Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed

Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed

2011, Society  -    -  Playlist 120 Comments
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Ratings: 8.54/10 from 59 users.

On the top floor of a special hospital, locked away from their families and friends, a group of men and women are subjected to a regime of physical assaults, systematic brutality, and torture by the very people supposed to be caring for them.

The victims are some of the most vulnerable in society - the learning disabled, the autistic, and the suicidal. In a Panorama Special, Paul Kenyon exposes the truth about a gang of carers out of control, and how the care system ignored all the warning signs.

Joe Casey spent five weeks filming undercover in a private care hospital on the outskirts of Bristol after getting a job as a support worker. He was shocked by what he witnessed.

Police in Bristol have arrested four people after secret filming by BBC Panorama found a pattern of serious abuse at a residential hospital.

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Rennie Nainan
Rennie Nainan
1 year ago

Abuse continues in our homes,schools,colleges,corporate offices,government places and higher places.Its difficult to root out a problem that is inherent in humans.When you identify such places as you have rightfully done you have opened up a pandora box.The question that remains to be answered is "Am i an Abuser or victim of Abuse".

Katherine
Katherine
3 years ago

This video, as heartbreaking and as sensitive,is perfect fro my college dissertation i am writing. I was wondering if there is any way I can download this video so I may continue to use and quote it?

David
David
4 years ago

I am so heartbroken and have to wonder and fear for all the other vulnerable people who are not included in this revelation. How can we call this CARE? What do WE do?
Has humanity lost it's way???

rhiannon
rhiannon
7 years ago

i have a headache from watching these a-holes

Laura
Laura
7 years ago

Was a heartbreaking documentary, I had no idea that they had lock-down facilities care centres still in Europe. I work in assisted living for the elderly here in Canada, and we do have many situations where there can be abuse of power. That is why there is such strict guide lines, as well as training for proper licences a care worker needs to have, before they can even get a job. But even with all this, there are still situations that happen. The most heartbreaking part of this documentary is when Simone called out for her mom, but there was no one to help.

thomas jerome newton
thomas jerome newton
7 years ago

its a pity the full names ( and addresses) of these sick and twisted , alledged "care workers" wasnt disclosed

veela
veela
8 years ago

I'm of two minds here. Yes, that Allie was a total creep poking that one woman in the eye and tormenting Simon . That was disgusting. But if someone throws something at you, taking away her pillowcase is fair. And when the thrower came at them, they had a right to restrain her. The WAY they restrained her was wrong; but at the same time, she was spitting at them. They were total jerks but I can understand them not wanting things thrown at them or being spit at. So yeah, they shouldn't be care givers but in regards to the violent thrower, I can understand them getting fed up. But that Allie needs to be in jail.

Maria
Maria
9 years ago

Most likely Castle Beck was showering the big bosses of the regulator with money and holidays, so they look the other way. As I keep saying...the world is run by greedy corporations not governments.

Laura McClure
Laura McClure
9 years ago

This is unbelievable. Listened to Andy (the psychologist) speaking on Friday in NI. He referred to this documentary No wonder he looks so cross.

AnabolicFreak
AnabolicFreak
10 years ago

Has anybody noticed the Rhys Ifans film named "Care" seems to have been deleted from history and is not even mentioned in the list of films he has been in which is on IMDB!?
It is no coincidence that the film portrays the story of a boy called Davey who was sexually abused by Social Workers, Police, Judges and so on whilst in a "care" home during the 1980's and is all about the child abuse that went on up and down the country (Britain) for many decades. The whole sordid affair was covered up by the Government to the best of its ability and now this film is being blanked from history and hidden from the public!!!!

Sarah Daniels
Sarah Daniels
11 years ago

As a child with a diagnosis of Autistic spectrum disorder and ADHD I went to special schools and establishments. Let me tell you, abuse does happen. I came across a lot of mistreatment. One teacher pulled my hair and injured my back. We were often 'held for safety' for no real reason and injured in the process. I saw students slapped, thrown across the room and verbally abused. I had one teacher who took a particular dislike to me and she called me a slapper when I was 12-13 years old. At 19 years old going to to the Ruskin Educational trust (I would love to expose a lot about that place), I was forced to have a tsafe IUD fitted. Doctors will not generally fit this in a woman unless she has had children. I suffered complications and I had to go myself to a Brooke clinic in the summer break to get it removed. Luckily there were no long term effects. Some of the staff were horrible people. Malicious things were written about me in my personal files, and were somehow shared with men who I began dating by members of staff. Not to mention other things, which I won't go into. I was happy to get my diagnosis revoked when I was 21 and I now live a normal life without any support. Sadly some people are truly disabled, and do not have the capacity to realise that certain types of treatment are wrong and even if they do, they are often ignored and not taken seriously. I have also been in supported housing for adults with learning difficulties and the housing they give you is often unsatisfactory. The ones I was with were basically sham landlords. Because I'm not that reliant on my parents and I was pretty much on my own, they felt that they didn't have to carry out repairs, or even give me a sofa to sit on for the first 6 months of me living there, when furniture was part of the contract. When they did get me a sofa, it was a second hand one which appeared to be fine at first, but when I lifted the cover to wash it it was covered in dried blood and food stains. There was also a mouldy boiler with a leaky pipe, and the whole flat smelt damp. There were leaky taps, the kitchen cupboard was screwed on at a funny angle and it eventually collapsed. When I reported problems, nothing was done. They would also be extremely slow to do anything. My nextdoor neighbour had parents that were always on the case, and the supported living were scared of looking bad, so they provided everything for him. People with a diagnosis of disabilities do not get as much help as people like to think they do.

Sarah Daniels
Sarah Daniels
11 years ago

This isn't surprising. As a child with a diagnosis of Autistic spectrum disorder who went to special schools and establishments, I came across a lot of mistreatment. No one listens to you, because you are just the 'r*tarded kid'. Let me tell you people, it DOES happen. You get some real bullies in that field of work.

Sherman Monro
Sherman Monro
11 years ago

A bunch of psychopaths is hired to take care of disable people? What a country!

kavi0521
kavi0521
11 years ago

One of the most disturbing documentaries I have seen.

Zacky Beatz Music
Zacky Beatz Music
12 years ago

Is the privatization of public health facilities, and giving to companies like Castlebeck who only cares about profit, hiring unqualified staffers that are not trained to deal with these patients. trying to win contracts from conservative governments, that doesnt believe in nursing treatment at home, instead they rather want these facilities that are run by the private sector.

dr_sonia
dr_sonia
12 years ago

this is so sick and inhumane ...........

leah
leah
12 years ago

My son has autism...I wish I could live forever to prevent this nightmare from ever happening to him...a mother who leaves a child vulnerable dies a sorrowful death because all they live for in this world is to take care of their babies. Leaving before the job is done is not supposed to happen...but the world is a sick place, people are broken things, born broken, and it's not my fault my son has autism...the ache of utterly failing your child or worse losing your child...the place where you grieve is such a yawning black hole in your insides that a parent may not survive it... this video reminded me of what is possibly in store for my baby and I just want to bawl like an infant right now!

jelena_disturbed
jelena_disturbed
12 years ago

This is very disturbing...I dont know what to say,it feels like this is rock bottom,I mean,I just cant believe,I know this is happening in entire world. ..sad,very,very sad...with this kind of behavior we are going down...Society will go to hell..

Nieske Van Duijn
Nieske Van Duijn
12 years ago

Sick, so sick ... I was crying the whole time. Why are people so mean and abusive? And still .. somehow I knew, I felt these people had been protected the whole time by angels of our GREAT GOD, the Lord Almighty. They are also His beloved children and He will always protect them, for Him ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Peace to you all!

Eben Flo
Eben Flo
12 years ago

I've worked in health care for about 5 yrs, i cant imagine being the undercover guy and having to lay low, I couldnt sit and watch this happen to a human being, mister tattoos parlor fag have a jolly time in prison, karma is a bitch. Thankyou bbc for this incredible documentary huge eye opener

Abla Savva
Abla Savva
12 years ago

What a load of BS.All of these people that were informed chose not to do anything and ignore there is only one meaning for abuse it was written and told and informed. judging from this documentary HOW CAN THAT BE A MISS JUDGEMENT,IF it was up to me I would charge the whole lot of them put them in Jail and throw away the key.

Pete Leclair
Pete Leclair
12 years ago

For the hero with the tatoos,he musy have felt like a real showman during his stent as a hospital staffer telling all of his friends how hard it is to calm all the situations down and the force he has to use for fear of getting hurt,his leutenant was obviously enjoying all the bullying and when he ran out of victims his day would be boring.I just cant help myself wanting to give my two cents worth of rage at these monsters and as for the administrators who had the job of being nurses to make sure all is well on his or her shift,and smiling for the camera as the girl is on the floor shaking uncontrolably,his attemps to show some compassion wiping the face to show how caring he can be while watching Simone being tortured to the point of complete paralysis out of fear.This film makes me sick and the excuses that these so called facilitators make to quell the notion that this should not have happened and suspending 13 of them.Is that with pay?I would really like to know if amy of these scums,or so-called members of a caring organization were ever charged with to name a few charges.Assault,Incompetence,torture,failure to provide compassionate care on a scale such as this is not new.There are senior citicens who are treated in the most vile manner and come the day when someone blows the whistle on these pathetic tough people is the day that i will never see.WHY? I really would like to know what kind of justice was done and if the guy with all the tatoos was ever imprisoned. I can bet every dollar I have that the two men who were in the film 90% of the time would face a certain bad future amongst prison inmates.As for DUMBO with the big ears who never even apologised to the families during this film,should never be entrusted with this type of work.The outrageous acts from these thugs tells me that they have no life except amongst themselves getting together once a week to discuss and make plans for the week ahead and try to justify there actions as respected caregivers makes me sick.I really hope that they lost there jobs and are forced to scrub urinals and toilets in there neighborhood Burger King restaurant,That is the only job they should get or forever walk in shame as cowards.That is exactly what they are,the suffering they placed on some if not all the patients in that care facility is permanent,they are more than likely much more sicker and are haunted from the memories of daily torture.What a revolting bunch of Morons.That is putting it litely

iesika
iesika
12 years ago

I have worked in this industry, doing care in home rather than in institutions. From my experience, carers are underpaid, undertrained, and overworked. I'm not excusing the behavior in this expose - I think it's horrifying. But those factors definitely lead to this kind of thing. I knew of people (all were fired) who did things like leave the patient alone, bring people to the patient's home, in one case to buy drugs, and spend the patient's money. At least once a month I'd find out about someone at my agency getting fired for abuse, neglect, or other gross violations of patient rights. None were ever prosecuted.

That's in home, often with parents or siblings checking up on the patient every week, or even living in the same home. That's why the violators were caught. One of my patients had a stepmother who wanted her institutionalized, and I still worry and even cry about the idea she might win over the girl's father and get her sent away to a place like this.

As long as there is no oversight, no accountability, no proper training, no proper pay to keep good workers in the field, this kind of abuse is going to continue to be rampant. It makes me sick. I had to leave my patients behind because I couldn't live anymore on minimum wage (with absolutely no hope of advancement or improved compensation in the future), and I have cried myself to sleep many times hoping and hoping that they will get good, loving, responsible people assigned to care for them, and will never be forced into this kind of institution.

Daryl Walters
Daryl Walters
12 years ago

Stopped it at 18:32. Don't want to watch anymore. Feel quite depressed now!

anton carroll
anton carroll
12 years ago

i agree with sundari... you cant just look people away and pretend they dont exist... this video really hits home because i have a metally ill brother and if this ever happened to him i would b pushed to the edge.... how can people be such monsters!!!!!!!!

Sundari Martínez
Sundari Martínez
12 years ago

i think that institutionalized anything is s***! it gives the rest of us an excuse to turn a blind eye, where plainly if that was happening on the street we could not! im talking of the environment animals and as this documentary has illustrated , ourselves as well.. institutionalization is bulls***!

Trimpert
Trimpert
12 years ago

you guys should look into anti-social personality disorder (sociopathy, lack of empathy) and tell me these "caretakers" dont fit the profile to a t. approximately 4% of the human population are made up of sociopaths who reak havoc on society, and look for jobs where their domineering and controlling behavior can be permissible. i think this documentary raises serious questions about how to identify these sick people and not give them the benefit of the doubt like that regulatory body.

Trimpert
Trimpert
12 years ago

you guys should look into anti-social personality disorder (sociopathy or lack of empathy) and tell me these "caretakers" don't fit the profile to a t

conor c
conor c
12 years ago

FACT: Institutional Care has always placed the interests of Institutional Society ABOVE the interests of those in 'care'.

The History of Education, the History of Catholic Institutional Care, the History of Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis, the History of Prison, The History of Big Pharma demonstrates this time and time again.,

Rachelnico
Rachelnico
12 years ago

It's so sad that their behaviour was acceptable in their eyes.

Mandy Montgomery
Mandy Montgomery
12 years ago

This is disgusting. Being apart of home health care myself, if I ever saw anything even remotely close to this....curb stomp inc. Something is seriously wrong with you if you go into health care to abuse those that need to be protected the most.

ranii02
ranii02
12 years ago

very disturbing to watch

Shiane Brown
Shiane Brown
12 years ago

How the f--k can someone sit there and film this for 5 days secretly without making a stand? If i saw a "therepy worker" abusing a patient that NEEDS to be treated... i wouldn't care if i got sentanced to jail, i would get up and punch that worker square in the face. All of them in fact.

Tamryn Louise
Tamryn Louise
12 years ago

People suck

pamwilliamson
pamwilliamson
12 years ago

This was very painful to watch, I cant believe that people who are paid to care for patients could treat them like that . I really hope that those so call care givers be severely punished for what they have done. Pam.

Tamar_11
Tamar_11
12 years ago

it's incidents like this that make me dislike humanity so very much - i hate that this happens...funny how we are not aware of things like in mainstream media..

rechev shimon ovits
rechev shimon ovits
12 years ago

The English are close historical relatives with the Germans. This tragic abuse has been going on for a milleniums or more in "civilized" Europe. The next generation will just continue with a different kind of torture. Europe, the smallest continent has by far tortured and spilled more blood than all the continents put together. I'd end this by "makes one wonder", but history is already so tragically way beyond that . SHOMER PITOYIM HASHEM

His Forever
His Forever
12 years ago

What?!? Treat them and then get them back into the community? They'd loose all that tax-payer funding money then, wouldn't they? This system works only by keeping them in a long as possible even if they should be released.

Nearly too disturbing to watch.

KsDevil
KsDevil
12 years ago

What brings a person to abuse another? There was no competition for resources. There was no impending threat. The psychology of the care takers should be investigated deeper.

Nicki Ikcin
Nicki Ikcin
12 years ago

What the heck? Are they not gonna be charged for abuse? or anything at all?

Layla Phelps
Layla Phelps
12 years ago

I asked a British friend about this. He simply said, 'They won't be punished' Really is justice really that screwed up everywhere?

Gerald Fleming
Gerald Fleming
12 years ago

The individuals doling out this torture should be prosecuted and do time in prison for these crimes, the regulator should be prosecuted especially, hes collecting his paycheck for doing nothing, what a bastard he is, the parents of these people should have been at the doors of that facility and screaming at the top of their lungs to right this injustice, but they are to damn stupid to know cruelty when they see it. If i had a family member there under those conditions I'd be prosecuted for murder becauses id be killing everyone of those a--holes, this is beyond comprehensiion, wtf is wrong with you people.......... help those people, grow a set of nuts and rescue these defenseless child like tards from those f...cking bastards...you should be outraged............

Damien Crabman O'Hora
Damien Crabman O'Hora
12 years ago

Can't believe this happened in my city! and only up the road makes me sick.

Shafiq Ahmed
Shafiq Ahmed
12 years ago

I thought humanity only lives in the west (for west). But now I know evil is evil and it resides every where. Guys, I could not watch it after 17:14. These learning disabled people are like small kids, beautiful flowers even more than that because normal kids have growing normal brain but these innocent people dont have that. We are so evil, soo evil. One can expect the most cruel and unimaginable act from this HUMAN CREATURE. I am biting my teeth while writing thisssss. We humans are not that different than animals. ahhhh sorry, many animals may be even better than these SUPPORT WORKERS. This documentary also gives us an idea what would be happening to those in jails, especially jails like gwanta namo bay, where the only Gods are the army.

fonbindelhofas
fonbindelhofas
12 years ago

and in the end the regulator was asked a qestion smf like that : so is that a FAILURE? and he struguled smf like that: yes, we are a part of this system...
he made me rofl at the of a sad movie :(

fonbindelhofas
fonbindelhofas
12 years ago

and u think its just one case? same things are SURE not happening in prisons, soldiers treat civilians "humanly", doctors dont push you poisons, priests love children platonicaly, and so on and on and on... the people with the CRIMINAL POWER! diseased teample on its glory!

Paul Glaspie
Paul Glaspie
12 years ago

I think that's brilliant, Sher Afgan! We use videotape to guard the most trivial merchandise; so how much more should we guard against innocent and defenseless patients who can't defend themselves? Don't we value human life over mere groceries? I don't see why, with cameras ubiquitous in the workplace anyhow, and practically everywhere that there's property, that it wouldn't also work to prevent care workers from abusing residents such as these? I suppose they're just too damned cheap!

Sher Afgan
Sher Afgan
12 years ago

Its a pity that the care givers got suspended from duty only. No other legal action was taken against them? Great!
CCTV cameras should be placed in all such places. In every room. The footage from cameras should be montiored elsewhere in real time, and also recorded. Doesnt cost a lot to do this. Although this will not erradicate the problem completly, it will hopefuly make the care givers think twice before taking such steps. But then again, maybe its illegal to put CCTV cameras in such places that are prone to abuse?

anuragawasthi
anuragawasthi
12 years ago

it reminds me of the initial scene of the movie 'Kill Bill (vol 1)

tkingsky
tkingsky
12 years ago

Absolutely appalling!! So happy Simon got to go home and hopefully, Simone and all the others don't find themselves in a similar situation. After reading the comments:
Tattoo stereotypes are not an issue anymore except for a minority of people.
I think not addressing the fact the wrong type of role model in Sr. staff (intimidating in personality) can and does have an immense impact on all those around is grave. And I wonder if any of the staff knew of the whistle blower's efforts coming upon deaf ears. It is not to say that a solid character couldn't/shouldn't have stepped up, but maybe they did?
Cameras should be installed in all areas of any hospital facility that is in the care of any human being that doesn't have the capacity to either speak for themselves or be believed--Mandatory.