Winterbourne View: Council care managers sacked

Winterbourne View has since been bought by Glenside Manor Healthcare Services

Two council managers have been sacked after adults with learning disabilities were ill-treated at a private hospital.

The pair, who worked for South Gloucestershire Council, were dismissed as a result of events at Winterbourne View, near Bristol.

Both managers were responsible for safeguarding vulnerable adults, the BBC understands.

The ill-treatment was uncovered during secret filming by BBC Panorama at the Castlebeck-owned care home.

The first person to be sacked was Kevin Haigh, an experienced team manager who had worked in the area for 16 years, who was dismissed in March.

Brian Clarke, the council's safeguarding adults manager with 10 years of experience, was dismissed in April.

'Wider failures'

It is understood that a-year-and-a-half before the whistleblower came forward and the programme was filmed, Mr Haigh and Mr Clarke were alerted to other allegations of serious abuse.

They will have the right of appeal. The BBC has not been able to get in touch with either of them.

In a statement, their union Unison said: 'We believe that there may be wider failures in safeguarding procedures in South Gloucestershire in relation to Winterbourne View which go far beyond the involvement of any two individuals.

"Lessons must be learnt from this situation.'"

Twenty-four patients were transferred from Winterbourne View following the BBC investigation and the hospital was closed in June 2011.

It has since been bought by Glenside Manor Healthcare Services which plans to reopen it as a neurological rehabilitation centre.

A serious case review is due to be published later in the year.