Cardiff care home boss who 'cut food portions' struck off
- Published
Debra Lewis was accused of being aggressive to care home residents (not pictured)
A care home manager who behaved in an "aggressive and uncompromising way" to staff and residents has been struck off after a misconduct panel hearing.
Concerns were raised in January 2019 about Debra Lewis, who had managed a Cardiff home for adults with dementia.
A remote hearing was told Ms Lewis told staff to cut residents' food portions.
The misconduct panel found she had "breached the fundamental tenets of social care" and removed her from the register.
Ms Lewis was accused of bullying staff, with witnesses saying she upset workers by being rude and aggressive.
The hearing was told Ms Lewis, who worked for Ty Draw Wentworth Lodge Ltd, shouted at a resident that she would get her removed from the home.
Another time, it heard, she behaved inappropriately and aggressively towards a resident who didn't want to use a stairlift.
And, the hearing was told, she told staff not to give residents biscuits with tea and to stop putting fruit in the dining room.
A panel decided Ms Lewis's fitness to practise was impaired because of serious misconduct.
It said: "We have found that Ms Lewis behaved in an aggressive and uncompromising way to staff and residents, and that she presided over an unhealthy culture within the home.
"We have concluded that Ms Lewis breached the fundamental tenets of social care by failing to model caring behaviour to her staff and by treating the home's residents in a way which on occasions upset them or failed to respect their dignity."
It decided a removal order was "necessary, appropriate and proportionate".
"Ms Lewis demonstrated long-standing and deep-seated attitudinal defects which resulted in harm to residents," it said.
Ms Lewis did not attend the one-day hearing, which was held last week.
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