Elderly people in care are being let down by a "patch work of organisations who don't easily communicate with each other", claims an opposition councillor.

Cllr Karen Constantine (Lab) believes vulnerable people are "slipping through the net" because carers often find themselves thrown into their homes with "very little support".

She was speaking after the release of Kent County Council's annual safeguarding report.

She said: "I want to tell you that in the real world, the delivery of care to many of our adults, especially where I am in Thanet, is in fact run by a patch work of organisations who don't easily communicate with each other.

"I've come across two cases in the space of a week, which are quite shocking."

Cllr Constantine told councillors in the chamber last week (December 13) about an active elderly woman who had 14 different carers in a fortnight after her permanent care plan fell through.

She added this becomes very distressing for the elderly woman but also the carers, which she claims receive "very little support" and become overwhelmed.

She said: "The idea of an elderly person being left in the morning, having been washed and dressed put in a chair then being left alone right through to teatime for another carer to only turn up at bed time to find them soiled, is distress that is immeasurable.

"Staff that are recruited to work in this area are quite often young people, with no training, no induction and very little support.

"They turn up at a person's home only to find themselves completely overwhelmed with the needs that they meet."

The independent chair of the Kent and Medway safeguarding adults board, Deborah Stuart-Angus, assured councillors there is a county-wide policy to allow employees to whistle blow if need be.

The board, which meets three times a year, is tasked with holding care providers to account so as to ensure vulnerable adults are kept safe and not abused.

According to their report, 48% of alleged victims of abuse last year were over 75.

Roughly three victims out of five were female and 43% of reported incidents happened in their own home.

"Staff that are recruited to work in this area are quite often young people, with no training, no induction and very little support..." - Cllr Karen Constantine

However Mrs Stuart-Angus believes the real figure is a lot higher as a lot of incidents are being reported in care homes by staff.

Cllr Seán Holden commended staff for their "commitment, passion and dedication".

He said: "I believe that the people working in this area will be of the utmost commitment and passion and dedication to what they do.

"They defend people who have been hurt in their minds, in body sexually as well, and they have been hurt by neglect. That's what this is about."

Cabinet member in charge of public health, Cllr Graham Gibbens, said: "Safeguarding is the most important issue to come before a council, both safeguarding of vulnerable adults and vulnerable children.

"Safeguarding is everybody's business."

To report and protect yourself and others from abuse and neglect contact Kent social services on 03000 41 61 61 or if urgent call 999.