Dunmurry Manor: Review finds family complaints 'not addressed'

The report proposed eight actions for improving how complaints are handled

The former owner of Dunmurry Manor care home did not address the complaints of residents' families, an independent review has found.

Investigators found Runwood Homes "did not seek to engage" with relatives "to fully understand their complaints".

It added some were "short changed with conditional apologies".

The report into the handling of complaints about safeguarding and care at Dunmurry Manor care home has been published by the Department of Health.

It is one of a series of reports commissioned by the department in 2018, in response to the Home Truths investigation carried out by the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland.

At the time, Eddie Lynch reported a "horrific catalogue of inhuman and degrading treatment" for residents living with dementia, with many people "spending their last few months living in appalling conditions".

The report published on Wednesday found families' complaints were not addressed by the Health and Social Care Board, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), health and social care trusts and the Patient and Client Council.

A new company, Kathryn Homes, was established last year to manage the 12 care homes in Northern Ireland previously run by Runwood Homes.

Dunmurry Manor has since been renamed Oak Tree Manor care home.

'Badly let down'

An independent review team, from the social care consultancy firm CPEA, said: "An unexpected hurdle that complainants had to overcome was the disbelief of some Dunmurry Manor and Health and Social Care Trust managers and staff that their complaints were factually correct."

The report proposed eight actions aimed at improving the way complaints are managed including:

• A complaints change programme led by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman

• Ensuring a regionally consistent approach to procedures, forms and training

• Adopting a complainant-centred approach involving listening and responding decisively

• Redefining the remit of the RQIA in respect of care home complaints

Health Minister Robin Swann said he was committed to improving outcomes for those who complain about health and social care services.

Robin Swann said people needed to be assured their complaints would be taken seriously

"It is very clear that residents of Dunmurry Manor and their families were badly let down when it came to how complaints were dealt with," he explained.

"This has been a recurring challenge in the health and social care system and processes must be improved.

"People need to know who to turn to when services are failing them and their loved ones and they need to be assured that their complaints will be taken seriously and acted upon."

The Department of Health said it would be working closely with the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman to strengthen and enhance the way complaints are managed across health and social care.