Bullying Rotherham care boss guilty of abusing centre users

Barbara Sykes and Julie Paul-Slack had denied the abuse charges during the trial at Sheffield Crown Court

A "bullying, abrasive and domineering" manager of a day care centre for people with learning difficulties has been convicted of ill-treating users.

Barbara Sykes, 64, pulled a woman off her chair and a man suffered a broken nose as she "frog-marched" him at the Reach Day Centre in Rotherham.

Assistant manager Julie Paul-Slack, 56, was also convicted of ill-treating a person lacking capacity.

Both will be sentenced on 19 March 2021 at Sheffield Crown Court.

• More stories across Yorkshire

Sykes, from Rotherham, had denied 11 charges of neglect or ill-treatment. She was found guilty of six.

Paul-Slack, also from Rotherham, who was the assistant manager of the centre, had denied one count of ill-treatment and one count of wilful neglect.

The offences were said to have taken place between June 2011 and October 2017.

The facility, based at the Elliott Centre in Badsley Moor Lane, provides care for people with a range of conditions, including cerebral palsy, autism and Asperger's.

'Bullied and humiliated'

Prosecutor Tom Storey said the two either ill-treated or neglected a number of the vulnerable service users who were in their care.

The barrister said as well as allegations of physical assaults Mrs Sykes also shouted at service users, withheld meals and, on one occasion, left a man outside in bad weather without a coat.

He said when a police investigation began officers found some records were missing.

Staff said Sykes' manner meant they were scared to raise issues with her.

The court heard that during one incident, Sykes pulled a client, who was shouting in the dining room, off her chair onto the floor.

Assisted by Paul-Slack, Sykes then dragged her by her legs the full length of the building.

Staff had to rush to stop the woman striking her head on a metal doorplate.

Helen Gaunt from the Crown Prosecution Service said Sykes ruled "with an iron rod".

She added: "The clients of the Elliott Centre had the right to be treated with respect and dignity."

Instead, she said, Sykes "bullied and routinely humiliated" both her staff and the service-users.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or send video here.