Carers ‘doze on duty’ in TV lounge of home for elderly
SLUMPED in armchairs in the lounge of a care home, two carers in uniform sleep while allegedly on duty.
The women were suspended after the image of them dozing as a television plays in the background was shared widely on social media.
It was first posted on Twitter by a care industry whistleblower.
An accompanying message on the ‘Good Carer’ account, which states that it believes in ‘providing excellent standards of care’, said: ‘This photo has gone viral of an agency worker completely out cold whilst being paid to work.’
Further messages branded the pair ‘lazy sods’ and named the carers pictured at the Westroyd Care Home in Shepshed, Leicestershire, as ‘Pam and Beth’.
One message said the two agency staff were ‘being paid good money to sleep while the elderly suffer’.
The image, taken on June 26, was also sent in a message to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) urging it to investigate the agency that supplied the carers.
The message said: ‘May we suggest U inspect #FosseHealthcare. These carers drain #elderly #funds.’
Yesterday it emerged that the photograph had been taken in a residents’ lounge, most likely by another member of staff.
The pair were authorised to use the lounge as a rest area if the residents were in their bedrooms. It is not clear how long they were dozing.
The home cares for up to 55 people at two units, one of which specialises in dementia care and the other in care for the elderly.
Four Seasons Health Care, which runs the home, has begun an investigation with Fosse Healthcare, the agency that supplied the carers. It has also informed Leicestershire County Council’s safeguarding service and the CQC.
A spokesman for Four Seasons said: ‘If any carer was napping while they should be looking after elderly residents, that would be a serious disciplinary matter.
‘However, it would be wrong to make assumptions and the investigation needs to establish whether the people in the photograph were meant to be on duty at that time or were on a break and whether they were actually asleep.’ The spokesman said senior staff were checking to ensure ‘policies and procedures’ were being correctly followed to ensure the welfare of residents.
A spokesman for Fosse Healthcare confirmed that the two workers pictured had been suspended while it investigated.
At its most recent inspection by the CQC in February, Westroyd was found to be in need of improvement. Four Seasons is Britain’s biggest care home group. It posted losses of £246million last year.