Carer witnessed 'unimaginable' abuse at under-fire Nottinghamshire care home
A Nottinghamshire carer has alleged "unimaginable" abuse she saw while working at a care home. Sharney Barratt said she had "never witnessed anything quite like" the mistreatment she claims she saw during a shift at Braywood Gardens in Carlton.
The 28-year-old, who worked for 12 hours in the home on August 12, claimed residents were mimicked, drag lifted and forced to bed early. Prior to publication we put these allegations to the care home.
A spokesperson for the home, which was recently rated 'inadequate' by the health watchdog, said a "thorough internal investigation" was carried out.
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They claimed several of the allegations contain "factual inaccuracies", but did not specify which ones. The care home, situated in Millbrook Drive, was placed in special measures after a visit by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May.
Separate to these allegations the watchdog found staff, who were caring for 88 residents at the time, "didn’t always treat people with kindness or dignity". Ms Barratt, who has been in the care sector for 10 years, said she saw "institutionalised abuse" throughout her shift, including forcing residents to be in bed by 6pm.
She alleges she saw staff perform a drag lift on a man who could not stand, something that is not allowed in care homes. "I witnessed both staff perform a full drag lift, take his entire weight and spin him around into his chair without checking his pad," she said.
"I immediately went to the deputy to report this, the deputy replied with 'they know his routine'. [It was] a completely unacceptable response when reporting abuse."
Ms Barratt alleged the most serious incident she witnessed was when a carer "wrapped her hand around a resident's neck" and "yanked her up" to put a pillow behind her. "The resident went red in the face and attempted to hit out at the carer, I said what was that and asked if the resident was ok, she shook her head saying no, I could see by her body language she was embarrassed and in pain," she said.
Ms Barratt said she saw the same carer mock a resident with dementia who was calling out for her 'mummy'. "She squeezed her arms around her and started saying 'wah I want my mummy, wah'. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears," she said.
“The fact that I’ve seen so much in one shift is so concerning. If there’s that many different things I’ve had to report on then what about the other things they are doing wrong?
“It’s very bizarre behaviour and worrying that they’re doing that in front of new staff."
A spokesperson for Runwood Homes, which owns the home, said: "We take all concerns raised very seriously, we are always committed to addressing these concerns swiftly and decisively to ensure the highest standards of care. We immediately supported the worker in question and conducted a thorough internal investigation into the claims.
"The HR team acted in accordance with internal protocols when the worker raised these concerns. The investigation showed no wrongdoing in the way the concerns were handled. Throughout this process, we have been in close communication with the CQC, who were made fully aware of the allegations and have supported us.
"It is also important to note that several of the allegations contain factual inaccuracies, which we addressed during the investigation. We are pleased to say the home is in a very good position with exceptional leadership and staff. We will continue to work with all key stakeholders to see this maintained."
A CQC spokesperson said: “Since the inspection, we have received concerns about the home, and we are currently liaising with the provider to find out more information, to ensure people are receiving safe care."