Source: Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) published on this website Tuesday 9 July 2024 by Jill Powell

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has apologised and promised action after an independent review of its culture highlighted safeguarding concerns, and found that people working in the organisation have experienced racism, discrimination and bullying.

The NMC takes this extremely seriously and will deliver a culture change programme rooted in the review’s recommendations.

The NMC commissioned Nazir Afzal OBE and Rise Associates to carry out the review after concerns were raised about the organisation’s culture, including racism and fear of speaking up. Over 1,000 current and former NMC colleagues, plus more than 200 panel members who sit on fitness to practise hearings, shared their lived experiences as part of the review. The NMC accepts the report’s recommendations.

The NMC’s casework brings it into contact with members of the public, employers and professionals on the register, and the regulator has a responsibility to recognise if anyone has vulnerabilities it needs to consider. As highlighted in the report, since April 2023, six people have died by suicide or suspected suicide while under, or having concluded, fitness to practise investigation. We offer our sincere condolences to their relatives.

Sam Foster, Executive Nurse Director of Professional Practice and the NMC’s executive safeguarding lead, has led an expansion of resources for the safeguarding team over recent months. Sam is increasing knowledge and training, alongside strengthening the regulator’s operating procedures. This builds on work started several months ago to better understand how the NMC can improve its processes to reduce the impact and risk of harm to people – this work will be completed by September. The organisation is also establishing a safeguarding hub, which will provide advice to staff working in fitness to practise.

The report finds a link between the NMC’s regulatory performance and its culture. In particular, the ongoing challenges with the high fitness to practise caseload have put some of the NMC’s people under immense pressure. As well as following through on the report’s recommendations, the NMC will continue to deliver its £30m, 18-month plan to make a step change in fitness to practise. This plan was announced in March, with a clear goal to reach decisions in a more timely and considerate way.

The report finds there are at least two cultures at the NMC – colleagues might pass each other in a corridor with experiences that are worlds apart: one may be on an upward career trajectory, highly motivated and satisfied with their work. The other may be subject to bullying and harassment.

Racism, discrimination and bullying should never have had any place at the NMC. Where it has been raised in the past, the organisation hasn’t taken enough action to address it and hold people to account. The report’s recommendations will help to address this and move the NMC towards achieving racial equity for its people.

This is a turning point for the NMC. The organisation has already started to address some of the regulatory issues raised in the report. For example, in February, the regulator strengthened its guidance on concerns about sexual misconduct and other forms of abuse outside professional practice – making it absolutely clear that whether they occur within or outside a work setting, the regulator takes these concerns extremely seriously.

Source: Lancashire Constabulary published on this website Friday 14 June 2024 by Jill Powell

A childminder has on 13^th June been jailed for killing a baby under her care in Hapton. 

Baby Harlow Collinge suffered injuries consistent with being violently shaken by defendant Karen Foster at her former home in Mill Lane.

Colleagues at the North West Ambulance Service were called at 1.19pm on 1^st March 2022 following a report that nine-month old Harlow was in cardiac arrest. He was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital where it was discovered he had a significant and non-accidental injury to his brain.

Due to the nature and severity of Harlow’s brain injury and having given a number of conflicting accounts of how this injury was sustained, Foster was arrested at that time on suspicion of Section 18 grievous bodily harm. Despite the best efforts of medical professionals, Harlow sadly died on 5^th March 2022 surrounded by his loved ones.

A post mortem examination revealed that Harlow’s cause of death was inflicted traumatic brain injury. Foster was further arrested on suspicion of murder. Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, 62-year-old Foster was charged with Harlow’s murder.

After two years, faced with the indisputable and overwhelming evidence that she was responsible for killing Harlow, Foster pleaded guilty to his manslaughter when she appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court last week.

Foster, now of no fixed address, appeared at the same court today where Mr Justice Cotter jailed her for 12 years and seven months. 

Source: Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published on this Website Thursday 27 June 2024 by Jill Powell

Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Briefing Paper 3 May 2024 is part of an ongoing series of publications to share information arising from work undertaken by the Panel with safeguarding partners and others involved in child protection. The purpose of this briefing is to share learning from the panel’s analysis of rapid reviews and local child safeguarding practice reviews (LCSPRs) to inform the work of safeguarding partners generally to help and protect children who are electively home educated. The briefing explores common themes and patterns identified across reviews and highlights practice issues raised by safeguarding partners from across England

Source: Kent Police published on this website Wednesday 12 June 2024 by Jill Powell

A former Kent Police officer has been charged with rape, sexual assault and misconduct in a public office.

Jamie Woodhams was the subject of an investigation by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate after a report made to the force in October 2022.

The 51-year-old, of Ashford, has now been charged with six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The charges relate to alleged offences against two women in Kent and elsewhere between 2006 and 2022.

He is also charged with three counts of misconduct in a public office, relating to alleged relationships he formed with women he had met during the course of his duties.

Mr Woodhams, who resigned from the force in April 2022, will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 27 June.