My name is Ruth and I am a researcher at the University of Greenwich undertaking a project looking at the use of CCTV cameras in care homes, and how care homes are guided by the law to ensure that the right to privacy and right to security of residents are protected. The ultimate goal of my research is to create a national guidance for all care homes to follow to ensure that CCTV cameras are used effectively and lawfully.
My research is interested in interviewing care home Directors/managers and friends/family members of residents in care homes. If you agree to participate a consent form and participation sheet will be sent over to you to obtain your consent and to let you know more about the research. All your details will be kept confidential. My research has also been ethically approved.
I would really appreciate your participation. Should you agree to take part or if you would like to know about my research before you agree then please do email me via this email address: R.A.Onafuye@greenwich.ac.uk
Thank you very much, I look forward to hearing from you.
Hello Ruth,
some years ago i was a voluntary advocate for a married couple of adults with learning difficulty i meet them through a group of family carers i was at the time supporting my sister an adult with learning difficulty’s, we called the group inclusion southwest the group came about because we observed irregularities in the care system this story begins when the couple with learning difficulty decided to make there marriage Compleat Thay would like a child, and much to my surprise i was asked if i would support them as Thay new me and we had a trust, little did i know how my life would change over the next two years , but that’s another story
The bit i would like to focus on is the use of C C T V cameras as this was part of the lived experience this is where i crunch my words to get to my point, as Ă group we sought advice on how to go forward we folowed all advice untill full term, at this point the local councille then handed all over to the legal department, the night-mare began? .
the Legal Department decided to place the couple in-to an assessment, the assessment unit agreed to all care request to help the couple through this horrible period. unit it became clear that the assessment unit had there own way of doing things regardless of right or wrong this being CCTV cameras in the bedroom filming the couples intimate moment, when the group this by the couple, the group on behalf of the couple sought legal aid to challenge the legality of this action, it was wrong the CCTV cameras were removed.
this is the point i would like to stop, however i would like to hear you views on this .
just to recap the CCTV bit is all i can talk about this is not my story to tell, its only, i feel so strongly about the invasion of privity as this could be common practice in any closed units where no circle of support is present .
hop this is helpful
Don
I hope you are well. Thank you very much for your response and for reaching out. I really appreciate it. I do apologise for my tardy response, I am new to the forum so still getting used to it. Thank you for sharing this story. Unfortunately, I have heard such similar devastating stories. However, the use of CCTV in the health and social care sector is a very grey area, some would say there is no legally right or wrong answer, morally, yes, legally, no. Through my research, I would say that I have found that providers tend to go wrong with the use of CCTV cameras and other surveillance technologies due to the lack of understanding on peoples’ human rights and privacy, however, this is due to the lack of legislation on the use of CCTV cameras within the health and social care sector. Similar to yourself, I feel very passionate about the right to privacy of individuals in the are sector which is why I am analysing the law to see the extent to which it guides providers and then to begin a conversation of new policies within the sector. I would be honoured if you are willing to be interviewed and if you know of any one else that would want to be interviewed please? Thank you once again, I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Ruth
I see the issue differently. I see the problem as a free speech issue in that a technology now exists that allows people who speak more effectively than they can read or write and many agencies are actively preventing this. This is not an issue of surveillance or privacy when you look at the benefit as an accommodation to a specific disability. Many agencies restrict this access because they do not want their clients to have the ability to communicate with others about treatment. This exchange of information could be a benefit to all concerned. When you look at t6his as an accommodation rather than an assault on privacy everything looks entirely different.