I can't put into words how I felt when I watched Panorama last night. Probably best if I "lift" Alan's post, paste it in here unedited and then let you follow the links:
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This post has nothing to do with the Challenge or windmills. It’s far more serious than that: Could all the readers of this blog PLEASE watch THIS PROGRAMME.
It will take an hour of your time. It’s a Panorama programme put out on Tuesday 31st May about the abuse that happens in care homes. Care homes are usually the last resort for families that can’t cope with a family member and so the family puts their entire trust for the care of their loved one in that of the home.
Watch this documentary and then think to yourself “it could be my father / mother / brother or sister in that situation”.
Visit Shirley’s blog post for a better take on this subject, but please, do watch the programme.
If you could publicise the programme yourself on your own blog, if you have one, or on twitter it would be really helpful too.
Thank you.
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Thankfully the authorities have stepped in, four people have been arrested (and released on bail) and the hospital owners have apologised and suspended 13 employees (link).
Well done, Panorama, for representing the Beeb at its best.
THE SMALL(ish) PRINT... (updated 23/07/2016)
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Free Speech: you may well have the right to it, but you've no right to compel me to a) listen to it, or b) publish it!
I watched it. My sister is mentally handicapped and lives in a care home but we are grateful it is not run like that. "There is a police investigation" - damn right there is. Battery/ABH, false imprisonment, threats to kill - all aggravated by the way in which the offences were perpetrated and the position of trust occupied by these animals. I was livid and felt like making some calls to Bristol to find out what they were doing about it. It's incredible that this goes on and it takes investigative journalism to uncover it. And how insincere did both the representatives of the culpable bodies look (the CEO of the organising running and the head of the watchdog) - we accept our responsibility? What about an apology to the people concerned and their families? Did you think about that?!
Pathetic.
Thanks for putting this up, Stef.
I still find it incredible that the public watchdog was told THREE times of the abuse and failed to act. The head of the watchdog called this "a misjudgement" ... "A" misjudgement. (Not three misjudgements) This indicates that they actually discussed the situation and actually "judged" that there was no cause for concern.
That man should be sacked immediately and replaced with someone that *does* care for the patients' interests.
I fail to comprehend how such a misjudgement could be made - either the truth was known, and hence the watchdog judges were compromised/incompetent/unwilling, or the truth was striving to be revealed, in which case the watchdog was derelict in its duty to get to the root of the matter as a part of its investigative remit.
Let's face it, a blind watchdog is neither use nor ornament, especially when it has no teeth.
Lack of accountability and the "not my problem" syndrome are systemic in society. Blame always lies elsewhere. I hope they throw the book at the lot of them. The scum carers, the managers who draw large salaries and protect themselves with finely honed legalise and pass the buck to the next dullard down the line and the police who never do their job.
Agreed, Alistair.
When I was studying for professional qualifications in Quality Assurance, one of the maxims was "You can't have Authority without Responsibility, the two are inseparable".
Sadly we live in a world where the sound of coins jingling in a pocket drowns out the blaring alarms of the distressed, and where enough money can buy absolution.