News Police appeal
following fire POLICE are investigating sus- pected arson at commercial prem- ises inMaidstone. Patrols were called to the scene
in Gravelly Bottom Road in Kingswood, at 2.54am on Satur- day, September 14. Astatement saidKent Police are
working to establish the cause of the fire, alongside Kent Fire and Rescue Service. It is understood there were thefts from the prem- ises. It added: “Anyonewith informa-
tion regarding the fire, or if you saw anything suspicious in the area during the late evening of Fri- day, September 13, into the early morning of the following day, is asked to call Kent Police on 01622 604100 quoting 46/176907/19.”
Council polls
THE way the borough council elects its members could change after pressure from the Conserva- tive oppostionmembers. The Tories have argued holding
onepoll every four years is cheaper than three polls in each four-year cycle. Tory opposition leader atMaid-
stone BoroughCouncil (MBC)Cllr JohnPerry believes substantial sav- ings could bemade. Theproposalwill bediscussedin
greater detail in November by Lib Dem-ledMBC.
Heed the call
NINE hundred would-be police officers have responded to the re- cruitment call by the force. The latest round of applications
have been receivedsinceApril, fol- lowing the launch by Kent Police of its More Than the Badge cam- paign inMarch last year. A hike in council tax secured by
Kent Police and Crime Commis- sioner Matthew Scott, means an extra 180 officers on the beat, as well as the extra 200 in the previ- ous financial year.
Band concert
THE UK Paper Band will be per- forming at Ulcombe Church on October 5. The group from Sittingbourne
will performat 2.30pm. Tickets cost £10 and include a
cream tea. They can be obtained from Molly Poulter on (01622 842988) or Bridget Samuelson (01622 890912), or on the door.
4 Maidstone East October 2019
downsmail.co.uk
Care home ordered to improve after inquiry
ACARE service in Bearsted is under investigation after inspectors found a series of serious breaches in theway residentswere cared for. Caretech Community Services
(No.2) Limited’s Chapel Lane cen- tre has been placed in special measures and the local authority safe-guarding team is investigat- ing. It follows an unannounced in-
spection lasting six days by the Care Quality Commission, promptedbywhistle-blowers con- cerned about the restrictive and controlling behaviour of staff. TheCQCfound,while the build-
ingwas clean, its 20 residentswere not treated with dignity and re- spect andthe language andactions of some staffwasdisrespectful and at times physically, verbally and emotionally abusive. The home for those with learn-
ing disabilities and, in some cases physical disabilities, has been downgraded from its good grade inDecember 2018 to inadequate in all respects as a result of the in- spection, with some staff sus- pended because of the allegations. The CQC report noted that the
abusive attitude and behaviour of some staff appeared to have been going on since June
2017.One res- ident disclosed they were pushed over by staff, banging their head, and showed the inspector a bruise on their leg. The inspector was told: “(The staff)didn't helpme get
up. I said, could I be helped, but they said ‘no, you can see yourself up’.” The CQC found residents were
not being supported to be inde- pendent, with examples of some losing previous skills, such as cooking, since entering the home, while on one floor, staff argued with each other. The report went on: “There was
lack of choice and people were controlled by staff.” Residents were told what and
when to eat and what activities to engage in. The kitchenwas locked and residents had to ask for food if they were hungry outside set times. Tablets were administered “as and when”, while people’s
Caretech’s Chapel Lane care home in Bearsted has been ordered to improve its service
health needs, such as constipation and epilepsy,were also not always met effectively. Some staff were also not trained to understand the communication tools being used by residentswithspeechproblems. The inspector noted that con-
cerns about a lack of skills had been raised at staff meetings, but no action was taken by registered managers Errol White and Susan Hornett. The CQC will keep the service
under review and re-inspect within six months. A spokesman said: “If the provider has notmade enough improvement, we will begin theprocess ofpreventing the provider fromoperating this serv- ice.”
Student takes on top TVchallenge
A CAMBRIDGE student from Bearsted has taken part in the BBC college quiz show, University Chal- lenge. Lillian Crawford told threemillion
viewers that she hailed from the village nearMaidstone. The Trinity College student, who
is returning this year for an MPhil in Filmand Screen Studies, said: “I
was delighted to learn that more women took part in the show this year than ever before, but we still struggle to encourage female stu- dents. “There aremultiple reasons as to
why, although I can only hope that seeing such a magnificent cohort of female contestants on the series this year will encourage more
women to take part in future.” The Cambridge college defeated
Durhamuniversity by 200 to 145. University Challenge, which airs
on BBC2 and is presented by Je- remy Paxman, has two teams of four students representing higher education bodies, answering ques- tions of a generally more difficult standard thanmost quiz shows.
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