Hull: Raleigh Court home 'failed' elderly resident, court told

Robert Carpenter was housed at Raleigh Court in Cambridge Street, Hull, on an "emergency placement"

An elderly care home resident was sexually assaulted by a fellow resident who had a rape conviction, a court has heard.

Robert Carpenter carried out the attack in June 2018 at the HICA-owned Raleigh Court in Cambridge Street, Hull.

Former manager Katie Daysley is on trial at Beverley Magistrates' Court accused of failing to protect the patient.

She said she acted properly given the information she had.

But prosecutors acting for the Care Quality Commission argued she failed to "gather a full and informative picture" of Carpenter's background, as per the admission's policy.

Carpenter, then 65, arrived at the home on 9 January 2018 on an "emergency placement" following concerns for his health. He had a history of substance abuse, and had burns from plugging in his television in damp conditions.

Ms Daysley was asked by her counsel, Andrew McGee, if she had been given any information about Carpenter's criminality when a Hull City Council social worker phoned requesting a place for him at the home.

'Perfect gentleman'

The social worker had disclosed Carpenter "was briefly in prison for burglary", Ms Daysley told the court.

She insisted no mention was made, at this point, of Carpenter's rape conviction from 1980.

Carpenter had appeared to be "a perfect gentleman" and settled well, said Ms Daysley.

On 25 April 2018, a social worker phoned Ms Daysley to tell her that checks had revealed Carpenter's rape conviction.

"I could not believe what I was being told," she said.

Ms Daysley claimed she phoned Heather Joy, HICA's regional director, who told her it was "common" for homes to look after residents with convictions and that "there was a murderer at another home".

Carpenter's offending was discussed with Ms Joy and senior carers and there was nothing to suggest he was going to attack anyone, said Ms Daysley. A risk assessment was carried out "over the phone" with Ms Joy, the defendant claimed.

Prosecutor Jemima Stephenson suggested to Ms Daysley that she had "invented" the phone conversation.

'Vulnerable residents'

A record had been made in Carpenter's care plan, but it had subsequently "gone missing", said Ms Daysley.

"It did not exist, did it?" asked Ms Stephenson.

Ms Daysley insisted it did.

The prosecutor suggested to Ms Daysley that she, as the manager, should have dug deeper into Carpenter's background.

Owing to the home containing "particularly vulnerable residents", "immediate steps" should have been implemented once details of Carpenter's sexual offending came to light, Ms Stephenson suggested.

"I was not advised to put any additional steps in," said the defendant.

Ms Daysley left Raleigh Court to become manager of another facility on 27 April 2018 - several weeks before Carpenter sexually assaulted the resident. The woman has subsequently died from unrelated causes.

On her final day, Ms Daysley said it was left to the deputy manager, who was being promoted to acting manager, to update Carpenter's records, although the court heard there was no evidence to show this happened.

Hull-based HICA care group, based in Freetown Way, Hull, initially denied a charge under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 of failing to discharge a duty resulting in a service user being exposed to a significant risk of avoidable harm.

It changed its plea to guilty on the opening day of the trial.

Ms Daysley, 41, of Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, denies a charge of failing to discharge a duty resulting in avoidable harm to a service user from abuse and improper treatment.

The trial continues.