A care worker has had his job reinstated after an employment tribunal ruled that the worker had been encouraged to maltreat those in his care by a subliminal message inadvertently implanted in his mind by his employers.
The tribunal heard that it was standard practice at the Rose Petal Home for ‘elderly residents challenged by age’, for all nurses and assistants to be issued with a ‘crib card’, summarising the high standard of care expected of them in an easy-to-remember acronym. The card was designed to pop-in-the-pocket as a handy carry-me-with-you reminder of the importance of treating the patients with dignity and respect, and read:
Please show
Only
Kindness to the patients and
Every
Time they ask for
Help, provide it willingly.
Every
Minute,
Empathise with their predicament.
Nurses must only show
Tenderness, provide
Assistance with
Love and supply an extra
Sugar lump if they ask for one.
The care worker was secretly filmed prodding patients with his index finger. When challenged, he said he was ‘checking for signs of life.’