'Kids throw bricks at us': Carers report racist abuse at work

Care workers at a charity in Knowsley have said they have been targeted with repeated racist and anti-social abuse during visits to clients in the Stockbridge Village area.

Caring Connections employs a number of migrant care workers who provide home care for people receiving palliative and end-of-life care.

In the past year, staff have reported being racially abused, spat at and having objects thrown at them. One worker said a firework had been thrown at her, while another said he was always "looking over his shoulder" after stones were thrown at him.

Merseyside Police said it had contacted the charity to provide reassurance to staff and gather any details that might help officers investigate the allegations.

One care worker who spoke to BBC News said fireworks had been thrown at her at the end of her shift.

Glory, not her real name, described how, while waiting for a bus home after visiting her last client of the day in Stockbridge Village on Friday night, "a group of men dressed in black" threw fireworks at her.

She reported the incident to police and was collected by a colleague.

She said: "I could have been hurt. I care for old people and these people could be their grandparents.

"Kids throw bricks at us, use racist language and insult us."

The charity's chief executive, Paul Growney, said he was working with police and other agencies to address the issues, but added it was not simply "a case of putting on a few extra patrol cars".

He said the organisation had discussed issuing staff with body-worn cameras and had funded transport for workers in the area.

Growney said the abuse was affecting carers' mental health.

He said: "If you're going into an emotionally charged situation after just being abused, chased, assaulted or called a racial slur, it could affect you."

He said he had a dedicated team, but it was a matter of time before the abuse affected staff attendance.

Growney said some workers had been reluctant to report incidents to police- something he was trying to address.

Another carer, originally from Nigeria, said: "You see them on their electric bikes. They spit at you and then run away, or they walk towards you and call you all sorts. We can't retaliate or do anything because if we do, we get the blame."

Growney said he hoped to work with anti-racism charity the Anthony Walker Foundation on an education programme for young people in the area.

He said: "We need to teach them that this behaviour isn't right. It's not patriotic. Having a go at migrant workers is not a good thing to do and these people are there to care for your community."

He added: "If you've just been into a home where someone is receiving end-of-life care, it's a very emotional thing. To then be abused on the way to the next house is just shocking."

Merseyside Police neighbourhood inspector Dave Hassett said: "Any information about hate crime in our communities is a concern, so we will be in touch with Caring Connections to provide reassurance to staff, and gather any details which might allow us to investigate these allegations.

"Previous reports have been comprehensively investigated and when reports are made, we will do all we can to gather the best evidence and identify those responsible. This is why it is absolutely vital that incidents are reported to police immediately.

"I'd continue to encourage anyone in Stockbridge Village affected by hate crime and other issues to get in touch, whether you are a victim, witness or a concerned resident."

Growney said all his staff wanted to do was get on with their work in peace.

He said: "The workers we've got have come here and integrated and they're fantastic. They're there to care for our community and they're caring for the most vulnerable people.

"This abuse is just making that work ten times harder."

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