Charity fined £40,000 following death of a teenager in its care

Mental health charity Richmond Psychological Foundation International has been fined £40,000 following the death of a 19-year-old woman at a home it ran care four years ago.

Sophie Bennett had bipolar affective disorder, social anxiety disorder and atypical autism, and was found hanged on May 2016 at the London based care home Lancaster Lodge.

An inquest in 2019 found that Sophie had not intended to take her own life and that “neglect” contributed to her death.

In Uxbridge Magistrates Court last week RPFI was fined £40,000 following Sophie's death, while the care home manager at the time Peggy Jhugroo, also known as Marilene Peggy Moylan, was fined £3,000.

According to the charity, Inquest, which is representing Sophie’s family, “significant changes” were made at the home in the four months leading up to her death.

This included “sacking external therapists” and the intention “to replace psychotherapy with yoga sessions”.

In addition, the health inspectorate Care Quality Commission (CQC), had described the home as “chaotic”.

The CQC had brought the prosecution over an alleged failure to provide safe care and treatment, resulting in Sophie being exposed to the significant risk of avoidable harm, under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inquest said that "by law, registered providers of health and social care services must take all reasonable steps and exercise due diligence to ensure patients receive safe care and treatment".

RPFI is also being investigated by the Charity Commission. A statutory inquiry was launched in April 2019, “but the family have not received any updates on progress”, said Inquest.

According to the Care Quality Commission the charity is no longer providing care services at Lancaster Lodge.

“Sophie’s family have fought tirelessly through countless legal and investigative processes to get justice for her,” said Inquest director Deborah Coles after sentencing.

“Today’s sentencing is a small step forward in holding those involved in the neglect Sophie received to account. We hope this will send a message to providers that those involved in potentially criminally unsafe standards of care will be held to account.”

Rachel Harger, from Bindmans LLP, who is part of Inquest's lawyers group added: “The family are broken, exhausted and defeated after a 5-year legal process. They are deeply disappointed by the behaviour of those involved in Sophie’s death."