BASW England response to the safeguarding adults review of instances of abuse at Whorlton Hall

The review can be read here.

BASW England Response

This review is one of the latest in a long line of reports highlighting abuse and the failure to protect citizens in state care.

The Whorlton Hall Safeguarding Adults Review focuses on the key failures which led to the emotional and physical abuse of people at Whorlton Hall who were there to receive care and treatment. It is right that those staff who were found to have mistreated and abused people in the hospital will be held to account for their actions.

This review identifies systemic issues that mirror those in the abuse scandal at Winterbourne View back in 2011, and more recently the Safe and Wellbeing Reviews Thematic Review published on 21st February 2023 following the deaths of Joanna, Jon and Ben at Cawston Park Hospital.

The findings conclude:

• No nationally coordinated and funded strategic approach to “transforming care” for individuals with learning disabilities and autistic people.
• An absence of effective advocacy.
• Safeguarding processes and procedures were ineffective.
• Absence of a sustained relationship of trust with a named social worker.
• Insufficient multi-agency working.
• Inadequate and ineffective safeguards, processes, and procedures to investigate suspected.  abusive and toxic cultures in services.

These review’s findings reinforce the significant lack of progress in the government’s Transforming Care agenda which has now changed to Building the Right Support. This policy has a history of missed targets and lacks investment in the right kinds of housing and care to create the change that is so desperately needed, leaving those people currently in assessment, care and treatment units and their families facing lifelong struggles against state indifference.

In line with our Homes Not Hospitals campaign, we reaffirm our call for funding to be made available so that every person in a hospital like Whorlton Hall has access to and support from a named social worker who can develop a trusting relationship, safeguard and uphold human rights.

BASW England will continue to campaign alongside individuals, families, and other organisations for change. We will keep the pressure on the government to meet their target to close 50% of in-patient beds by March 2024 and fulfil their commitment to people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

Hazel Griffiths, family carer and member of the BASW Homes Not Hospitals campaign commented:

“It is crucial, appropriate, safe and sufficient provision, in the local community, is available to avoid inappropriate placements like Whorlton Hall, where once again we saw the cruel and inhumane treatment for those who needed care and support. 

We cannot continue to invest in these models of care or to keep on hearing the denial, dismissal, and deflection that surrounds these abusive settings.”