The legal whistleblowing experts James & West Law LLP and Care Worker, Matt Alexander, are asking for assistance in taking a stand for whistleblowers and the safety of care home residents.

Matt Alexander is fighting an unfair dismissal and whistleblowing claim in the employment tribunal based on his public interest disclosures which highlighted his employer’s disregard for the wellbeing of care home residents.

This fundraising effort is not just for Matt’s legal fees, as any additional amounts will be put in a dedicated fund to support care home workers, who, due to being undervalued and underpaid, are at a huge disadvantage in the Employment Tribunal process.

Matt first voiced his concerns for the safety of residents and staff after a resident committed arson in the care home in which he worked.  Other residents would be drunk, sexually inappropriate, and violent towards members of staff.

A resident physically threatened and intimidated staff and other vulnerable residents using snooker cues and on one occasion with a brick.

A resident hung posters of serial killers on their wall, threatened to commit suicide, to stab staff working at the care home, and to get a gun and bring it to the home for violent ends.

A resident weaponised their gender expression so that only workers of a specific gender would be assigned to them, and in turn, the resident would be sexually inappropriate and aggressive with those workers.

Matt reported these issues and the lack of care plans in place for residents to his bosses and suggested what should be done to remedy it. His claim is that these disclosures were protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 due to his genuine belief in the current and future potential of harm to staff or residents.

In relaying these concerns to his employers Matt reasonably believed that he was alerting the company to breaches of their legal obligations and of a threat to the health & safety of individuals.

Matt’s bosses did nothing but undermine or ignore Matt when he spoke up.

Feeling silenced, Matt went further and contacted the local authority, the police and subsequently made protected disclosures to the CQC and as a result, some of the residents were removed from the home – after many months of violence and abuse that Matt, other workers and vulnerable residents endured.

The Respondent in this matter viewed these disclosures as a nuisance, as Matt being rude and complaining.

Shortly after Matt made his protected disclosures, they suspended and dismissed him alleging poor performance and conduct, despite an exemplary service and clean disciplinary record, as well as Matt being recently promoted.

Whistleblowers like Matt are the backbone in protecting against incidents of harm to the vulnerable and on the frontline in caring for our aging society. However, like Matt, many are disadvantaged in their fight in the Employment Tribunal, against employers who coldly disregard their legal duties and trample over worried workers' rights.

The shameful neglect of the care system in this country means that the financial value of the claim is low , and Matt’s ability to pursue it alone is slim. The moral value of his actions so far and his determination to protect his and others’ rights is immeasurable.

If you believe this is a fight worth having as we do, we would ask for your donations to go some way to cover Matt’s legal expenses in taking this claim through the tribunal system. Any money raised more than Matt’s legal fees will be ringfenced for supporting care workers who blow the whistle on dangerous and inadequate care homes and suffer for doing so.