Substantial payout for teen abused by support worker at care home

A woman has received a substantial payout against a children’s home operator after suffering abuse from her support worker.

The victim settled her case against Keys Care Limited for the sexual, physical and emotional abuse she suffered from Quadring man Andrew Geeson whilst still a teenager.

The civil claim was brought by the woman - who cannot be named - after Geeson was sentenced in 2023 to five years and four months in prison when he admitted sexually abusing her.

The abuse began in 2019 when she was 15-years-old.

Geeson was employed at the children’s home to safeguard vulnerable children, but instead exploited his position of trust to abuse the woman, who was initially in the home because of concerns she was vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

Despite significant concerns being raised about Geeson, he continued as the victim’s care worker and eventually became her key care worker, which gave him the opportunity to spend more time with her.

Geeson remained as her care worker until he left his role in 2020.

He was eventually arrested in 2021 and subsequently charged.

In 2023, Geeson was given a prison sentence after pleading guilty to sexually abusing the woman.

After the sentencing, the victim brought a civil legal action against Keys Care Limited, which runs the children’s home.

She instructed Dino Nocivelli, a human rights partner at the law firm Leigh Day, to bring the claim.

After discussions with Keys Care Limited’s legal representatives, her claim was settled for a substantial compensation sum.

The settlement includes compensation for the pain and suffering endured, the impact it had on her education, her need for future therapy, and loss of earnings.

Keys Care Limited also made a short apology for the harm caused to the victim by its former employee.

“Carers in children’s homes hold positions of trust, and it is terrible that Andrew Geeson used this to subject my client to abuse, who at the time was a child in a vulnerable situation,” said Mr Nocivelli

“This breach of trust was significant and I am pleased to have now reached a settlement for my client, which will help support her need for future therapy and the impact on her earnings, as well as compensate her for the abuse she had to endure and the ongoing psychiatric injuries that have resulted from said abuse.”

In an impact statement read out by the victim in court during the trial, she said: “I was a vulnerable 14-year-old placed in a children's home.

"At that point in my life what I needed was to be cared for and to be safe.

"Instead he took away years of my life."