The Corporation of The City of London
June 27, 2012
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

City of London Enters Consulting Agreement with peopleCare for Dearness Home
 

City Council voted last night to approve an agreement with peopleCare Inc. for consulting services.

The consulting services will include conducting an operational review and identifying any areas for improvement. As part of their review, peopleCare will provide access to its team of professionals with expertise in multiple areas of long-term care and potentially develop an action plan to achieve accreditation for the Dearness Home.

Civic Administration will report back by the end 2012 with respect to long term options for the Dearness Home.

The Dearness Home was the location of a tragic incident on March 2, 2012 resulting in the death of a resident.

After the incident, the City engaged John McNair as external legal counsel to conduct a review of whether the policies, procedures and actions in relation to the administration of Dearness Home conform to regulatory standards and best practices. McNair is a partner at McKenzie Lake lawyers LLP, a former federal prosecutor and Vice Chair of the Ontario Consent & Capacity Board. He has conducted numerous investigations for both public and private sector employers.

"We are taking every action possible to ensure this tragedy never happens again," said London Mayor Joe Fontana. "We expect a full and thorough operational review and a report identifying and prioritizing any areas of improvement in policy, procedures or practice and with respect to long term options for the Dearness Home."