Should care workers be banned from using mobile phones following 3 yr old being thrown in crocodile pit by man with severe learning difficulties

I think blaming anyone particularly the parents before we know the details is not appropriate.

Please don't be frightened of people with LDs either, my own dd works now for two charities on a weekly basis, with support. She was just existing in the wrong setting (which should have been her home) under the wrong care providers. If she didn't have a family to advocate for her, I think she would have died last year as it was only when she moved to her new residential home they realised she had a serious health condition

Galaxy

I think blaming anyone particularly the parents before we know the details is not appropriate.

I agree but I also think we are powerless to call out support workers to their employers as they don't seem to care but I think this is a case of people with LDs are often invisible until they aren't

Grandmafrench you don't know anything about his condition or what the carers were supposed to be doing. He might have been a known danger and the carers expected to closely supervise or he might never have done anything remotely concerning and the carers expected to keep an eye on him and let him have some independence.

Really unfair to jump to condemning people when you have no idea of all the ins and outs of the situation.

The whole appalling event is the stuff of nightmares. Not only were the "carers" possibly ignoring what their charge could do to others , but also, in a crocodile enclosure, whst he could do to himself or the animals.

If it can be shown by CCTV or phone records at that time that they were neglecting their charge, then they must be held criminally culpable. They may be paid only minimum wage and the job is probably not respected as it should be or sufficient training given, but on that day caring for him was their job.

I do hope the little boy makes a full recovery. There is obviously so much information to be gathered.

Yes I agree with that too.

JaneJudge

^I really don’t think that care in the community is being implemented properly^

neither do I

I have a lovely young adult child with SLD/autism and other complex needs. She should never have been put in supported living

She ended up being described as 'aggressive' and 'violent' by all professionals involved

She was frightened. She was frightened she wasn't being listened to and that her needs were not being met (and it turned out she had a really painful medical condition that hadn't been picked up on)

I can only tell you what I am comfortable to tell you but these care packages are sold are being empowering for those they support and I am not saying this care model doesn't work, as it must work for a lot of people but for my own child an 'old fashioned' care model works better (which costs more money)

People with LDs don't need to be locked away, not allowed out in public etc but please be aware that decisions made about people with complex and/or severe learning disabilities are a cost saving exercise and two untrained/uninterested carers saves your local authority and in this case has let everyone down

I don’t think the people that care for my neighbour are trained at all. They take him on the bus into town and to the pub but apart from that I doubt if they try to enrich his life in any way. His father visits occasionally but doesn’t stay long. If I do see him out and about with his carers I do make a point of chatting to him buthe’s a tall strong young man and I live in a street full of elderly widows: the lady who lives next to him has only just been widowed and she is quite a nervous person.I’m not usually scared of people. My daughter lives opposite a house that houses several people with learning disabilities and it seems to be very well run with experienced carers ( a friend of mine used to work there).

I agree.

One work phone. Personal phones left on locked work lockets.

Phone number registered at head office and this number given to care staff families for emergency calls.

If it is deemed these care workers were derelict in their duty of care, they should be disciplined.

Using mobile phones whilst on duty or at work is banned in many organisations. They are paid to sit together on a break either, looking after people out in the community is a 24/7 hob. Whilst out in public with those in your care, 100% attention is required.

This whole story is horrifying?

HelterSkelter1

The whole appalling event is the stuff of nightmares. Not only were the "carers" possibly ignoring what their charge could do to others , but also, in a crocodile enclosure, whst he could do to himself or the animals.

If it can be shown by CCTV or phone records at that time that they were neglecting their charge, then they must be held criminally culpable. They may be paid only minimum wage and the job is probably not respected as it should be or sufficient training given, but on that day caring for him was their job.

I do hope the little boy makes a full recovery. There is obviously so much information to be gathered.

I completely agree.

Sadly lots of the organisations employing carers in the community for adults with learning difficulties are private organisations.

The levels of care and training and vetting appear to differ greatly between organisations.

I think the care workers responsible should be prosecuted. However I live in a village that has a school for young people with learning difficulties and we often see them out and about with their carers, often one to one. I must say I have never seen the carers using their phones and they always seem very engaged with their charges. On the contrary, when I pick my GD up from school nearly every mother with a toddler has her nose in her phone. The other day a mother was talking on her phone ignoring her very young child who ran across the road. Luckily no cars were coming but it is always busy outside of the school. My heart was in my mouth!

Phones seem to be taking a lot of attention and they often make it look more important than their jobs.
Well hello everyone, I am new here and I hope I am welcome by you all

The two in charge of him weren’t doing what they were paid to do but no doubt we’ll be told ‘lessons will be learnt’

The man’s behaviour was clearly unpredictable so he should have been kept under close supervision.

Sometimes an emergency might crop up . If you have no phone with you how are people going to contact you ? I have been in this situation and it is very, very scary.

nanna8

Sometimes an emergency might crop up . If you have no phone with you how are people going to contact you ? I have been in this situation and it is very, very scary.

Its acceptable to ask for permission to have your phone on you, but even then people just take the p**ss.
It was fine for my boss because he was always on his phone himself!

It's a real sore point for me, this one.

Trueeve, welcome. I hope you enjoy your time on GN 🤗

Hello Trueve

Galaxy

I think blaming anyone particularly the parents before we know the details is not appropriate.

I agree with this Galaxy.. However as someone who worked in this field before everything was privatised, I would say that now the most vulnerable people in our community are being cared for by the least trained and most poorly paid staff. No wonder there are dreadful incidents like this.

That doesn't excuse not doing your job properly.

A similar case to the young lad thrown from the Tate Modern. That man was on a supervised day out with carers. Tragic for both young lads concerned.

The person who threw the boy at the Tate had been telling people for a long time that he had the urge to do it.
By people, I mean professionals that were involved in his life.

Care in the community was brought in under the banner of creating normal lives as opposed to institutionalisation. But I and other social workers said at the time that the hope that it would reduce costs was misguided as good care in the community costs a lot of money ... and in its very fragmentation would be hard to monitor and ensure high standards are maintained. The use of private agencies compounds this problem.
Having said that, there are some truly brilliant and dedicated carers around, including a gransnetter!

Luckygirl3

Care in the community was brought in under the banner of creating normal lives as opposed to institutionalisation. But I and other social workers said at the time that the hope that it would reduce costs was misguided as good care in the community costs a lot of money ... and in its very fragmentation would be hard to monitor and ensure high standards are maintained. The use of private agencies compounds this problem.
Having said that, there are some truly brilliant and dedicated carers around, including a gransnetter!

Once again the people on the ground knew exactly how it was going to go but the pen pushers/ men ( and women) in grey suits knew better and listened to the accountants 🤬

Wasn't it supposed to be like a Swedish system which was properly funded?

Nobody seems worried that he has been freed on bail (to do harm to another child) ??

Trouble is , some people should be in secure accommodation where they can receive treatment , instead there are no places for such people and they are left in the community, where they are a risk to the community and themselves - no supervision whether or not they take their medication etc. Lots of horrible examples recently. There is a “ halfway house” near me where occupants are allowed to wander about and one in particular has threatened people on the street. One recent example the police were called and people were told he was on remand for attempted murder- should such people be allowed to walk our streets? Its another tragedy waiting to happen