Lifeways Group
{{Short description|British Care Provider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Lifeways Group
| type = Private limited company
| foundation = 1995
| founders = Jerry and Susan Bereika
| location = Lyme Regis, Dorset
| locations = >1,000
| industry = Health care
| homepage = {{url|https://lifeways.co.uk/}}
}}
Lifeways Group is a British social care company founded in 1995, which provides supported living services for adults with learning disabilities, autism, and brain injuries. It also offers tailored holidays, or “respite breaks”, for the people it supports. The company has received notable scrutiny following a lengthy history of negligence and abuse allegations.
== History ==
The company was bought for £207m in 2012 by OMERS, which invests Ontario’s municipal employees’ retirement pot. At that time, it had 6,300 staff.{{cite news|title=Omers acquires UK care group Lifeways|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9450cb32-b2e1-11e1-a1d4-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3cyrxskC4|accessdate=13 June 2015|publisher=Financial Times|date=11 June 2012}}
In April 2015 it acquired Autism Care UK which provides supported living, outreach and day services for people with autism in Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Milton Keynes, Northumberland, South Warwickshire and Yorkshire from the Maria Mallaband Care Group.{{cite news|title=Lifeways buys Autism Care UK|url=http://www.healthinvestor.co.uk/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=4027|accessdate=13 June 2015|publisher=HealthInvestor|date=21 April 2015}}
Controversies
In May 2015 the company bought its learning disability services group from Care UK.{{cite news|title=Mears Group acquires Care UK’s domiciliary care service for £11.3m|url=http://www.healthinvestor.co.uk/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=4123|accessdate=13 June 2015|publisher=HealthInvestor|date=1 June 2015}}
Lifeways hit controversy in recent years for bad quality of care due to some locations having an inadequate Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating, closure of some services by CQC and local councils for abuse and court cases involving staff where they have abused service users in their care.{{cite news|title=CQC wins bid to block 'institutional' learning disabilities care home|url=https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/learning-disability/cqc-wins-bid-to-block-institutional-learning-disabilities-care-home-09-08-2019|accessdate=20 December 2023|publisher=Nursing Times|date=9 August 2019}}{{cite news|title='Unsafe' Delphine Court adult care home closed|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-54627427|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=BBC News|date=21 Oct 2020}}{{cite news|title=Merchants House closed down because of building concerns|url=https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/19112399.merchants-house-closed-building-concerns/|accessdate=20 December 2023|publisher=Wirral Globe|date=24 Feb 2021}}{{cite news|title=Lifeways fined £460,000 for failing to protect residents|url=https://www.laingbuissonnews.com/care-markets-content/news/lifeways-community-care-fined-460000-for-failing-to-protect-residents/|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=LaingBuisson|date=29 Sep 2021}}{{cite news|title='Inadequate' care service disputes special measures rating by inspectors|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/inadequate-care-service-disputes-special-25150495|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=BirminghamLive|date=1 Oct 2022}}{{cite news|title=Care service which supports people in Bradford 'inadequate'|url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23022651.care-service-supports-people-bradford-inadequate/|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=Telegraph & Argus|date=6 Oct 2022}}{{cite news|title='Inadequate' Northumberland care service for people with autism in special measures amid human rights fears|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/cqc-autism-inadequate-human-rights-25293583|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=ChronicleLive|date=20 Oct 2022}}{{cite news|title=South London care home 'in crisis' where staff member 'worked 300 hours in a month'|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/south-london-care-home-in-26016805|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=MyLondon|date=19 Jan 2023}}{{cite news|title=Staff at 'inadequate' Wallington care home 'demoralised' and 'working 300 hours a month'|url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/staff-inadequate-wallington-care-home-26057452|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=SurreyLive|date=31 Jan 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-123519608/inspection-summary|title=Lifeways Community Care (Halifax) - Quality Care Commission|access-date=20 Dec 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cqc.org.uk/press-release/west-bromwich-care-service-rated-inadequate-and-placed-special-measures-cqc|title=West Bromwich care service rated inadequate and placed in special measures by CQC - Quality Care Commission|access-date=20 Dec 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.caresourcer.com/uk/providers/cqc/1-123519608/lifeways-community-care-halifax|title=Lifeways Community Care (Halifax) - Halifax - Care Sourcer|access-date=20 Dec 2023}}
In 2019, two care workers subjected a disabled woman to abuse at one of their Autism Care facilities in Northumberland.{{cite news|title=Care home disgrace: This mean pair subjected severely disabled woman to sickening harassment.
|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/care-home-disgrace-mean-pair-16899788|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=Chroniclelive.co.uk|date=11 Sep 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://lifeways.co.uk/for-families/support-search/alexandra-park|title=Alexandra Park {{!}} Lifeways|access-date=20 Dec 2023}} In 2022, a support worker was dismissed from his job after using cocaine with a blind service user.
In 2021, Lifeways were ordered to pay more than £495,000 at Cirencester Magistrates' Court as it failed to protect residents from avoidable harm, although this event was never widely publicised.https://violationtrackeruk.goodjobsfirst.org/violation-tracker/Lifeways-Community-Care-Limited-1
In 2022, Portsmouth City Council gave the contract to Lifeways for the operation of the newly built Patey Court. While this has been hailed as a success the issues at their other Portsmouth site at Moorings Way continue, with residents reporting that the Police have attended regularly in recent months.
In 2023, a deputy manager was charged with stealing £34,000 from a 70-year-old woman with learning difficulties who was under their care.{{cite news|title=Face of crying carer who stole £34k to spend at McDonald's, Primark and Haven|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/face-crying-carer-who-stole-28297436|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=BirminghamLive|date=15 Dec 2023}}{{cite news|title=Crying carer stole £34,000 from vulnerable woman and bought McDonald's and holidays|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/crying-carer-stole-34000-vulnerable-31689047|accessdate=20 Dec 2023|publisher=Mirror.co.uk|date=16 Dec 2023}}
In 2024, Andrea Kinkade backed Care England's proposals for the UK Government to reevaluate UK immigration policy. Lifeways are rumoured to have strong links to Nigeria. In Portsmouth 85% of the Lifeways workforce originate from Nigeria.
In 2025, an ITV News investigation published allegations surrounding failures at residential and supported-living homes ran by the care company. Camera footage, obtained from Coventry, showed a young male with significant learning difficulties eating from a bin. In addition, separate revelations indicated that a man with Down's syndrome had required hospital treatment after an infection was left neglected. Lifeways CEO Andrea Kinkade labelled the allegations "appalling" and claimed the staff involved were dismissed.{{cite news|title=Disabled man filmed eating from bin: ITV News exposes 'appalling' neglect by major UK care company|url=https://www.itv.com/news/2025-03-03/disabled-man-left-to-eat-from-bin-itv-news-exposes-appalling-neglect |accessdate=4 March 2025|publisher=ITV News|date=4 March 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.lifeways.co.uk Company website]