Second care home for vulnerable people run by US multinational under criminal investigation as staff member charged with assault

Officers are conducting ‘several investigations’ at specialist institution for men with learning disabilities

(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A member of staff has been charged with assaulting a resident amid a police investigation into abuse allegations at a home for people with learning disabilities operated by a private multinational firm already grappling with accusations of mistreatment, The Independent can disclose.

Essex Police said officers are conducting “several investigations” into allegations of assault at Thors Park, a specialist hospital for men with learning disabilities in Thorrington, Essex, a day after The Independent revealed police were investigating suspected “physical and psychological abuse” of patients at Whorlton Hall, a similar institution in County Durham.

Both centres are operated by Cygnet Health Care, which operates 140 hospitals and residential institutions across the UK looking after thousands of patients with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and complex needs.

Cygnet, the British operations arm of US health giant Universal Health Services, obtained the two centres last summer after a takeover of the Danshell Group care firm.

Following the revelations about Whorlton Hall, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said it is conducting a review of other Cygnet-run services supporting people with learning disabilities to see if further action is required.

Sixteen staff are currently suspended at Whorlton Hall while the police investigations take place, while Christian Girboan, a 34-year-old member of staff at Thors Park, is due in Colchester Magistrates’ Court to answer a charge of assault by beating on Wednesday of next week. The assault is alleged to have taken place on 22 September last year.

An inspection of Thors Park by the CQC in February 2019 saw the centre rated “inadequate”, and a subsequent report in April disclosed a number of allegations of abuse had been made.

Essex Police has now confirmed they are pursuing these allegations.

“We are conducting several investigations following a number of allegations of assault at a care home in Thorrington,” a spokesperson said.

“On January 8, 2019, an allegation of assault was made following an incident involving a victim in his 30s. No injuries were disclosed, and officers are continuing to investigate.

“On March 26 of this year we received reports that a man aged in his 50s had been assaulted. Enquiries are ongoing.

Cygnet said it had acted at both centres immediately after allegations came to light and had introduced a raft of changes at the former Danshell properties.

A spokesperson said: “With regard to these three incidents we informed the CQC and Safeguarding on each occasion.

“Following the completion of a police inquiry and our own internal investigation into the incident in September last year, we dismissed the probationary staff member.

"The incident in January involved an agency worker but with regard to the incident in March this year, the staff member has been suspended pending the outcome of the police investigation and we are therefore unable to make any further comment.”

Universal Health Services has been expanding its portfolio of UK psychological services with acquisitions such as Danshell, a learning disability and autism specialist which it took over in early August.

It was accused of pressuring its US hospital staff to fill beds for financial gain following a 2016 investigation by Buzzfeed – allegations the firm strongly denies.

However, it has come under increased scrutiny after deaths in care of its mental health hospitals in the past year triggered investigations.