Carers Chill4us | Carers message board

Thousands of would-be ‘carers’ are ex crooks
ALMOST 40,000 people who applied for jobs as carers in the past two years were exposed as having criminal histories including murder and cruelty convictions.
By: Matthew Davis
Published: Sun, June 23, 2013


Health-Minister-Norman-Lamd-warned-the-elderly-care-system-incentivises-neglect-Picture-modelled- Health Minister Norman Lamd warned the elderly-care system "incentivises neglect" (Picture modelled)

Nearly 400 applications are made every week from people with a criminal past who want a job caring for vulnerable adults or the elderly.

With recruitment difficulties and low wages in the care sector it is unknown how many of these applicants would have been weeded out by employers desperate for staff were it not for new official checks.

In 2012, the 20,469 applications revealed 73,179 offences, which were either court convictions, cautions or police warnings.

Earlier this month Health Minister Norman Lamb warned the elderly-care system “incentivises neglect” and could lead to a new abuse scandal.

Applicants’ convictions included drugs, fraud, violence, sex offences and racism.

Registered sex offenders also sought carer work.

Details of potential recruits’ criminal past are passed to prospective employers.

Among crimes disclosed about would-be carers last year were 2,932 cases of assault, 1,107 of burglary and 872 of theft by an employee.

There were almost 1,000 offences relating to the sex trade, 41 for indecent exposure and 43 cases of indecent assault against under-16s.

Last year’s conviction tally included 44 for child cruelty, 24 for animal cruelty and two for poisoning.

carers, old, vulnerable, criminal, history, murder, cruelty, exposed, scandal, abuse, sex, offenders, recruitmentRegistered sex offenders also sought care work

   
In 2011 of the 70,182 offences disclosed, two related to murder and four to manslaughter.

Gary FitzGerald, chief executive of the charity Action on Elder Abuse, said: “This shows the importance of carrying out full checks on people who are likely to work with vulnerable people such as the elderly.

“But the very fact that people with a criminal and often abusive history apply for jobs as carers demonstrates their confidence that short-staffed employers will overlook such convictions. Action on Elder Abuse says this has to stop.

“Vulnerable older people need to be protected and cared for by qualified staff who are properly paid and trained.”

The records are held by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

A spokesman said: “The DBS are unable to confirm if any of the individuals were employed as a result of the information being released as the DBS has no involvement in any recruitment decision made.

“The recruitment decision is made solely by the employer.”

Mr Lamb said recently: “We need to transform care now for the sake of the 300,000 people currently getting home care and for the millions more who will need it in years to come.”

The Sunday Express revealed earlier this year that almost 200 investigations are launched every day into allegations that pensioners are being abused, with almost half the claims centred on care homes.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/health/40 ... -ex-crooks

Absolutely disgraceful;!

Words fail me, family unpaid carers will get tarred with the same brush, this country have gone back decades.

The sooner there is a different name for the PAID care worker the better.

Disgusting,the carers who got to the people in our complex are lovely girls.

Ann x

You don't have to apply to become a family carer - it just happens.

People will never realize what carers do until it happens to them.

If there are checks in place to make sure paid care workers have no criminal background those checks are obviously not effective. 

You're right Wendy - we don't apply to become family carers

they should be called care workers.

Thank goodness those checks are done.
I think it should be mandatory for paid care workers to have  training and obtain a certified qualification in care practice before they are sent out to vulnerable people.
x

and in the meantime they are called carers.

This morning Jimmie had a shower - the care worker was in the house just under half an hour - no problem she said.  After she had gone I checked and he had not been dried properly (you know what I mean, in those intimate areas)  It took me half an hour to undress him and dry him properly as I know his skin would have become red and sore, maybe even broken so there would be risk of infection. 

This is the beginning of third week with care workers coming in - already I could write a book.  Of course it's difficult to say too much in case of repercussions. 

Daisy

Leeds carer dealt drugs to fund her habit
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... -1-5793623

Carer abused special needs man at care centre
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/car ... -1-5787717

Carer for autistic teen who died after wondering off, had no formal training
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-24/f ... ection=vic

these are just a few of todays headlines and yes, I do know one is Australia, but it seems to be getting worse.
What hope is there for the family carer with these headlines?
We need a new name.

there are loads of headlines of abuse with carer in today
but I picked out this one

Ex-carer charged with misconduct

Wednesday 26th June 2013, 4:51PM BST.
http://www.thisisguernsey.com/news/uk-n ... isconduct/

There is so much corruption going on and it's the vulnerable that suffers.

Carer accused of sleeping on duty when she was responsible for 19 vulnerable patients is cleared of neglecting them

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml

What a disgrace

It seems not a day goes by without bad stories in the press.  Yesterday our local paper reported that a "carer stole  thousands from the vulnerable person he was caring for......"    He was a paid care worker who had authority to withdraw money from the bank account of the young man he was employed to care for.  It turned out that he has a criminal record so how did he get the job in the first place?

I can't help wondering how many other dreadful things go unnoticed

Daisy, so glad that you can see what I have been shouting about.  As you say it seems to  be getting worse every day.