The investigation led to 24 people being charged with various offences and 13 people being convicted – including director level staff.
Mencap and 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 have been supporting families of victims
involved
Involved is being included in something or taking part in something.
, whilst working closely with Devon and Cornwall Police throughout the investigation.
The abuse took place at two care homes run by Atlas Care Homes (no longer operating) which were Veilstone in Bideford and Gatooma in Holsworthy.
Jan Tregelles, Chief Executive of Mencap, and Vivien Cooper, Chief Executive of The Challenging Behaviour Foundation, commented:
Throughout the three trials last year, juries have listened to horrific accounts of people with a learning disability being abused by those who were being paid to support them. The evidence that has emerged has been chilling. The survivors and their family members have been brave and dignified throughout the five year build up to these trials and 11 months of legal proceedings.
Atlas Project Team claimed to provide specialist care for people with a learning disability, at a cost of up to £4,000 per week per person. Staff were paid to care for people with a learning disability but instead of doing so imprisoned them repeatedly for long periods, often in cold rooms with no sanitation. Despite several warning signs, it took far too long for the abusive practices at the care homes to be exposed. Poor commissioning by a number of local authorities and weak inspection allowed an abusive culture to develop and sustain itself with devastating consequences for individuals and their families.
People with a learning disability abused in Atlas' services, and their families, have waited more than five years for justice. Devon and Cornwall Police must be commended for their work to ensure this case came to court.
These trials have brought into sharp focus the unacceptable attitudes and lack of respect
Respect means showing someone you think about someone's feelings, wishes or rights
Rights are the things everyone should be allowed to do like have a say, or go to school. . for people with a learning disability that exists in society. Across the country thousands of people with a learning disability, autism
Autism is a disability. Autistic people find it difficult to understand what other people think and feel. They also find it difficult to tell people what they think and feel. Everyone with autism is different. and behaviour that challenges are still subject to unacceptable practices, including the use of dangerous restraint techniques, the administration of anti-psychotic medication when they don’t have a mental illness and the use of solitary confinement. This environment, which enables commissioners to spend thousands of pounds per week of public money on the wrong type of services with no accountability, must change.
Alison Millar from
law
Laws are the rules that everyone in the country has to follow. If you don't follow the rules you can get in trouble with the police.
firm Leigh Day who is representing several of the former residents of the Devon care homes, one of whom was also a victim of abuse at Winterbourne View before being placed at Veilstone and suffering further abuse, said:
We believe this is a significant verdict for the future welfare of people in residential care.
These criminal court proceedings against Atlas Projects Ltd founder Paul Hewitt and Atlas managers and employees underline the legal responsibilities those who manage and profit from care facilities have for the physical and psychological well-being of their residents.
It also highlights the responsibilityResponsibility is managing or being in charge of something. of those public bodies who failed these vulnerable
Being vulnerable means being at risk of harm, or that you need special care because of your age or disability. individuals by not commissioning appropriate facilities and therefore should retain responsibility for the services they have contracted out.
These verdicts against the owners and managers of Atlas Projects Ltd and those they employed, are a reminder that Health and Safety legislation protects the rights of the most vulnerable and we would call on the GovernmentThe 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 Tax is the money that people pay to the council. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection. . people should pay and how things like the National Health Service ( NHS
The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals. ) should work. to ensure that more is done to strengthen such safeguards.
-ENDS-
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact the Mencap press office on 020 7696 5414 or media@mencap.org.uk or for out of hours 07770 656 659.
Notes to editors
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 the Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or email helpline@mencap.org.uk.
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which can cause problems with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places – which affects someone for their whole life.
People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.
Learning disability is not a mental illness or a learning difficulty. Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘learning disability’.