Wiltshire care home abuse

The BBC has again exposed poor standards of care experienced by Wiltshire residents in care homes. Here's a statement from the council, which justifies the way WC became involved after the event:

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"Some of you may have seen Panorama (Monday June 17) which featured Avonmead Care Home in Devizes. The focus of the programme was poor care of the elderly and footage of an incident which happened in the home in May 2012 was shown.

Ensuring vulnerable adults receive the best possible care and are treated with respect and dignity is a top priority for Wiltshire Council and, as such, we will always respond quickly to any incidents or concerns raised.

As soon as we were alerted of an incident at Avonmead Care Home last year, we took immediate action and launched an investigation. Four Seasons, which runs the care home, dismissed five members of staff and adhered to an action plan that we put in place. We have continued to closely monitor Avonmead Care Home and we are confident any previous issues have been dealt with swiftly and improvements have been made; this was also stated in last night's programme. We will continue to monitor the care provided to elderly and vulnerable people in Wiltshire.

We have set up a dedicated phone line if anyone has concerns following last night's programme, or if they want to discuss the care of elderly and vulnerable people. The number is 0300 4560100."

Keith Humphries, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Public Protection

Maggie Rae, Corporate Director