Inquest Finds Agency Worker Failings Led to Unlawful Death of Vulnerable 14-Year-Old

Published: 15 August 2025 — The English Chronicle Desk

An inquest jury has concluded that a vulnerable 14-year-old girl, Ruth Szymankiewicz, was unlawfully killed after an agency support worker failed to supervise her at a secure psychiatric unit. Ruth, who had complex mental health issues and was deemed a suicide risk, was left alone at the privately run Huntercombe Hospital near Maidenhead on 12 February 2022. She harmed herself in her room and died two days later.

The agency worker, operating under a false identity as Ebo Acheampong, had no prior hospital experience and had not undergone an induction before his shift. The inquest raised significant concerns about the training and oversight of agency staff at Huntercombe and identified contributing factors to Ruth’s death, including unrestricted access to harmful material and limited family contact, which might have supported her wellbeing.

Ruth’s parents, Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz, expressed profound grief following the inquest findings. “There is an empty space at our table, a silent bedroom in our home, a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled,” they said. They described Ruth as “incredible, bright, friendly, loving and adventurous,” highlighting the devastating impact of systemic failures in the care she received. The family emphasised that the inquest uncovered broader systemic issues beyond the actions of the individual worker, which they hope will be addressed.

Health experts have described Ruth’s death as a stark example of ongoing systemic problems in mental health care for children and young people. Andrew Molodynski, mental health lead at the British Medical Association, highlighted a “gap in accountability” regarding the training and vetting of agency staff, particularly in high-risk psychiatric units that often rely heavily on temporary personnel. Minesh Patel from the mental health charity Mind echoed these concerns, warning that overreliance on agency staff can compromise patient safety and quality of care, sometimes resulting in serious harm or death.

The inquest also revealed that staff shortages and a lack of specialized psychiatric intensive care units for young people continue to be a problem. Dr Gillian Combe, clinical director for the provider group commissioning Ruth’s placement, noted that regulatory constraints in England have hindered the development of new NHS units, forcing providers to rely on private facilities. She linked this shortage to NHS policy changes between 2010 and 2012 that limited available public provision for high-risk mental health patients.

Jodie Anderson, senior caseworker at the charity Inquest, described the jury’s verdict as “a stark indictment of a mental health system that sent a vulnerable child far from home to a private unit with dangerously inadequate care.” Dr Amit Chatterjee, chief medical officer at Active Care Group, which operated Huntercombe, stated that the company has since improved recruitment and induction processes, and increased therapeutic care at its current site, Ivetsey Bank Hospital in Staffordshire.

The agency worker involved fled to Ghana after Ruth’s death. Thames Valley Police confirmed his identity but said there was insufficient evidence to facilitate his return to the UK. The use of agency staff in mental health settings has been repeatedly cited as a risk factor in patient safety, with prior cases and Care Quality Commission reports highlighting deficiencies in training, engagement, and continuity of care.

Ruth’s death underscores the urgent need for reforms in the supervision, staffing, and oversight of young patients in psychiatric care, emphasizing the profound consequences of systemic failures within mental health services.