Gay man abused by staff in Croydon care home

Ted Brown's civil partner Noel Glynn was abused in a care home

The partner of a man who was abused in a care home in south London said that staff did not recognise them as a gay couple.

Ted Brown's civil partner Noel Glynn died before he was awarded £30,000 by Lambeth Council after he was abused in a home in Croydon.

It comes as London-based charity Compassion in Care published a report into LGBTQ abuse in care settings.

"This is a massive problem," report author Eileen Chubb said.

"What has been highlighted specifically is that victims often have no children so they don't have that network of people visiting them, which means that there is less scrutiny and that makes them more vulnerable."

Mr Glynn, who had dementia, went into the Croydon care home in 2018 when Lambeth Council could not provide a place near to his home in Brixton.

• Carers 'need mandatory LGBT training'

While there, he suffered bruising across his body and a cigarette burn to the back of his hand as a result of abuse from some of the staff, Mr Brown said.

He added that he was warned by two other LGBTQ+ residents in the home not to reveal to staff that they were a couple because "that won't be good for either of you".

'Helpless'

Mr Brown said that he felt "completely helpless" after discovering the abuse, and they sued Lambeth Council in 2021 as the authority responsible for Mr Glynn.

Mr Glynn was told that he would receive £30,000 from the council for breaching his human rights, but he died before payment was made. Mr Brown is expected to receive the money through the probate process.

A spokesperson for Lambeth Council said that they were sorry for the couple's experience of the care services.

"When allegations of abuse were made they were fully investigated by Croydon Council as the host authority, and the outcome was shared with the police for follow up action," they said.

The council added that it is developing training problems with the help of care home providers and charities to "better respond to the needs of older LGBTQ+ people receiving social care services".

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]