Two adult care home managers from Caerphilly have been removed from the Register of Social Care Workers after a hearing found their fitness to practise was currently impaired.
Tina-Louise Cullen and William Jones appeared before a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise committee last autumn.
The NMC found their fitness to practise was impaired because of their inadequate actions and serious management failings at a care home in Caerphilly between 2014 and 2015, which resulted in care failures and contributed to the deaths of two residents.
Having considered the NMC’s decision and the evidence presented, the Social Care Wales panel decided that the pair’s fitness to practise as registered social care workers in Wales was also currently impaired.
Explaining its decision, the panel said: “While the NMC was concerned with Ms Cullen and Mr Jones’s registration as a nurse, these are matters, in our judgement, that cannot be divorced from Ms Cullen and Mr Jones’s registration as an adult care home manager.”
Referring specifically to Ms Cullen, the panel said: “[Ms Cullen] has not substantively engaged in these proceedings, has shown no insight into her proven failures, expressed no regret or remorse, and has not undertaken any remediation that could lead us to conclude that she has remedied her numerous (and significant) failures.”
With regards to Mr Jones, the panel said: “While Mr Jones has shown insight into his failures, and has expressed regret and remorse for them, he has not undertaken any remediation that could lead us to conclude that he has remedied his numerous (and significant) managerial failures. That is candidly accepted on his behalf by his representatives.
“We are satisfied, therefore, that in the absence of remediation, Mr Jones would pose a risk to individuals using services if he was to return to practice as an adult care home manager.”
The panel decided to remove Ms Cullen and Mr Jones from the Register, saying:
“We find that only a Removal Order would be adequate in Ms Cullen and Mr Jones's case because of the breach of trust involved, which not only carried a risk of harm to the health, safety and well-being of vulnerable people, but in one case contributed to the death of a resident.”
The two-day hearing took place last week at our Cardiff office.