Care Home Chiefs Accused Of Neglect In Sex Case Claim

Management at a care home where one resident allegedly sexually assaulted another have been branded “neglectful”. Managers and staff at Camphill Blair Drummond, a Stirlingshire home for disabled young adults, took three days to phone the police after the incident in June last year.

The Care Commission has now largely upheld a complaint about the way the situation was handled. The commission singled out the home’s manager, Hazel Brown, for criticism, saying she and her employees failed to follow their own procedures after the incident. Maureen Gunn, the Care Commission investigator, said: “At the time of the incident, Camphill Blair Drummond did not follow its own procedure.

“The manager should have ensured all staff were competent in Protection of Vulnerable Adults policy and procedure. The manager herself did not follow the service procedure. Therefore, it is evident that the management was neglectful with regard to staff knowledge and training needs on Protection of Vulnerable Adults policy.”

The complainers, the parents of a Camphill resident not involved in the incident, believed the staff failures amounted to incompetence. The Care Commission, however, did not agree. Ms Gunn said: “There is insufficient evidence to conclude that the management in general were incompetent.”

The Care Commission also rejected a second complaint, that Camphill’s risk assessments for new residents were not robust enough. The alleged assault led to Camphill Blair Drummond, which is an independent charity, being closed to new admissions.

Both people involved, the alleged attacker and his alleged victim, had learning difficulties. The home, which is close to Blair Drummond safari park, has now fully reopened.

The complaint against Camphill Blair Drummond was filed by Sue and Bill Gutteridge, whose daughter was a resident at the time of the alleged assault but was not involved with the incident. Mrs Gutteridge said yesterday: “We will be seeking a review of the way the Care Commission investigated our complaint.”

The charity’s chairwoman, Helen Munro, said: “All the issues have been fully addressed and the moratorium on new admissions was lifted in December.”

A suspect has been charged with sexual assault and removed from the home. His alleged victim has also moved out of Camphill.