Four arrests made after concern for Dorchester care home resident
Staff involved have been suspended from Signature House
Four people have been arrested after concerns were raised for a Dorchester care home resident with dementia.
Dorset Police received a report of concerns for a resident at Signature House, at 7.42am on Sunday 8 January 2023.
The four people arrested have been bailed while enquiries continue.
The care home provides 24/7 specialist care, accommodating up to 48 residents with dementia or disabilities.
Amica Care Trust, who run Signature House, have released a statement:
"In line with our robust procedures for dealing with such matters we acted immediately to report the incident to the police and initiate the investigation.
"All members of staff involved have been suspended while the investigation takes place.
"We wish to make it clear that we take any allegation made extremely seriously and are cooperating fully with the police investigation, CQC, Dorset Council’s Safeguarding Team and will support any action advised.
"We are committed to providing high quality care to all our residents whose safety and well-being is of paramount importance. As such we adopt a zero-tolerance policy in respect of the rare occasion where that trust is broken, to ensure that staff behaviour reflects our core values.
"We are committed to managing, training and developing our people so that they have all the support they need to offer the highest standards of care to our residents."
The statement from Amica Care also includes a response from a 'close relative for the resident', saying they are being provided with support:
"As a family, we were impressed by the instant improvement in Mum's condition when she arrived at Signature House and the ongoing attention to details as her dementia has progressed. The swift, open and thorough response in training and supervision changes, to the recent error has demonstrated the excellence of the organisation."
The CQC have confirmed that they are aware of the incident and police investigation.