I was puzzled by the way the producers suddenly slapped in a statement about the Human Rights Act at the end of the programme, without , I think, any previous reference to it. It seemed kinda out of place, as if they had edited out a link which might have made it seem sensible. (I know the point they were trying to make, and why; I have been following the discussion about the HRA on Talking Point and come to my own conclusions about it. I think the TP discussion was a whole lot more illuminating.)
Also, there was no reason to expect the Local Authority to broadcast the fact that it was disciplining/prosecuting staff for abuse in a home. Wrong target, IMHO. If someone was being prosecuted, it would come into the public domain anyway, and if it was a disciplinary matter, then the process would be undermined, possibly in the wrong-doer's favour, by having publicity before a conclusion to the process. (They could claim that unfair publicity jeopardised their right to a fair hearing.)
I think CSCI was a fair target and they were right to put them under scrutiny, however, the programme-makers didn't suggest a
reason why CSCI might be less robust with care homes than they should be. The fact that they let the home in Halifax re-open so soon after the scandal there was probably a reflection on the fact that shutting down care homes puts a huge burden on Local Authorities or whoever, to find additional care home places, and as I understand it, there is a shortage of care home places, in England. If you close a place down at a stroke, someone somewhere has to re-house the residents. That's why CSCI tend to pussy foot about, I think. And that would make a good subject for a further programme.
Also, there was no reference to additional safeguards which came onstream in, I think 2006, such as the Protection of Vulnerable Adults checks (POVA) on new care home staff. And finally, they could have mentioned that some legislation is coming into place soon to enable people without mental capacity to access advocates, and also to make wilful neglect of a vulnerable person a criminal offence.
(
I take this quote below from the Age Concern website as I can't find an up to date reference on the AS site. Happy to be directed to one and apologise if I have missed it.)
http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/428C0D2B0A7F45578767FACA5D7C293C.asp
"Mental Capacity Act 2005: delay in implementation
The major part of the Mental Capacity Act will not be introduced until October 2007.
However, the Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) service will be effective in England from 1 April 2007, together with some directly related parts of the Act. The code of practice and the criminal offence of ill treatment and wilful neglect will also be introduced in England and Wales from April 2007"
I'd give the programme makers a C+, 'could do better'.