Incidents can occur at a service which may lead to a police investigation. This could be a death of a service user or a serious incident, such as an allegation of abuse. Police investigations take priority over other authorities, but providers may still face scrutiny from other bodies such as the CQC, Local Authorities, Commissioners and the Coroner.
Such investigations can be confusing, concerning, demand a lot of provider’s time and impact the day- to-day running of a service.
Offences the police may investigate include:
- ill-treatment or wilful neglect
- assault and sexual offences
- gross negligence manslaughter
- corporate manslaughter
Prosecutions for such offences can result in prison sentences, unlimited fines and an inability to work in the sector again.
It is important to understand how such investigations can impact your business but also how best to handle them if they do occur.
Ridouts can help you by:
- Understanding what rights the police have, including entry into a service and access to documentation;
- Understanding your rights as a business owner and what action the police may take against the business and individuals;
- How to handle police requests to speak with staff and people involved in the care of service users at the heart of the investigation;
- Attending police interviews and interviews under caution;
- Advising in relation to a co-ordinated response to all interested stakeholders.
Outcomes achieved include:
- No prosecution brought for alleged criminal offences
