Two former staff members who worked in the adolescent mental health department told Sky News that inadequate staffing and training put young people at risk.
This follows claims of more than 50 former patients who previously told Sky News that they had failed treatment they received at a unit run by The Huntercombe Group, now part of Active Care Group. .
A patient’s death at a hospital is currently being investigated by the police.
Over 50 former patients say they have failed the treatment they received
Callum Smith worked in one of the units in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Now she is called Taplow Manor.
Worked from June 2019 to October last year. This hospital provides professional assistance to young people with serious mental health conditions.
read more:
‘Treated Worse Than Animals’: 10 Years Of Abuse Revealed By Caring For 20+ Teenagers
‘I felt like they gave up on me’: Huntercombe Group’s 30 new patients tell mental health unit story
“There were many incidents that could have been avoided. There are many patients who could have done serious harm to themselves, which could have been avoided with more staff.”
Smith said he is a senior support worker and his job is to assign staff to patients. Some required close supervision due to the risk of self-harm.
He said he was concerned about inadequate staffing and training, claiming he had staffing issues “almost every day.”
“Due to the lack of numbers, it was sometimes necessary to reduce the number of observations patients needed,” Smith said.
“Let’s say two staff members were assigned to observe that patient … sometimes it was reduced to one, and likewise a patient who needed three staff was reduced to two.”
Callum Smith, who worked at the Taplow mansion
Sky News has previously collected testimonies from former patients, who say they feel inadequate supervision increases the risk of self-harm.
Callum Smith also said staff shortages were affecting the “basic human right” to go to the bathroom.
He said: ‘Patients had trouble accessing the garden because staff had to go with them.
“There were even places where toilet breaks were not easily accessible for staff and patients, such as toilet breaks, because there was no one to take them. I felt sick and scared.”
“There were a lot of staff who really cared. Obviously when we were under the numbers, which was often the case, it was very difficult. It was very difficult.”
Smith said he was disciplined after taking an unauthorized break. He says the level of staffing meant he couldn’t take proper breaks. He received a written warning before his resignation. His last full shift at the hospital was in February 2022.
Sky News spoke with another former employee, Rebecca Smith. He also expressed his concern about the impact of staffing.
She was employed as a support worker at Taplow Manor from May 2021 to November 2021.
“Patients knew it because we didn’t have enough staff to respond when an incident happened,” she said.
“For example, I remember one patient hitting his head really badly. We had to intervene.
“But she lashed out at the staff, and while the staff was dealing with the incident, another patient was able to sneak up and bond. Because there were no staff left to monitor the other patients. , we didn’t know.
“It was the patient who let us know what was going on. I was clearly in pain.”
Taplow Manor provides expert assistance to young people with serious mental health conditions
GMB union regional organizer David McMullen has been coming to Maidenhead Unit for the past seven years to meet staff.
However, Taplow Manor management no longer recognizes the union.
McMullen says: There are always more problems.
“But I think last year it escalated significantly.”
Inspectors from the Regulatory Authority Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Taplow Manor Unit as ‘needs improvement’ in its latest assessment conducted in June 2022 and published in August 2022 .
The report rated the overall safety as “poor”.
The unit was retested last December, but the results have not yet been made public.
Thames Valley Police are currently investigating the patient’s death last February and the patient’s allegations of rape in 2019.
Last October, Sky News, in collaboration with The Independent, 20+ former patient testimonials We went to units run by the Huntercomb Group, including Taplow Manor in Maidenhead.
They all claimed to have failed the care they received.
There were recurring themes in their uncovering, including claims that patients were at increased risk of self-harm due to inadequate supervision. allegations of overuse of restraint; and others claiming they left feeling more traumatized than when they arrived.
In response to that report, more than 30 more former patients independently came forward and raised similar concerns about their treatment.
We understand that about 20 former patients are currently considering legal action.
The GMB union’s David McMullen said the problem “has escalated significantly”.
Active Care Group, which acquired The Huntercombe Group in December 2021, said, “These unconfirmed accusations are a testament to the tremendous efforts current employees are making to support those in their care at Taplow Manor. is a loss.
“These allegations were made by two former junior staff members, one of whom has been subject to disciplinary action, neither of whom has worked at the hospital for a year.
“Taplow Manor staff are monitored daily and shifts are fully staffed, often with two to three additional workers on each shift, as well as therapists, doctors, teachers, nurses and wards. I have a manager.
“Taplow Manor’s latest CQC report, published in August 2022, found: The service has adequate nursing and support staff to ensure the safety of children and young people. This service has reduced vacancy rates.”
Elli Investments Group is the former owner of Huntercombe Group. “We regret that these hospitals and specialized medical services, owned and independently managed by Huntercom Group, have not met the high quality medical standards expected of us.
“Huntercombe Group was sold in March 2021 and the 12 hospitals and specialty medical services covered by the sale are now part of Active Care Group. I hope that you will proceed to
In response to the report, NHS England told Sky News: Provide safe, high-quality care to patients at safe staffing levels. “
Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services said: A rapid review of inpatient mental health services in the UK.
It follows recent care failures involving the deaths of three teenage girls, in addition to concerns raised by Sky News. Tees, Esk, Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.
This review will look at services offered by independent providers as well as NHS services.
