Essay on protection individuals from abuse

Identify two reports on serious failures to protect individuals from abuse. Write an account that describes the unsafe practices in the reviews. Abuse can happen anywhere anytime, but especially to vulnerable people. I have researched into two cases reported for abuse in adults. The Winterbourne case and the Orchid View case. Six care workers at the Winterbourne View care home were given prison terms for “cruel, callous and degrading” abuse of disabled patients. Orchid View care home was branded Britain’s cruelest care home with neglect stemming from institutionalised abuse contributing to the deaths of five elderly residents.

Staff at Winterbourne care home were using unsafe practices, They were caught on vulnerable residents, soaking them in water and trapping them under chairs, staff were caught physically abusing these residents as well as emotionally and verbally abusing them by taunting and swearing at them. The individuals were not able to defend themselves, this is an abuse of power and trust. Winterbourne were putting profits before humanity, it was run with a view to profit and with a lack of interest to its residents or staff.

Poor working practices are seen here, one member of staff stated that he was originally shocked by the ill treatment of patients at Winterbourne yet became use to it over time. This is unsafe practice, not reporting incidents is also abusing the residents as they are still in danger. It was this member of staff’s responsibility to report what was happening. His behaviour was inappropriate. Unsafe practices were also seen in the Orchid View case. There was multiple accounts of maltreatment to elderly people in this home, there was institutionalised abuse throughout the home which started at a very early stage and nobody did anything about it.

The home was mismanaged and understaffed meaning that the environment was not safe for the residents. There were several severe cases of neglect in this home, residents were left soiled and unattended while others were locked in their rooms. Another lady has a fractured ankle left undiagnosed for days. There was so many incidents of neglect reported in duty of personal care, another being unsafe administration of medication, for example failing to check the dosage. One lady had been overdosed and then her medical records were destroyed when it became clear she needed medical treatment.

This is also inappropriate communication, not giving out the appropriate paperwork. Police and social workers where called into the home after a whistleblower reached breaking point after being told there was 28 errors in administrating drugs in a single shift. This shows the failure in ensuring supervision and staff being trained correctly. In both of these homes residents came into them to be looked after and to feel safe, yet lost their dignity, independence and some even their lives because of the unsafe practices being used and the abuse not being reported soon enough.