Wardens urged to complain about care

The Emerging Role of Sheltered Housing is urging sheltered housing
wardens to complain about bad domiciliary service to councils and
to the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Erosh believes bad practice in domiciliary care is increasing as
services are contracted out to the private sector.

Erosh said there were many examples of domiciliary care agencies
failing to adhere to the Commission for Social Care Inspection
national minimum standards or the General Social Care Council’s
code of practice.

Imogen Parry, chair of the collaboration and development group at
Erosh, said: “Not only are wardens fearful for the older person’s
safety but despair over the person’s quality of life. I hear about
older people woken at 10am, which is too late, and are then put to
bed at 6pm, which is too early.”

Other examples include domiciliary staff failing to turn up,
staying only five minutes and not treating the person with
dignity.

Maggie Uttley, president of the British Association of Domiciliary
Care, said inspections had only just started. “There is a lot of
good practice out there but we need to stamp out bad practice and
we rely on people telling us it is happening. Wardens need to speak
out.”