A FORMER Burnt Oak care home manager can continue to work in nursing despite a string of mismanagement offences including failing to check staff references, registrations and work permits.

Rosalind Maxwell, formerly Ben-Edigbe, was manager of the Appletree Court care home in Burnt Oak Broadway when the alleged offences took place between January 2006 and January 2007.

As well as failing to check staff credentials the 53-year-old was also accused of a string of maladministration problems relating to patients' paperwork at the home.

However, at the final day of her hearing at the conduct and competence committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Mrs Maxwell was cleared to keep working.

The panel decided she had shown enough understanding of the seriousness of the charges against her as to have learned from her mistakes and could continue to work as a manager for a domiciliary care provider.

Simon Evans, leading the three member panel, said: “Proper care documentation is the touchstone for the delivery of patient care.

He added: “The registrant belatedly recognised the matters to which the complaints relate were not the fault of others. The complaints about these matters were justified.”

However, the panel added there were a number of mitigating factors in the case, including the fact the home was new, there was a “difficult” contract with Brent Council to contend with and her employers, Carebase Ltd, had no human resources department in the early part of her tenure.

Among the problems revealed at the care home included several members of staff working without proper checks on their criminal records, work permits, registrations or references.