A DISGRACED former care worker has been fined £1,000 and given a 26-week suspended jail sentence following the abuse of elderly residents at a care home in Chepstow. 47-year-old Racquel Welch of Wyndcliffe View, St Arvans, was found guilty on three counts of common assault in May, and appeared at Newport Magistrates Court on Friday (20th June) for sentencing. She was convicted of three incidents which took place between 1st August and 19th September last year at St Anne's Nursing Home, Chepstow, which cares for vulnerable adults, the elderly and those with dementia. The court heard how Welch bent back the fingers of two elderly residents to the wrist, causing them to shout out in pain, and making one resident cry while pleading with her to stop. After the assault of a 90-year-old dementia sufferer, Welch then picked him up by the ankles and pushed him down on the bed so forcefully he hit his head on the bed rails. The defendant was sentenced by Chairman Gillian Rogers. She said: "Your offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence can be considered." Welch was given two 26-week sentences for two counts of assault, and 18 weeks for the last, all to run concurrently, which, "given your previous good character and previous 14-year career as a carer, will be suspended for 12 months," said Chairman Rogers. Welch has also been ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, and pay £100 to each of her victims, £620 of court costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Continued on Page 2 Continued from Front Page The fine will be paid out of Welch's fortnightly benefits allowance. Four witnesses, all carers at St Anne's, gave evidence against Welch at the trail. She was fired from her position at the care home when the abuse was reported. Brian Hadley, managing director at St Anne's Nursing Home, said: "I would like to state that it is precisely the measures that we took and our robust safeguarding policies that are already in place that led to this lady having to answer for her actions in court. "She came to us as a well trained, experienced carer that had been in the care industry for some time, her credentials were not in doubt, it only became evident later that her ability to care with compassion obviously was. "St Anne's is a Nursing home that caters for elderly people suffering from dementia, a condition that can cause difficult to manage behaviours from minute to minute, that's why our carers are part of a special team that are not only well trained and professional but have a compassion that enables them to do every task with a genuinely caring heart. "Our no-tolerance policy towards abuse of any kind means that we will fully investigate every concern and pursue a just outcome using the full force of the law. "I am proud of the quality care that our carers give to our residents, sometimes under very difficult circumstances, I am particularly proud of the four carers who had the courage to stand up to a 'bad apple' to protect those that could not protect themselves. "I was angry and disappointed that this carer had bought the good caring work done by good caring people under disrepute once again. "Most people enter this profession because they want to make a difference and they really do care, it's a tragedy there will always be the odd one that doesn't, and those are the ones that need to be exposed for what they are. "The public can rest assured that all the staff at St Anne's have received training in respect of the protection of vulnerable adults and all our staff know just what to do when they encounter bullies."