‘Care home boss allowed residents to be abused’
AN ADULT care home manager allowed vulnerable residents to be ill-treated and abused, a fitness to practise hearing has proved.
Ashley Bowen, who managed the now-closed St James Care Home in Swansea, faced seven counts at the Social Care Wales hearing, all of which were proved to be true.
The home was closed and residents relocated after investigations by the police and Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) found Mr Bowen’s wife, Maria Baltazar, who was a carer at the home, wilfully neglected residents.
She was subsequently sentenced to 20 weeks in prison.
CIW presenting officer David Mortimer told the hearing that Bowen became manager of the care home in 2009, with opinions shared at the time stating that he had been doing an “excellent job”.
But by 2015 standards had slipped. A CIW investigation on February 2, 2016, found “standards were “truly lamentable”, with a considerable deterioration noted.
Within days of the investigation a number of complaints were anonymously submitted regarding abuse within the care home.
They included reports of a man with Down’s syndrome having his chair tied to a table – effectively trapping him – before metal objects were banged loudly next to him to keep him awake.
Maria Baltazar pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court to causing illtreatment in April 2017 and was jailed for 20 weeks.
Mr Mortimer explained that residents were fed on low-budget food, slept in cold bedrooms with mould, had to avoid trip hazards and were left without stimulation, not allowed to go out and not taken on day- trips.
There were no blinds in the bedrooms, offering little dignity or privacy to residents.
Bowen did not attend the hearing and gave evidence only by e-mail.
Mr Mortimer said: “He recognises he has not been faultless but believes he has been made a scapegoat for the failings in the home whilst he was a registered manager.
“As a manager of a relatively small home he should have ensured there was no abuse. It is inconceivable he would not know about the abuse.
“There were very low staffing numbers at the home and he was often working himself. “It’s more likely than not he was aware.”
The charges related to a period between 2014 and 2016.
The hearing found that as an adult care home manager Bowen failed to make suitable arrangements to prevent individuals being harmed or suffering abuse or being placed at risk of harm.
His fitness to practise was found to be impaired by misconduct.
A misconduct and impairment representation will now be made by Care Inspectorate Wales.