Care provider fined £450,000 for health and safety breaches, following death of a vulnerable adult.

The Richmond Fellowship Scotland, has been fined after being found guilty of health and safety breaches after a vulnerable adult with severe learning difficulties drowned in a bath.

Glasgow Sherriff’s Court heard that  at Cherry Tree Court in
Cambuslang, Glasgow, one of the residents,  a vulnerable adult with severe learning difficulties, drowned in a bath within her flat in the early hours of the morning.

The Richmond Fellowship had supplied a baby monitor to alert support workers that resident was out of bed but an HSE
investigation found that it was neither suitable nor sufficient as she was so light on her feet. Read

Care provider operating East Grinstead care home ordered to pay £1,527,170 after failing to provide safe care and treatment and protect them from avoidable harm.

Care UK Community Partnerships Ltd,, was fined £1,500,000
It was also ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge and £27,000 costs to the CQC which brought the prosecution.

Care UK Community Partnerships Ltd operates a number of care homes in England, including Mill View, East Grinstead, a care home providing accommodation with personal and nursing care for up to 70 people.

In April 2018, an 86-year-old male resident (MC) was admitted to Mill View after being discharged from Hospital.
While at the hospital, he was referred to a speech and language therapist (SALT) who advised he was at risk of choking and needed a special diet of soft foods..
Full details of what happened

The incident took place at HC-One’s Tower Bridge Care Home in Southwark in March 2021.

Police were called to the home more than two hours after the resident went missing. The woman was taken to hospital where she received treatment for dehydration and bruising to her head.

HC-One apologised to the resident’s daughter following the incident and admitted she should have been informed earlier that her mother had gone missing.

Southwark Council was ordered to pay a £1,300 fine.

The care provider said it appeared that a care worker had left a store room cupboard unlocked.  Read

Authority admits it “clearly didn’t get everything right” and    apologises to man, whose lawyers said he was unlawfully placed in a care home for seven years.

Lawyers for the man, who is autistic & has learning
disabilities, said Lancashire council admitted breaching his human rights and had agreed a £200,000 settlement & a      payment of £155,000 for a deputy to manage his property & affairs on his behalf. This has been approved by the High Court.
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Ombudsman criticises care home for not providing records of how it spent resident’s money.

The warning comes after Hamilton Care Ltd failed to provide a solicitor with     relevant financial records for his client.

The solicitor had been appointed to act for the woman by the court as the  woman’s dementia meant she was not able to look after her finances herself.
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