Three possibly related developments in the last week or so. [One] The Sloven annual report published last week included a paragraph about the ex-CEO and her pay off:
‘Independent capability reviews’ had determined Percy was fit to lead. Blimey. That’s interesting. What do these reviews say?
Well, a capability review was carried out by YSC for a cheeky £116k excluding VAT last year. A report that has never seen the public light of day despite FOI requests by ex-governor Peter Bell. It apparently gave the board a clean bill of health in the summer of 2016.
One year later, not one executive or non-executive director remains in post.
Now I ain’t no mover or groover in senior NHS circles [cue the eye leaking emoji] but I can’t help thinking that purging a Trust board of every executive and non-executive director is a pretty serious move.
Percy is apparently exonerated by this [secret] capability review while two prosecutions for failings under her watch are pending. Just extraordinary. I mean I can only imagine/hope one prosecution against a Trust is a pretty serious and rare gig. While two…?
In the same week, I received an email from a journalist scamp with a warning to breathe before clicking. [Two] Percy is back and touting for business with some toe curling claims. These include inspirational and visionary leadership, creating an open, accessible and energised culture, and successfully delivering a major acquisition of services.
[Three] As the last few Sloven staff transfer over to Oxford Health or limp back to Hampshire, the door is finally closed on the grim and grotesque acquisition process Percy led back in 2012. I think it’s fair and reasonable to say that using the word ‘successful’ in relation to this process and the devastation that followed, is one of those stretches that should never have been a fleeting thought in a careless moment, let alone typed into a Linkedin profile.
I want to flag up here that I have no personal vendetta against Percy. I have no interest in her as an individual outside of what she, her actions and the ‘official responses’ to her actions reveal about the murky of murkiest corners of the NHS.
There are, clearly, serious questions generated by these latest unfoldings which should be of concern to all of us.
Not least, why do the various NHS layers – Jeremy Hunt, the Department of Health, NHS England, NHS Improvement, the CCGs, the Sloven board – allow, enable or facilitate these narratives of delusion and erasure to stand unchallenged, and the continued channelling of scarce dosh into insalubrious pockets and pots?
UPDATE: The PriceWaterhouseCooper audit clearly summarises the failings the bulk of which occurred under Ms Percy’s leadership. Deary, deary me… Something is Stinky Pete around here.
mydaftlife 
It’s so depressing to think that someone who actually tried to avoid any accountability for all that time after, but got such a huge pay-off in the end. That’s even irrespective of her presiding over more than one of the worst scandals which deprived two young people of their lives – I think about Connor Sparrowhawk but also Nico. It’s shameful to think that our system protects people in power to this extent whilst the people who depend on there being a service which should care and ensure the exeprtise and caring of its staff are let down mortally. Its legacy and learning owed nothing to the organisation but to the efforts of the family who have forced that learning on that organisation through their persistsnce for Justice. Connor’s death has not been in vain when they have ensured key agencies and government know and helped many other families to be inspired to challenge.Importantly they have opened the lid on so-called specialist services and on why people like Connor would fall under the Mental Health Act when they don’t have a mental illness… This Government doesn’t give us great hope but we do have networks of familes and individuals across the country who will be determined not to let this go. We won’t have won until we’ve closed these new instititions – and maybe like the old ones, what will work will be a realisation in Government that they are wasting enormous sums of money building the profits of health care private organisations instead of helping people where they live – for far less cost and ensuring they don’t grow THIS national debt!
Yes, the economics will be the main reasoning as many people in power understand that more than ethics. But they can’t talk about British values, when all this oppressive culture they create goes on.
Hear, hear Rosemary.
How shameful is this, where is the justice? If providers were doing their job in the first place these units would nerve be in place. I worry now that service providers like Mencap and Dimensions etc now claim to be expert in “challenging behaviour” they know these dudes are worth big money for them. But it has been my experience that they like the sound of their own voice I have seen first hand the poor support on offer to service users who are then likely to end up in one of these terrible units, because they do not give the expertise they promise. Things need to change so badly my daughter had five years of hate crime and emotional abuse threats to kill night and day. When I challenged this I was treated like a whistle blower and not listened to just another mother from hell! She is now well supported listened to cared for and very happy the provider knows what works and more important does listen. Sara you are an amazing mum I have followed your blog for a long time my thoughts and respect for you and your family are heartfelt.
Hello Vicki I would be interested to know the name of provider you and your daughter is happy with. I am looking into the future at the moment and I have not seen anything suitable as yet. many thanks.
Hi it’s Style Acre took 5 years to get SS to acknowledge the hell hole she was in. Finally Dimensions lost the contract but much damage was done to my daughters emotional health. Dinensions insisted I was the problem they and their managers treated me so badly for speaking out. However there were some lovely support workers but they didn’t stay long. Eventually brought her home she is now very very happy I wish you good luck ❤️
Pretty common knowledge that failed NHS and LA CE’s and directors are passed around the system. Swapped.
Buckets of evidence of catastrophic inability – failure to either lead or govern – is not viewed as important as is loyalty to the society – the club – of generously paid and Publicly employed peers.
Consultancies are manned and employed at eye watering fees – by the same. Always been a paradox that accountable people – people who have failed spectacularly – permitted mountains of waste of Public cash and denied avoidable human tragedies on their watch, are seen as and rewarded as ….experts.
…….in how to fail ..spectacularly ?
It is shameful that we live in a country that is governed by individuals that condone and even encourage this greedy avarice that is rife among the top earners in the NHS. The NHS was originally created to treat and cure people whatever walk of life they came from. It was not intended to line the pockets of the managers and their mates. No wonder the NHS have money problems. It is not a business to profit the few, it was meant to be a service to help the masses.
Greed and cudos no humanity! Overpaid Managers and CEOS of provides. They should by now know how to do this work it’s not rocket science. We have CQC and safeguarding who only listen to providers etc
Somuch money wasted.
Words fail me – yet again CEOs are rewarded for failure that isn’t even acknowledged. How can she write such a dishonest profil?. What also amazes me is my former CEO at Devon Partnership NHS Trust is friends with her on LinkedIn. I always thought of him as a good guy. Maybe he’s been duped too. I, as a Music Therapist, have had to help people come to terms with the trauma of being in abusive units. One client of mine was at Winterbourne View (who our Trust used to refer to) and then moved to another abusive home which has just been through the courts. Fortunately a good provider was found, initially as an emergency placement, then longer term, that gave him the stability he needed. His “challenging behaviour”, a natural response to his abuse, reduced, and he has now moved to be closer to his mum. I’m not criticising my Trust, I think they do a pretty good job with limited resources, and I think the CEO is genuinely trying to do he best for those who use our services, but it can be easy to unintentionally collude with places like Winterbourne. In Percy’s case it was intentional. I’m amazed at how you have not only survived all this, but also continue to fight for the rights of others, and for the truth to come out.
PS:
the high profile chairman (whose tenure was only of a few weeks – before his resignation) appraised Ms Percy and found her fully competent. Paper proof…?
The inconsistencies between PWC’s findings and Sloven’s statement was raised at this week’s Sloven Council of Governors’ meeting. In my opinion, there was sufficient evidence in the then-Interim Chair’s possession to sack KP. The new substantive Chair promised to look into it – we shall see! At the same meeting, I provided proof that the Trust has been withholding from public governors correspondence from the public (and others) addressed specifically to the governors! Two were my emails and one was correspondence from no less than Healthwatch Hampshire, which I have seen too: it contains adverse patient feedback. We were clearly too close to the truth for comfort.
I have also just had sight of Sloven’s new and improved draft Complaints Procedure: Sara now has it too. It is just as one-sided as biased as before – and they have given us just six days (including the weekend) to comment on it. I expect they work weekends too don’t you!
If I do ‘work’ this weekend, it will be preparing a blog post myself on all this. I will post my ‘rant’ at the governors on the blog too.