Colwyn Bay care home boss 'failed to protect residents'

Gaynor Brownson was suspended as manager at Redcroft Care Home, in Colwyn Bay, after the new owners took over

A former care home manager has been struck off after she failed to protect residents from abuse, neglect or improper treatment.

One resident at Redcroft Care Home, in Colwyn Bay, was so scared of one member of staff that she barricaded herself in her room at night, the panel heard.

Gaynor Brownson admitted a total of seven allegations at a Social Care Wales fitness to practise hearing.

Ms Brownson's failings amounted to gross misconduct, the panel found.

The care home is under different ownership to when the allegations were made.

Another female resident made an anonymous call to the care inspectorate to say the male member of staff, who has not been named, had scared her by shouting at her, the hearing was told.

'Pinned against a wall'

Another resident claimed he was grabbed by the throat and pinned against a wall by the same care worker after leaving the premises, the panel heard.

But when an inspector visited the home in March 2019 to investigate the anonymous complaint, she found Ms Brownson had not reported the incidents to Conwy council's safeguarding team, as she was required to do.

Ms Brownson told the inspector, Suzanne Le Gallez, she did not realise she had to refer such matters and did not know how to.

Miss Le Gallez told the hearing she was told by the daughter of one resident that her mother had not been receiving her medication.

That led to a more detailed examination of the home's medical and personal records, which revealed several other failings.

Missing drugs

Members of staff reported the home running out of medication, and that liquid morphine, a controlled drug, would go missing.

It emerged some residents had not been given medication for up 15 days.

A box containing confidential documents and letters which had not been passed on to residents was found in a communal toilet, instead of being kept secure.

Ms Le Gallez told the committee Ms Brownson did not seem to realise the seriousness of the situation, or the risk to residents.

'Dismissive, defensive, abrupt'

"I would describe her as dismissive, defensive and abrupt," she said.

Both the male care worker and Ms Brownson were suspended by the company which had taken over the home shortly before the inspection, and she resigned before the three-day inspection was concluded.

She initially admitted to three allegations, but later admitted to all seven, including failing to run the home with sufficient care, competence and skill.

Panel chairman Iwan Davies said the residents had been put at risk by Ms Brownson's failings.

'Scapegoat'

Ms Brownson, who became manager at Redcroft in 2016 after working as a care assistant at a care home in south Wales, told the panel she felt she had been made a scapegoat for the owner's failings.

She said she had not been given the proper training, staff had not shown her enough respect and she had returned to work too soon after personal trauma.

"I deeply apologise and whatever happened was not intentional. I can assure you it will not happen again," she told the panel.

Imposing a removal order, the panel chairman said Ms Brownson, who said she did not intend to be an adult care manager in future, had shown very little insight into the impact of her conduct.