22 care home staff facing abuse charges

A GROUP of 22 members of staff from three care homes have appeared in court accused of abusing vulnerable residents.

Seven senior managers and 15 workers face a total of 86 charges – 11 counts of ill-treating patients and 75 counts of false imprisonment.

The offences are alleged to have taken place at the Veilstone, Gatooma and Teignmead homes in Devon – run by Atlas Project Ltd.

The charges say seven alleged victims were “unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned” and detained against their will on 68 separate occasions.

Three victims are said to have been ill-treated by staff on five occasions while being treated “for mental disorder as an in-patient”.

Exeter Magistrates’ Court heard the alleged abuse occurred at the care homes, in north and south Devon, between December 31, 2009 and January 1, 2012.

All three homes, which cared for adults with learning disabilities, were closed in 2012 following inspections by the Care Quality Commission.

The case will continue at Exeter Crown Court on November 21.