Helping young people reach their goals.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Winterbourne View – never again
Monday 29 October 2012
As care workers at Winterbourne View are given custodial sentences, Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation demand that such abuse “must never happen again”
Six care workers at the Winterbourne View assessment and treatment centre have been sentenced to jail, charged with neglect and ill-treatment of people with a learning disability.
Ringleader Wayne Rogers, 32, who admitted nine counts was jailed for two years. Alison Dove, 25, was jailed for 20 months, as was Graham Doyle, 26. Both pleaded guilty to seven charges of abuse. Three others received lesser sentences, and five were given suspended sentences.
The sentencing of the 11 staff began on Monday 22 October at Bristol Crown Court. Between them, they faced 38 charges. They were detained after the BBC’s ‘Panorama’ uncovered serious abuse at Winterbourne View last May.
Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation believe that the sentences send a clear message that the abuse of vulnerable people with a learning disability will not be tolerated, and those individuals responsible have rightly been held to account in a criminal court. But the sentencing is only the start of making real change for people with a learning disability.
A statement from the two charities says: “This must never happen again. Yet it is clear that the system is failing people with a learning disability, who are being sent away to institutions often hundreds of miles from home, where they remain for years, at increased risk of abuse and neglect.
“Mencap and The Challenging Behaviour Foundation are calling on the government to drive through the closure of these institutions, and commit to developing local services so people with a learning disability can live near their families in their local communities.”
This reiterates the message in the charities' joint report, ‘Out of sight’. Mencap is asking everyone to email the Department of Health to help stop another Winterbourne View.
The Department of Health has issued a number of statements committing to reducing the number of people being sent away for long periods for 'assessment and treatment. They agree that people should move out of services quickly and that local services should be commissioned.
However, the charities are disappointed that at present there is no indication of how the government is going to enforce these much needed changes, the timetable for closure or the reallocation of funds.
Family reaction
The families have thanked the police for their support, but are aware that the case would not have got to court without the secret filming of ‘Panorama’ and offer the team their “heartfelt gratitude”. Beverley Dawkins, Mencap’s national policy manager for profound and multiple learning disabilities, read the statement on behalf of some of the families who had loved ones at Winterbourne View (pictured).
“Viewing the footage shown in court this week has been distressing and extremely harrowing,” she said. “The guilty parties were only charged with offences shown on the Panorama programme and it would be naïve to believe that this monstrous behaviour had not been continuing for a very long time.
“We sincerely hope that the government will seize this unique opportunity with both hands to actually enforce existing policy and enshrine some of those changes in law. There should be no cross party dissension over such an issue. In this, the 21st century, places like Winterbourne View should not exist, they should be closed and more local services developed.”
The families and charities have asked for an urgent meeting with care services minister Norman Lamb, to press the government to use its report (due in November) to announce how it will enforce a phased closure programme of institutions like Winterbourne View. And to clarify precisely how it will ensure that local, expert, services are provided and funded.
Panorama highlights continuing abuse
Following its shocking exposure of the violent abuse of people with a learning disability and/or behaviours that challenge at Winterbourne View last year, a follow-up 'Panorama' investigation (shown on Monday 29 October) revealed new evidence of similar treatment in other care establishments. It showed that at least 19 of the 51 residents moved from Winterbourne View have been abused or injured in their new residences.
On Monday morning, Mencap's chief executive Mark Goldring and former care services minister Paul Burstow, spoke on Radio 4's 'Today' programme, to discuss the revelations.
Mark said: "When Winterbourne was rightly closed after the scandals last year, many were sent on to other institutions, whereas actually what needs to happen is that people are cared for and supported in smaller facilities, close to their homes where they can be reintegrated into society as quickly as possible."
Tell the Department of Health that this should never happen again
Listen to Mark Goldring and Paul Burstow discussing the latest revelations on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme
Watch the BBC 'Panorama' follow-up investigation, 'The Hospital That Stopped Caring'
Contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 if you have any concerns about the issues raised from the Winterbourne View sentencing or the 'Panorama' programme
Comments
Certaintly in Cornwall the care system still has massive issues when tackling abuse. The number of safeguard alerts are so many that the local police are apparently having take officers away from other duties to investigate them. I fear abuse and neglect will still happen in places like Cornwall simply because of the culture within social care and the way neglect and abuse happens without being challenged. In many cases fear of the consequences stops people from reporting abuse. The measures to stop abuse isn,t tough enough and is too easily exploited by the abuser.
Are Mencap going to pressure the government to have the parent's of the folks at Winterborne proscuted for allowing their children to go to a place called a Hospital where people are called 'patients'. It was well known that this was barbaric in 1972 if not earlier!!
Are Mencap going to complain to the BBC and ask the CPS to take action against the Panorama team for repeatedly calling people ''patients'' in their film? Have they put progress back 20 years because of this?
Everyone knows as long as the NHS remain involved in LD provision care will not improve and is likely to get worse.
Why ignore, again, the real and fundamental issue here?
If the parents, commissioners, care managers, and Panorma team also get 2 yrs in Jail then things may change! This may seem harsh but what is the alternative?
Whilst I wholeheartedly celebrate the sentencing of the monsters permitted to support some of our most vulnerable people in society, I am disappointed that the sentences were so minimal. A person who commits business fraud is given a longer sentence.
Two years for systematic physical and psychological abuse by Wayne Rogers is not acceptable. My other concern is after this "man" is released, he will get another job in the same work as we still do not have a National database of care workers.
I have been privileged to work with adults with learning disabilities for over fifteen years and have reported multiple concerns and pursued them to the end, often only to have CQC or equivalent "authorities" say there is no evidence.
We need secret shoppers: adults with learning disabilities who are supported to assess places and then be believed. Families, visiting professionals but, more importantly, clients MUST be listened to.
If you report a restaurant to the Environmental Health, it can be closed in 24hrs; if you report a care establishment, it is often still open years later.
The fact these people have been jailed is welcome. There have been similar cases where those responsible have gone unpunished It's hard to know how to prevent this kind of criminal act. Institutions such as this are thankfully few and far between these days. The type of people who carry out these crimes will always find a way given the opportunity. Much more needs to be done to enforce the laws that are meant to safeguard people, but the law can only do so much. More needs to be done to improve the callibre of the people employed in such positions and ensure they have strong common values underpinning their work.
The sentences given today in no way represent justice for the people abused at Winterbourne.If as usual setences area halved this would equate to twelve months in prison. In effect half of these people who in fact tortured and made these people fear for their lives,will walk away free.
I have a vulnerable young adult in the care system ,and have never ever witnessed any type of abuse verbal or otherwise, we have very regular contact,and visit at various hours.I have been unable to watch those scenes of torture without crying,I do not think I will ever get over seeing that girl on the floor shaking.My only hope is that the same kind of treatment will be given to these sadists when they go to prison.For the ones that walked away,I hope they are shunned in society.Surely our vulnerable people are owed this. My heartfelt wishes go to to the young people and their families,I truly hope time will be a healer
I think it is disgusting that the sentences were so lenient and do not sent out a strong message at all. The punishment does not reflect the crime . Institutional abuse of this nature should be considered torture . Staff who did nothing should have been charged with aiding and abetting . Care staff need to be fully checked , trained and supervised.. Residents should have been allocated an independent visitor . and it is disgraceful that people are placed in these communtiy institutions indefinately. I hope victims receive not only compensation from the company but the support they need to trust people again and enjoy some of life's offerings others take for granted. So in real terms , I wonder just how much the council, NHS and Government has saved? Had the families had appropriate housing , income and carer support maybe their adults wouldn't have entered the system in the first place!
I would like to agree that anyone who placed people at Winterbourne View and didn,t make sure the facility was safe or appropriate for them should be brought to a courtroom. I understand the reasons why many are in fear regarding the future of their vulnerable relatives. I have autism aswell and l'm scared too. Also thank you mencap for helping those involved. and again my thoughts are with them I hope the scandal causes a major rethink in the care of vulnerable people.
I don't think the sentances was enough the six got away with what they done
i have a grandson with Autism and i fear for his future, as he is in care,
his family cannot even watch the film its so upsetting .
anne.
The sentances are too lenient, The five that were given suspended sentances have in effect "got away with it", T he home owners should have been severely punished as well, I don't believe that they were not aware of what was going on.