Peterhouse care worker ... guilty as charged

[Groovy]

Disgraceful sentence 

She was in a position of trust and abused it! how many more has she done this to and got away with

A CARE worker dragged a severely autistic boy across the floor by his head at a Merseyside school.

Margaret Garvey, 42, assaulted the eight-year-old while working at Peterhouse school for autistic children, in Southport.

Yesterday, she was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay £300 in compensation and costs at North Sefton magistrates court.  The parents of the eight-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said that they were “disgusted” by the court’s decision.

Magistrates heard their son, who is suffers from so many learning disabilities he cannot speak, was assaulted on April 17 last year. Garvey’s co-worker Dominic Butler raised the alarm after witnessing the incident as Garvey, of Priory Close, Formby, got the child ready for bed.  Marina Jay, prosecuting, said: “The care worker [Mr Butler] looked up and saw the child run across the corridor – with Garvey right behind him – and out of sight.

“The next minute, Garvey has hold of the right-hand side of his helmet, pulling his whole body with the helmet.  “His face was grimacing. He had his hand up as if he was in pain.”

The court heard after the boy was dragged across the corridor and into his room, he got to his feet and walked slowly to bed.  Ms Jay said: “He had gone from being a livewire to cold and upset.”

Afterwards, the boy’s mother, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “We are disgusted. We wanted a custodial sentence or at least a suspended one.  “We feel the court have let our son down – he has no voice.  “We fought to get him into Peterhouse because basically we could not cope any longer and it was recognised our son needed a 24-hour curriculum.”

The family was made aware of the assault by social services.  School spokesman Andrew Grainger said: “The organisation maintains stringent safeguarding procedures in respect of the vulnerable young people it supports.

“These procedures were implemented and the member of staff was suspended from duty. “From this followed an investigation resulting in the prosecution of Margaret Garvey, who is no longer employed by this organisation.”


Garvey was found guilty of assault on March 17

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/04/08/southport-care-worker-dragged-autistic-boy-along-the-floor-by-his-head-100252-23340449/

[Bazza]

disgraceful  ..............

[cas]

this makes me so bloody angry and so bloody scared

[chaos]

  disgraceful

[jack99]

Hopefully it is a one off, not all staff are like that 

[lucy 75]

basically its implying that anyone who looks after children with difficulties can do what they like and know they can get away with it .!ABSOLUTLEY DISGUSTING 

[cas]

basically its implying that anyone who looks after children with difficulties can do what they like and know they can get away with it .!ABSOLUTLEY DISGUSTING 

no it's not

this is one incident amongst thousands of pupils

it happened once in my middle sons school a few years ago.

Unfortunately things like this occur, but rarely.

My son has severe learning difficulties and almost no communication.  He could not tell anyone if he had been assaulted, it would rely on someone witnessing the incident.

But I  have complete trust in the staff , and their dedication to care for these vulnerable young people and protect them from harm.

[lucy 75]

no what im saying is sentensces should be more vigorous as people are placed in a very privalaged position and should be punnished accordingly

[chaos]

basically its implying that anyone who looks after children with difficulties can do what they like and know they can get away with it .!ABSOLUTLEY DISGUSTING 

no it's not

this is one incident amongst thousands of pupils

it happened once in my middle sons school a few years ago.

Unfortunately things like this occur, but rarely.

My son has severe learning difficulties and almost no communication.  He could not tell anyone if he had been assaulted, it would rely on someone witnessing the incident.

But I  have complete trust in the staff , and their dedication to care for these vulnerable young people and protect them from harm.

Thats what I wanted to say but you put it perfectly......most staff do it for the love of the job...I know I do

[cas]

no what im saying is sentensces should be more vigorous as people are placed in a very privalaged position and should be punnished accordingly

tbh i sort of agree


but they has been publicly outed as a bully who assaulted a disabled child


i have a feeling their sentence has only just began,

[lucy 75]

i was a carer for 16 years and looked after vunerable people
. and i know that in the care industry there have been a lot of improvement regarding the elderly .i my self worked hard and i got a n v q leval 3 in care .
I  myself have a son who is statemented with special needs and he was placed in a infant and junior school that specialised in his condition and was cared for tremendesly well and improved heaps and bounds ,
i myself have been in a position of looking aftrer vunerable people,

[lucy 75]

120 hrs community service and ordered to pay 300 ponds in compensation is disgusting

[lucy 75]

im not judging carers cos im a carer my self but the sentence is dissapointing

[slinky.binky]

Massive praise to the other carer, Mr Butler for having the integrity to raise the alarm and report the incident.

[cas]

Massive praise to the other carer, Mr Butler for having the integrity to raise the alarm and report the incident.

well said sinky