Sacked Telford care home manager on trial over mistreatment allegations
A sacked manager of a Telford care home is standing trial over allegations that two residents were mistreated.
Care home boss Margaret Tongue and colleague Karen Jackson are on trial jointly accused of one count of ill treatment of a person lacking capacity at the Old School House Care Home.
Tongue is also accused of a second count of ill treatment of a person lacking capacity.
The case relates to allegations of mistreatment of two male residents during separate incidents at the assisted living service for adults with learning difficulties based in Church Street in Madeley.
Mr Gary William Cook, prosecuting, said the two residents at the home were not well treated by the two defendants during the incidents.
He said the the first incident on June 18, 2019 involved a resident who could not function independently.
Mr Cook said the man made a comment and was told by Jackson to "shut up" who also grabbed him by his jumper before sending him to his room. He said the man then shouted down an apology to Tongue and was then allowed to return to the dining area.
When he sat down the man then shouted "shut up".
Tongue allegedly told the man: "Go to your room. Do not try me or you will know about it. See? He won't try me the *******".
Mr Cook said the following day another resident was told off by Tongue for using the toaster. He told the jury that the manager told the man to "square up" to her.
He said that Tongue went over to where the man was sitting on a chair and twisted it forward. As a result the man tripped as he ran from the room.
He told the court that newly-appointed care and support worker at the home, Kelly Payton, was so concerned by what she had seen and heard that she reported the matter to a senior care home manager and to the police.
"She was struck by the language used by some of the staff. They would swear in front of the residents. They would raise their voices and speak abruptly. Some of the residents were autistic and would repeat what they heard.
"They would also put their hand on the residents to get them to move," Mr Cook said.
He said Tongue was dismissed after an investigation.
Giving evidence from the witness box on Tuesday, Miss Payton told the jury that she had not engineered the allegations in an attempt to get her contract extended.
Tongue, 59, of Stebbings, Sutton Hill, and Jackson, 49, of Arden Avenue, Dawley, both deny the mistreatment allegations.
Old School house Care Home is under new management with Eeze Care having taken over the running of the home in July 2020, some 13 months after the alleged incidents took place.
The trial continues at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
