A FORMER senior care assistant accused of ill-treating elderly residents has told a jury she was attracted to the work because she wanted to “make a difference”.

Amy Dickinson, 24, is on trial alongside the ex-owner and manager of the former Riddlesden Rest Home after allegations were made that residents were being ill-treated in 2019.

Dickinson, of Fairfax Street, Silsden, who has denied charges relating to seven residents, began giving her evidence to the jury at Bradford Crown Court.

“What attracted you to care?” asked her barrister Syam Soni.

“Trying to be able to make a difference,” replied Dickinson.

Dickinson said she started as a care assistant and became a senior care assistant at the home after about 18 months.

She said she had been on training courses relating to manual handling, safeguarding, health and safety, and dementia.

Dickinson accepted she would swear at times with other staff in private spaces, but she said it was inappropriate to swear in front of residents and insisted she'd never done so.

She denied mimicking her co-defendant and described Helen Burridge, 62, as being “firm but fair” with her.

Dickinson dismissed the suggestion that she was “second-in-command” and said there was no hierarchy among her and other staff.

Mr Soni took his client through a series of allegations made against her by prosecution witnesses, including other members of staff, and Dickinson made repeated denials about the claims.

She denied allegations that she had “dragged” a female resident onto the floor or had given the woman an excessive amount of alcohol.

Dickinson denied using derogatory language towards residents and dismissed claims that she had taunted another woman about her late husband.

She said it was not possible for another female resident to have been “locked in her room” because the lock could be over-ridden from the inside by pulling the handle down.

She also denied allegations that she had tried to force a female resident to take her medication by putting fingers into her mouth.

The jury has also heard claims that Dickinson threw unused medication in the kitchen bin or dissolved it in boiling water.

She said she would never have done that because it was important for records to be kept and unused medication needed to be returned to the pharmacy.

Burridge, of Greenfield Road, Holmfirth, has also denied four charges of ill-treatment relating to residents of the home.

The trial continues.