Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2014

Amanda Richards

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2014-0228, written 12 May 2014. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report12 May 2014
Reference2014-0228
DeceasedAmanda Richards
CoronerSean McGovern
Coroner areaCoventry
CategoryOther related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text recovered by OCR from a scanned PDF. OCR is imperfect: check anything you rely on against the source PDF. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)

NOTE: This form is to be used after an inquest.

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

Chief Executive — Whitefriars Housing

4 CORONER

1am S McGovern, Senior Coroner, for the coroner area of Coventry

2 | CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS

| make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (investigations) Regulations 2013.

3 | INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

| opened an investigation on 13 January 2014 into the death of Amanda Richards, late
of 5 Kildare Close, Coventry. | concluded the inquest on 24 April 2014 and returned a
conclusion that her death was accidental.

4 | CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Ms Richards suffered from Peri-ventricular Leckomalacia and was a wheelchair user.
She had live-in carers 22 hours per day. On 3° December 2013 it seems she dropped a
cigarette and died in the subsequent fire. The fire occurred while she was alone.

5 | CORONER’S CONCERNS

During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In
my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the
circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows. ~

| heard from Fire Investigation Officer Holder that the provision of a domestic sprinkler
system would have made the death far less likely. | accept that the provision of such a
system throughout your housing stock would be prohibitively expensive but! ask you to
consider such provision in special accommodation such as Ms Richards.

6 | ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe you have
the power to take such action.

7 | YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 7 July 20t4. |, the coroner, may extend the period.

Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out
the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed.

COPIES and PUBLICATION

| have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following interested

Persons (2) SEE (mother)
lam also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary
form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful
or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your
response, about the release or the publication of your respanse by the Chief Coroner.

12 May 2014 i
Senior Coroner S McGovern SuGnvers
i

1

Responses

1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from Whitefriars Housing (PDF)
Our Reference

whitefriars

Your Reference <: SMc.bm.1502.13.Richards

Contact Name : HOUSING
Contact Number _
Email

Date : 2 July 2014

Ms Belinda Mattu

The Coroner's Office 9 Little Park Street
Coventry Central Police Station Coventry

Little Park Street CVv1 2UR
Coventry

CV1 2JK

Dear Ms Mattu

Re: Amanda Richards (deceased) — Im

| am writing in reply to your letter of the 14 May 2014, received on the 19 May
2014.

On the 16 June 2014 etc of Housing and Neighbourhood
Services for Whitefriars Housing Group, attended the serious incident review
which as you will be aware, was led by the West Midlands Fire Service. All key
agencies participated in the incident review, and | understand that the learning
outcomes will form the recommendations in the plan to be produced by the Fire
Service.

The action plan will include specific actions for Whitefriars Housing Group, and we
have agreed with others present that all agencies need to work together to better
understand the risks and issues surrounding the needs of individual residents in
special accommodation. Through those agencies working together we will agree
specific actions to be undertaken or works to be implemented to meet the needs
of the resident. If through such joint working it is agreed that the provision of a
domestic sprinkler system to an individual dwelling is the appropriate action to be
taken then | confirm that Whitefriars Housing Group would commission and pay
for the installation. | can also confirm that such works would be carried out
without delay once the course of action had been agreed.

email; info @whitetrlarshousing.co.uk
www.whitefriarshousing.co.uk

Whitefriars Housing Group Limited
a chantable, industrial & provident sociely

Registered no: 30092R,

Registered Office: 9 Little Park Street,
Coventry, Warwickshire CV1 2UR

Chairman: Mick Rawson

RESPECT Fe. aN Group Chief Executive: Pat Brandum MCIH
RY hoe ed A full list of board members and direclors
Gherespect Get respect INVESTOR INPROMLE irvatter Ir exeationee is available from the registered office

| trust the above satisfactorily responds to the Regulation 28 report, but if you
should require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Simon Kimberley
Executive Director, WM Housing Group

Related reports

Other reports by Sean McGovern

See all →

More reports categorised “Other related deaths”

See all →

Track Sean McGovern

See every Prevention of Future Deaths report matching Sean McGovern, and how often a new one appears.

What would an alert for this have sent me? Search the full text

Free to try — the preview shows the real matches and how many arrived in the last 12 months. Your first email alert is free.

These reports are published by the Chief Coroner's office at judiciary.uk and are © Crown copyright. The text here is reproduced from the published PDF so it can be searched. If something on this page is wrong, or you are a person named in it and want it reviewed, email drcjar@gmail.com and we will act promptly.