A probe by the police,
NHS
The NHS is the National Health
Service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals.
and the Care Quality Commission has uncovered what is alleged to be a “punishment room” at Veilstone
Care Home
A care home is a place where people who need support live. There are staff there all the time.
in Devon, which
vulnerable
Being vulnerable means being at risk of harm, or that you need special care because of your age or disability.
residents were allegedly locked inside overnight.
Dan Scorer, Head of Policy at Mencap and Vivien Cooper OBE, Chief Executive of The
Challenging Behaviour
Challenging behaviour can be when someone hurts themselves, hits or pinches someone else, or breaks something. Some people might behave like this because they are upset or because people do not understand them.
Foundation, say:
We are appalled by the shocking allegations of abuse of people with a learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. exposed at Veilstone Care Home in Devon. Many people believed that the scandal at Winterbourne View was a one-off, but there are strong indications that the abuse of vulnerable people is more widespread.
It is of profound concern to us that the allegations of abuse include a resident who had already faced abuse at another institution. This represents a shocking failure to protect
Protect means keeping someone or something safe. the most vulnerable people in our society.
Questions need to be answered about how a person could be abused in one service and then moved to another, where serious concerns have emerged – and the role of the care home, commissioner and CQC in this. Everything must be done to prevent abuse and when it is suspected, immediate action must be taken.
Together we are calling on the Government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools. , VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals. and council tax
Council
A council is also called a local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools, social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it. (support for people), parks and dustbin collection. . They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection. Tax is the money that people pay to the council
Neglect is when you are not being cared for or supported. are held personally and criminally responsible for these horrific failures. This would send a clear message that abuse and neglect will not be tolerated in our society and all those involved
Involved is being included in something or taking part in something. – from front line staff to the board room – will be held to account.
-ENDS-
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact the Mencap press office on 020 7696 6950 or media@mencap.org.uk.
About Mencap
There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
,
employment
Employment means having a job.
and
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
facilities. Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or email help@mencap.org.uk.
About The Challenging Behaviour Foundation
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation provides information, support and training around challenging behaviour associated with severe learning disabilities, and leads the ‘Challenging Behaviour National
Strategy
A strategy is a plan to show what an
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
, or a person, wants to do and how they are going to do it.
Group’ which seeks to influence policy and practice nationally on behalf of individuals who challenge and their families.
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation was founded in 1997 by Vivien Cooper, parent of a son with severe learning disabilities and behaviour described as challenging. Today the Challenging Behaviour Foundation is in regular contact with over 5000 families and professionals across the UK. There are an estimated 30,000 individuals in England with severe learning disabilities and behaviour described as challenging.
For more information visit www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk.