A care home manager was spared jail time and was ordered to pay £4,000 as a penalty following the tragic drowning of two vulnerable individuals in wheelchairs under her supervision. Alexander Wood, a father of four, aged 43, and Alison Tilsley, 63, lost their lives in an accident at Roadford Lake in Devon when the wheelyboat they were on capsized. Another individual, Kate Date, sustained severe injuries during the incident.
Janice Sowden, the registered manager, aged 60, admitted to neglecting to provide safe care and treatment that resulted in avoidable harm. She failed to assess the risks associated with an outing in June 2022, where she took six wheelchair-bound patients from Burdon Grange Care Home to the activity center.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the wheely boat, designed for wheelchair users, had been hired from the center for the lake trip. Alexander Wood and Alison Tilsley were secured in electric wheelchairs without a means of quick release, leading to their tragic demise when the boat overturned due to taking on water rapidly.
Judge Stuart Smith emphasized the vulnerability of the care home residents and criticized Sowden for her lack of attention to health and safety assessments prior to the outing. He highlighted the insufficient consideration given to the staff members’ capabilities, including one who could not swim, and described Sowden as being careless about risk management.
Following the incident, Sowden attempted to falsify evidence of health and safety measures by creating a fake checklist for the boat trip in an effort to mislead investigators. As part of the penalty, she was directed to pay a total of £4,090, including a £190 government surcharge and £2,000 towards prosecution costs.
In addressing Sowden, Judge Smith remarked on the devastating impact of her actions, stating that the lives of Alexander Wood and Alison Tilsley were lost due to her negligent attitude towards health and safety practices. He highlighted the immense grief caused to the families of the deceased individuals as a result of Sowden’s cavalier approach to ensuring the safety of those under her care.
