Karen Elizabeth Allen’s ‘deplorable’ actions occurred whereas she was working as a registered nurse at Tŷ Hafan kids’s hospice in Sully
A Tŷ Hafan Kids’s Hospice nurse who flicked a weak kid’s penis once they had been “certain to a wheelchair” and “defenceless” has been banned from the occupation.
Registered kids’s nurse Karen Elizabeth Allen was additionally discovered to have repeatedly soaked the kid, who was non-verbal, with water.
In one other incident she pulled one other weak kid’s underpants up so excessive that they had been uncomfortable. Her actions had been “merciless and degrading” in addition to “sexual in nature” an expert requirements committee discovered.
Placing Allen off the register the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel stated she had put weak sufferers liable to bodily and emotional hurt and introduced the occupation into disrepute.
Discovering a raft of significant allegations towards the registered kids’s nurse proved the panel discovered she had proven no perception into her “deplorable” actions .
An investigation was launched on the hospice in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, after colleagues raised considerations.
The NMC acquired a referral in October 2023 by the hospice’s director of nursing and medical providers who admitted to the panel that she “had considerations” concerning the potential of workers to “recognise and are available ahead and report safeguarding considerations”. Sign up for our free day by day briefing on the largest points going through the nation signal as much as the Wales Issues publication right here.
Describing what occurred a colleague of Allen’s instructed the listening to: “‘We modified his pad, gave him a wash, placed on a clear pad, and that’s when she flicked his penis.
“The affected person can be non-verbal and can’t do something for themselves as a result of they require assist with the whole lot resulting from their bodily immobility.
“The affected person was certain to a wheelchair and was not capable of feed or change themselves. They’re defenceless and weren’t capable of defend themself.”
The colleague, recognized as a healthcare employee and Witness Two, went on to say that she had seen Allen “flick” the kid’s penis “with out medical justification”. Allen had additionally engaged in water play with the identical baby however repeatedly soaked them even once they needed to cease.
Allen additionally “repeatedly” gave one other weak baby “wedgies”, pulling up their underpants uncomfortably excessive, she stated.
The youngsters’s hospice healthcare employee instructed the committee: “[Allen] got here to assist me to scrub a affected person.
“As soon as I cleaned the affected person she flicked his willy and simply laughed. I requested Ms Allen: ‘Why did you try this?’.
“I then appeared on the affected person and stated: ‘Oh that was a foolish factor for her to do. Wasn’t it foolish?’.”
She went on: “iI’s not a slip of your finger is it? It is a very evident flick. His penis moved. It jumped.”
The listening to was additionally instructed how Allen, who certified in 2007, repeatedly gave Youngster A “correct wedgies” after they had been modified.
The panel requested how the kid reacted to that and the healthcare employee instructed them: “When she had first performed it he most likely would have simply had his little smile bless him. However as time went on, it was uncomfortable”
Requested to explain “correct wedgies” she went on: “It’s simply pulling the [underwear] proper up, I suppose in the direction of your nipple line, as far up as the material will take it which is most likely uncomfortable. “
Within the water incident Youngster A had initially loved being soaked with water however not as Allen continued after they had been modified repeatedly into dry garments and soaked once more, the committee heard.
Requested why she didn’t report her considerations sooner the witness instructed the panel she feared not being believed and having to go away the job she liked. She added: “It was simply her phrases towards mine.… I’m a healthcare employee.
“She’s a nurse. Have been individuals going to consider me?”
In its written findings the panel decided that “the incident and safeguarding reporting tradition within the hospice was not superb on the time”.
Discovering it confirmed that Allen had flicked Youngster C’s penis the panel additionally discovered this to be merciless, degrading, and sexual in nature. The committee stated weak sufferers had been put “liable to bodily and emotional hurt on account of Ms Allen’s actions”.
A lot of different allegations referring to feedback and inferences made by Allen to colleagues had been discovered not proved. However the primary allegations discovered proved and referring to weak kids had been so critical as to quantity to misconduct and resulted in a ban.
Allen gave oral proof firstly of the listening to however then selected to not attend for the conclusion. In its written findings the NMC panel stated she “disputed” the proof that she had “flicked” Youngster C’s penis. She additionally claimed that water play occurred, which Youngster A loved and was engaged with.
Responding to the allegations she had given one other weak baby uncomfortable wedgies Allen to the panel: “‘I might come up behind him and gently tug on his belt loop [tugging it out not up] and stroll away laughing.
“If at any time he did have wedgies it was not my intent. To my recollection not at any time did he specific any signal of discomfort or annoyance.’
In written findings the committee stated: “The panel was of the view that the findings on this specific case show that Ms Allen’s actions had been critical in that they relate to sexual misconduct and the abuse of weak kids. The panel judged that to permit her to proceed practising would undermine public confidence within the occupation and within the NMC as a regulatory physique.”
The committee added: “Nothing in need of a striking-off order can be enough on this case.”
The total checklist of allegations towards Allen discovered proved by the NMC panel
That on a number of events throughout the course of a interval of a yr she:
- Gave Youngster A “wedgies” by pulling his underpants up so excessive that they had been uncomfortable.
- Engaged in water play with Youngster A and repeatedly soaked Youngster A after every dry change of garments..
- That her conduct at level one was abusive in that it was merciless and/or degrading to Youngster A. This was discovered confirmed in relation to cost level 1a alone in respect of degrading alone.
- And hat on a number of event throughout the course of a interval of a yr she flicked Youngster C’s penis with out medical justification and that this conduct was abusive in that it was merciless and/or degrading to Youngster C. This conduct was additionally discovered proved to be sexual in nature.
The panel discovered allegations that she had thrown meals at and “straddled” Youngster A not confirmed. Additionally discovered not confirmed had been allegations that Allen’s conduct in flicking Youngster C’s penis had been bullying and intentionally aimed a making a colleague really feel uncomfortable and that she had made feedback about colleagues’ weight, garments, and haircuts.
Allen, who was stated to have left the hospice and is not be working as a nurse, had proven no perception into her actions and the panel didn’t consider her misconduct could possibly be addressed by coaching, the committee stated.
Whereas she had attended some components of the listening to, which ran from February 25 to 11 March 11 after which from June 18 to June 19, given oral proof, and questioned witnesses, she instructed the panel she wouldn’t return for the later hearings or conclusion.
Discovering such critical allegations and misconduct proved the panel slapped an an interim suspension order on Allen’s registration for 18 months to permit time for any doable attraction. If she doesn’t attraction then that interim suspension order shall be changed by the substantive putting off order 28 days after Allen is distributed the choice of the listening to in writing.
Tŷ Hafan chief government Irfon Rees stated in response to the case the hospice has carried out a radical inner assessment of safeguarding and made enhancements to safeguarding processes.
He added: “Whereas we don’t touch upon particular person instances involving kids we are able to verify {that a} Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) listening to has taken place leading to allegations of misconduct towards a nurse who was employed by Tŷ Hafan Kids’s Hospice having been confirmed. The nurse is not employed by Tŷ Hafan.”
He added: “As quickly as considerations had been raised concerning the conduct of the nurse in query our care and nursing management workforce acted promptly to conduct a radical inner investigation, which resulted in Tŷ Hafan proactively referring this matter to the NMC.
“We had additionally mentioned the matter with the safeguarding workforce on the Vale of Glamorgan Council, together with representatives from South Wales Police, and referred the matter to Healthcare Inspectorate Wales.
“The investigation performed by the NMC discovered some historic points in relation to the popularity and reporting of safeguarding considerations. Since we referred the case to the NMC we’ve performed a radical inner assessment of our strategy to safeguarding.
“We have now proactively applied enhancements to safeguarding processes and labored exhausting to advertise a tradition which helps workers to report safeguarding considerations. Our good safeguarding practices had been recognised in our current inspection report from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales.
“For Tŷ Hafan Kids’s Hospice, the protection and wellbeing of the kids we look after is all the time our largest precedence and we’re assured that we’ve an especially sturdy strategy to safeguarding in place to guard them.
“We wish to thank all those that have supported this course of. Our precedence now could be to proceed offering the best customary of care for youngsters and households who want our help.”
