Man barred from Mansfield care home snubs compensation offer

Teresa Smith moved into the care home in 2018 and died the following year

A man who was banned from visiting his mother in a care home says she "deserved better".

Mark Smith was barred from Berry Hill Park Care Home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, for six weeks after he complained about her care.

The home has since apologised and an ombudsman's report found the care home was at fault in banning him.

But the 59-year-old has turned down a compensation offer and is planning further legal action.

'Proud woman'

Mr Smith's mother had dementia and before placing her in the home, he had spent more than two years caring for her himself.

When he visited his mother at the new home, he said she was unclean and distressed.

"She was a wonderful and incredibly proud woman with a big heart and to see her like that was devastating," he said.

"Mum deserved better than that last eight months of her life. I feel enormously guilty.

"All I wanted to do was make sure my mum was happy and comfortable. I thought I had picked a care home that had a good CQC [Care Quality Commission] rating but within a month I wanted her moved.

"That six weeks I couldn't visit, mum's health dropped through the floor.

"Mum missed me immensely and she never knew why I stopped visiting, and that cruelty has left me very bitter."

The man was banned from the care home after he was involved in an altercation

Mr Smith, a former sales director, had visited his mother daily but care home staff said one day in August 2018 he became "loud and aggressive" in front of other residents.

He was subsequently banned from future visits without notice before being allowed back six weeks later following a complaint to the CQC.

"It was the worst time in my life," Mr Smith added.

"I have to live with the fact I failed and I let my mum down. That I didn't try hard enough and she couldn't be moved because her dementia was too progressed."

Mr Smith's mother died in hospital aged 82 in April 2019.

• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands

An investigation was carried out by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and a report was published in June.

It prompted an apology from the home and Nottinghamshire County Council along with a compensation offer of £650.

Mr Smith says he will not accept the money and plans to take legal action instead.

"They have admitted liability and that's a major thing for me," he said.

"But being offered £650 by the council is not right. Not for what they did restricting me and failing to protect my mum."

'Deep regret'

The care home previously said it "deeply regrets" what happened.

A spokesperson for HC-One Limited - the company running Berry Hill Park Care Home - said: "The actions of the team at the time were not in line with our process of responding to family concerns.

"Put simply, barring a family member from visiting a home is not something we ever want or seek to do.

"We deeply regret and apologise for this historic situation which in no way represents the care provided at the home today."

Melanie Brooks, corporate director for adult social care and public health at the council, said: "We will work with care providers to ensure the recommendations are carried out and the correct procedures are followed before a person can be excluded from a care home."