Alarm over reports of abuse and neglect in Bradford's care homes

Fresh data shows the council made hundreds of enquiries into such reports last year.

The figures also show that of over 4,500 safeguarding concerns, less than 800 proceeded to action level.

Coun Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Lib-Dem group, described the situation as 'very distressing' and plans to take immediate action.

And Conservative group leader Coun John Pennington said: "If these figures are right, it is quite appalling."

Council and Labour group leader Susan Hinchcliffe said any reports on abuse and neglect 'are treated with the seriousness they deserve'.

"Abuse and neglect of our elderly is a shame on our society wherever and whenever it happens. Our elders should always be treated with respect and dignity," said Coun Hinchcliffe.

“As a Council we've invested more in safeguarding adults in the last few years. As a result our reporting mechanisms are better and any reports are treated with the seriousness they deserve.”

She urged anyone with suspicions of abuse to contact a special number or email address.

The NHS figures show that in 2018-19, Bradford Council made 385 enquiries into reports of abuse and neglect. And although this number was less than the previous year, it was well up on 2016-17.

Coun Pennington said the protection of elderly people in care homes will continue to be an issue 'of paramount importance' in Bradford.

"This is an absolute priority," he said. "We are getting better at caring for young and old people and as we do it highlights problems that much sooner. People become more aware.

"This area is certainly a priority for us and the country as a whole. I keep banging the drum on this. It is of paramount importance. We will, of course, continue to work on this in the year ahead as a core service. It is what we should be doing."

Coun Sunderland was distressed by the figures but equally worried about the number of safeguarding enquiries which had resulted in action being taken, pointing out that 4,510 safeguarding concerns were raised with only 785 resulting in council action in the form of a Section 42 inquiry.

So she now plans to write to the council's director of adult and social care to ask for a report on this for the health and social care scrutiny committee. "This is so we can understand what happened to the 80per cent of concerns which did not proceed to section 42 level," said Coun Sunderland.

"Was it insufficient evidence or were they simply classed as poor practice? Whatever, the committee needs to know that action was taken in every case. Let's have a look at the 785 but also the others.

"All of this is a concern. I have worries over changes on staffing. Are we paying enough to attract the right quality of people? This service is under massive pressure and must be properly financed."

Charity Age UK has called for a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, after figures revealed an increase in investigations of maltreatment of elderly people across England.

If councils believe an adult with care and support needs is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect, they must carry out what is known as a Section 42 enquiry, to determine whether they need to step in.

These enquiries may concern allegations of physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse, as well as neglect and substandard care.

Across England, people aged 85 and over were 20 times more likely to be the subject of a Section 42 enquiry than those aged between 18 and 64.

In Bradford, one in every 64 people aged 85 or over were involved in an enquiry, compared to one in every 1,124 under 65s.

Caroline Abrahams, director of Age UK, said: "Some older people are being badly let down by a system that has failed to treat them with respect or protect them from abuse and neglect and this urgently needs to change.

"Care homes must adhere to the strict rules and procedures which are devised to help prevent problems such as abuse, poor management and neglect.

"Any abuse, whether neglect, financial manipulation or physical or mental cruelty, is unacceptable and deserves a zero-tolerance approach.

"We encourage anyone who suspects that someone is being abused to contact their social services department or the police straight away."

Across England, the number of enquiries into abuse in care homes increased by 6per cent compared to the previous year, climbing to 47,535 in 2018-19.

The number of enquiries fell in Bradford over the same period, but was still significantly higher than the 230 carried out during 2016-17.

The likelihood of a person aged 85 and over being the subject of an enquiry has also increased across England, rising from one in 43 during 2017-18 to one in 41 last year.

The Care Quality Commission, which inspects and regulates care homes, said it was unacceptable for vulnerable people to experience poor care.

Kate Terroni, chief inspector of adult social care, said: “People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and for their human rights to be protected at all times.

"We know that most people working in caring professions are dedicated and passionate about what they do, but we also know that this is not always the case.

"We will continue to work with providers to encourage them to improve but where this does not happen we will use our enforcement powers in people's best interests and take action when necessary."

Overall, 4,510 safeguarding concerns were raised about vulnerable adults in Bradford during the year, and 785 Section 42 enquiries completed.

* Anyone with suspicions of maltreatment in Bradford is urged to ring 01274 431077 or email bradford.gov.uk/makeanalert