hospital facility near Bristol run by private company Castlebeck, was closed after a BBC Panorama programme alleged there was a regime of systematic ill-treatment of people with "challenging" behaviour who were sent there for assessment and therapy.

 

Ministers ordered a programme of unannounced inspections by the Care Quality Commission of 150 similar services run by private and state organisations. Almost half have been completed and the first five inspection reports have been released.

 

Although inspectors did not discover abuse of the kind alleged at Winterbourne View, in connection with which 10 people face criminal charges, it was found that complaints of ill-treatment were sometimes not followed up; that physical restraint techniques were in some cases used too much; that people being treated on a voluntary basis were frequently locked in; and that opportunities for activities were often limited.

 

Dame Jo Williams, the CQC chair, said: "These inspections are the first of many, but already we can see the effects of a lack of strong leadership and governance. Where we have found problems, they can often be traced back to poor procedures or poor understanding of procedures."

 

The findings from the five reports had "resonance" with what was emerging from the next 60 being prepared for publication, Williams said. Care was too often not tailored to the needs of the individual.

 

Of the first five services inspected, most concern was expressed about Townend Court, an NHS facility in Hull run by the Humber Foundation Trust. Another NHS unit, Kent House in Oxton on the Wirral, run by the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership foundation trust, also prompted "major" concern.

 

One person being treated at Kent House told inspectors: "It's not fair [that] when I hit someone the police are called; if someone hits me nothing happens."

 

Minor concerns were expressed about two private units in Devon: Westbrook Grange in Barton, near Torquay, run by Modus Care, and James House in Chudleigh, run by the Four Seasons group. The only unit to meet all essential standards was a third NHS facility, Rose Lodge in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, run by the Northumberland Tyne and Wear foundation trust.

 

Although the units are intended for short- or medium-term assessment and treatment, it was found that some people had been kept in them as long as 12 years.

 

Williams said there was a severe shortage of suitable accommodation and support in the community for learning disabled people with sometimes challenging behaviour. "There's no doubt that the particular needs of these people are quite often difficult to meet, but we are not seeing the range of facilities we would hope for."

 

Terry Bryan, a nurse who worked at Winterbourne View and went to Panorama after failing to get the CQC to act on his concerns about the regime there, is taking part in the inspection programme at Williams's request.

 

"If these places do need to exist, they need to be smaller," Bryan said. "And when people go in, they need to know on day one how to get out. It should be a short, crisis intervention."

 

In a joint statement, learning disability charities Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation said the reports' findings echoed their concerns. "It is unacceptable, though unfortunately not unexpected, that four of the five services are not fully compliant with essential quality and safety standards."

 

The charities said they expected the inspection programme as a whole to "provide a strong justification for moving away from institutional care to local services for local people".

 

 

 

Learning disability units found lacking in wake of Winterbourne View scandal | Society | guardian.co.uk

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CQC and DH slammed by NAO

 

 

Compliance work and inspections fell significantly at The Care Quality Commission (CQC) this year, a highly critical report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.

 

The NAO said compliance review and inspection work by the regulator fell significantly during 2009-10 and 2010-11 and it completed just 47 per cent of its planned reviews between October 2010 and March 2011.

 

The regulator is under fire for its failure to act on reports of abuse at Castlebeck's Winterbourne View home, which was subsequently exposed in a BBC documentary leading to 10 arrests.

 

The regulator has missed deadlines for its work, not undertaken sufficient compliance and inspection activities, and is failing to deliver value for money, said the NAO.

 

In many cases government policies are to blame for the regulator's poor performance - understaffing has been caused by the constraints on public sector recruitment and deadlines were missed because of the short timescale set by the Department of Health for registering England's health and social care providers.

 

But the regulator's senior management is also under fire. Earlier this week CQC board members told an enquiry that chief executive Cynthia Bower and chair, Dame Jo Williams, “do not have the leadership or strategic capabilities” required for their roles.

 

Continuous upheaval to regulatory systems over the last ten years has caused "disruption to providers and confusion for the public", the NAO report said.

 

The CQC's budget is far less than its predeccessor organisations but it has more responsibilities. Funding for the regulation of healthcare is falling increasingly on providers, said the NAO.

Posted on: 01/12/2011

 

 

 

HealthInvestor - Article: CQC and DH slammed by NAO

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10 Winterbourne View staff appeared in Bristol Magistrates Court today.

 

Before anyone was allowed to enter a plea the Magistrate referred the case up for a Crown Court trial to give the option of longer sentences.

I thought that might happen, and this can only be a good thing. Some hefty sentences better be handed out. Disgusting vile people. How these kind of people got into care always amazes me.

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Winterbourne View Hospital: Carers in court | This is Bristol

 

 

 

Winterbourne View Hospital: Carers in court Friday, December 16, 2011 Bristol Evening Post

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THESE are the 10 people charged with abusing or neglecting vulnerable patients at Winterbourne View Hospital.

 

The seven men and three women appeared at court for the first time yesterday accused of a total of 40 crimes against five victims, alleged to have been committed in February and March this year.

 

Wayne Rogers, of Kingswood

 

Graham Doyle, of Bradley Stoke

 

The Winterbourne View care home which was closed in June after allegations were made

 

Alison Dove, of Kingswood

 

Holly Draper, of Mangotsfield

 

Jason Gardiner, of Hartcliffe

 

Charlotte Cotterell, of Yate

 

Sookalingum Appoo, Downend

 

Daniel Brake, of Fishponds

 

Michael Ezenagu, of London

 

Kelvin Fore, of Middlesbrough

 

• • • • • • • • • • •

The staff were arrested after a television documentary cast suspicion over their behaviour while working at the now closed independent hospital on the outskirts of Bradley Stoke.

 

The defendants were all charged under the Mental Health Act 1983. Their alleged victims were all in-patients receiving care for mental disorders.

 

â– Wayne Rogers, 31, of Purton Close, Kingswood, is charged with ill-treating two women and one man three times, and one woman five times.

 

â– Graham Doyle, 25, of Bradley Road, Patchway, is charged with wilful neglect of one woman, ill-treating a man once and ill-treating a woman on six occasions.

 

â– Alison Dove, 24, of Chip- perfield Drive, Kingswood, is charged with ill-treating one man and two women once, and ill-treating another woman four times.

 

â– Holly Draper, 23, of The Old Orchard, Mangotsfield, is charged with two counts of ill-treating one woman.

 

â– Jason Gardiner, 44, of Mellent Avenue, Hartcliffe, is charged with ill-treating a man and a woman on one occasion.

 

â– Charlotte Cotterell, 21, of Melrose Avenue, Yate is charged with two counts of ill-treating a woman.

 

â– Sookalingum Appoo, a 58-year- old nurse, of Dial Lane, Downend, is charged with three counts of wilfully neglecting a woman.

 

â– Daniel Brake, 27, of Beechen Drive, Fishponds, is charged with ill-treating a man and a woman.

 

â– Michael Ezenagu, 28, of White City, London, is charged with ill-treating a man and twice ill-treating a woman.

 

â– Kelvin Fore, a nurse, 33, of Ellesmere Walk, Middlesbrough, is charged with wilfully neglecting a woman.

 

Prosecuting at North Avon Magistrates' Court, Ann Redropp said: "These defendants were all working at Winterbourne View. The events that bring them to court came to light as a result of a Panorama news documentary programme."

 

District Judge David Parsons committed the cases to Bristol Crown Court for a hearing on February 9, when pleas may be entered.

 

All 10 defendants, who spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses, remain on bail, with the condition that they are not allowed to work with vulnerable people.

 

Winterbourne View, which was run by private operator Castlebeck from a building on the Vantage Office Park, closed in June.

 

Three other men continue to remain on police bail pending further inquiries.

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