Response to CCTV in Care Homes Campaign

Jonathan's comments were published in Care Home Professional's debate

In response to the campaign to install CCTV cameras in care home communal areas, Jonathan Papworth, Co-Founder and Director of Person Centred Software has provided the following comments:

“Whilst forcing care providers to use communal CCTV will increase visibility of some elements of what’s going on, it won’t be a panacea to the abuse that will end up happening in bedrooms and bathrooms.

“Transparency and openness in care homes must be the overriding aim."

“Visibility of real-time care provided and making it available to families at all times through an online portal, is a far more inclusive solution and is already being delivered across hundreds of care homes up and down the country.

“Not least, the cost of implementing CCTV will be significant. In contrast, most mobile evidence of care systems cost far less whilst delivering much better visibility of what is happening in the care environment. This comprehensive real-time recording also helps care providers with accountability.”

“Another alternative to CCTV is the use of acoustic monitoring which is intelligent monitoring that retains people’s dignity.”