Wolverhampton hostel chiefs cleared in Belgium tobacco trip probe
Bosses of a hostel for vulnerable adults in Wolverhampton have been cleared of giving a service user money to travel to Belgium on a duty-free cigarette run.
Fernbank Care in the Community was made the subject of a safeguarding probe. But the authorities have found no evidence that a service user was sent to Belgium on behalf of managers.
Allegations against the 30-bed hostel, Tettenhall Road, which helps people with alcohol, substance abuse and mental health problems, emerged in a leaked report last December.
A further allegation that untrained staff were administering medication and taking blood samples was also dismissed after no evidence was found.
But Wolverhampton City Council chiefs say a number of outstanding allegations are still being investigated.
The council's assistant director for safeguarding, business support and community services Rob Willoughby said: "Social care agencies and partner agencies acting on behalf of
Wolverhampton Safeguarding Adults Board have completed five safeguarding investigations into allegations relating to Fernbank Care in the Community.
"All five of these allegations were unsubstantiated as there was deemed to be no evidence of abuse.
"Investigations are continuing into four further allegations of abuse at Fernbank, including one allegation of historic abuse. These are at various stages and we are unable to comment further."
Civic Centre chiefs launched an investigation into safeguarding at Fernbank in December, which also involved West Midlands Police.
The city council is leading the probe despite no longer referring service users there, as it now uses Midland Heart.
After that investigation was launched, a series of further claims about the hostel surfaced in a report by The Centre for Housing and Support.
Fernbank spokeswoman Joanne Bates refuted all of those claims put to the organisation after the Express & Star saw a leaked copy of the report. But she said many of the issues were 'factually incorrect'.
Latest findings come after it emerged that Fernbank's landlord Thomas Harvey-Beswick had served bosses with an eviction notice. If successful the eviction would not affect users of the service, just the bosses running it. While Fernbank chiefs have vowed to contest any eviction notice.
