And this morning I went to find this picture...

Whilst scrolling through my photo library I saw all of the things, events, memories, trials and tribulations, celebrations and curveballs documented through my camera roll and this feels like a life time ago and in some ways it was.

This picture represents a point in time that we had worked around the clock to meet a huge deadline whilst being micro managed by an investor, who unbeknown to us at the time was working to oust both me and my husband from the business that my husband had built and created from scratch. The company that we loved and had put everything in to, including the remortgaging of our home plus every ounce of energy and commitment we possessed. We had dared to question the way things were being handled and that we were concerned that certain regulatory requirements were not being met due to their unsanctioned actions.

As we stood on that beach that night, the kids hadn't spent any real time with us and were excited for their holiday and we were absolutely exhausted. I had been prescribed beta blockers that morning by the Doctor due to the stress symptoms that I was experiencing with everything that had gone on.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and the day before we were due home we received an email from our Non Exec Director at the time to say that we had been suspended pending investigation for gross misconduct. Imagine that? Being investigated by our own company... We were to report the next day to a lawyers office for a hearing...and so began the constructive dismissal process. We were not to communicate with any employees and by mid October were dismissed following a botched process and predetermined outcome.

Our Director of Care and Nursing who was our right hand woman literally turned her back on us and followed the man with the money. Our Finance Manager, who lives next door but one, who we recruited and who we had known as a friend and neighbour for 14 years did the same. We came home from holidays to find the Non Exec Directors (who was the puppeteer that facilitated the suspension) car on our Finance Managers drive preparing for the meeting the next day. The blatant disregard for us as colleagues or even human beings was and remains astounding.

Oh how money affects people is astounding! Where are peoples back bones?

As we had started the business, we were employees, and also Statutory Directors and Shareholders. Each with a different set of rules, obligations, fiscal and regulatory responsibility, which we took seriously. Our business was looking after some of the most vulnerable people.

We started the long journey of clearing our name and reclaiming what was legally and morally ours. They literally stripped us of our livelihood and put our integrity in to question.

There was a huge delay in the tribunal being heard due to the waiting times and eventually almost 2 years on we had 5 weeks in the Employment Tribunal.

By then I had already had a nervous and physical breakdown and was on my way back out of the other side.

I sat in the miserable tribunal building anchoring in with my oils and breathing exercises and with a nod to my 1 energy, it will be no surprise that I knew those 4 lever arch file bundles inside out and back to front. I saw through every lie and every piece of evidence that contradicted the narrative that was being offered over the 15 days we sat in that room. I sat and watched my husband have to explain his actions to a bunch of people that were trying to strip him of his business for literally anything they could find. At one point our Barrister asked their witness - "Have you ever been to Ikea?" . "A very long time ago" he said. "Well you see this desk that you are suggesting M has bought for his own means that you cant find anywhere in the buildings?" "Yes" he replies..."Well you will see that what you are asking him to find for you are the legs that are holding up the board room table which I assume are still attached to the desk top". This is the sort of shit that they had put in front of him x about 50 items.

We sat, with our legal team and my ever supportive Dad (73 years old at the time and who had also been called in as they accused him of threatening behaviour) our son and close friends took it in turns to come and support us. Im forever grateful for every single one of them.

The investors (now having taken on our old roles) and our Director of Care and Nursing then attended on mass with lots of our old staff members as if it was a day out of entertainment. Heaven only knows what they had been told or been expecting. It hurt.

As the lead investor was due to take to the stand to be cross examined our lawyers came to us to say that they had offered us a settlement. He advised that this is quite normal as they often do what they can to not take the stand. The offer was poultry and in no way represented what they had taken from us.

This is when I had to absolutely anchor in to our truth. We had done nothing to deserve where we were. We had been cut off by someone taking control in a way that was not legal and nothing about this situation was right. Absolutely 100% NO DEAL. We were exhausted, unwell, skint and yet still we knew we were right.

We went on to listen to the rest of the cross examinations where our Barrister picked holes in the information they had provided. The blatant disregard for any due process or respect for the legal system was evident.

The tribunal was done and we then had to wait for weeks for the results.

In the meantime, I could not get my head round how those that were responsible for the business and looking after vulnerable people were blatantly over looking their regulatory, fiscal and professional responsibilities. With the collation of all of the evidence there were so many obvious discrepancies that meant that there were risks to those in need coupled with the oral evidence that they had given which was also lacking in consistency and truth.

Here we were still knowing that our names had been besmirched and if those that were considered "closest" to us then what chance did we have with any on else?

So we kept silent. We said nothing to anyone. We knew we were being "watched" online and by our neighbour (as this was confirmed in oral evidence in court) so we carried on as best we could. Our kids went through a really tough time seeing and experiencing all that we were going through and yet for "them"...everything was just fine and dandy...

The decision from the tribunal arrived and it was confirmed that: -

1. The investor "initiated and influenced the investigation and the disciplinary procedures which resulted in dismissal; he sat on the appeals himself and he effectively procured the dismissal of the claimants" and "knowing full well that the reason he wanted them out was the dispute over the cashflow issue and how the business should be run." The tribunal was satisfied that they the company "put forward a defence which materially misrepresented the true position."

2. The Tribunal found that "had there been a proper impartial investigation there would not have been any reasonable grounds for dismissal." and that the Investors daughter conducted a "deeply flawed' investigation.

3. The decision that we were to be exited from the business was made by the investor in July before we even left for holiday.

4. The tribunal decided that we were dismissed because the investor decided that we must go an "The principal reason was the conflict between him and us over how the business should be run in terms of cashflow and cost savings." - In other words, we spoke up against someone that could control us because he had money.

ªWe are allowed to talk about this because this is all in the public domain and can be accessed on Government websites. )

And yet everyone believed what they were told.....

After court and during the evidence collation process we raised detailed complaints with the Nursing and Midwifery Council; the Care Quality Commission and the Information Commissioners Office.

Fast forward, the tribunal awarded us full damages with full statutory uplifts and awarded us that 85% costs should be met by "them".

But then what....life goes on...We had been in limbo for so long and yes we won; we were hundreds of thousands of pounds indebted in legal fees and the business we had built was now being run by the people that wanted it all along and the narrative has remained that we are disgruntled past employees and by staying silent that is what we allowed them and anyone else to believe. Until now.

Yesterday I had an email from The Nursing and Midwifery Council.....

Because of the pandemic there has been an almost 5 year delay in them dealing with the complaint raised. They have deemed that the Director of Care and Nursing has a case to answer and is being referred to a Fitness to Practice Committee for adjudication.

The complaint response is that "we have decided that there is a realistic possibility that the Fitness to Practise Committee would find the facts proved for all the regulatory concerns."

Not surprisingly, the response she has provided to the NMC in response to the complaint remains the same narrative..."the allegations are vindictive and were initiated by disgruntled ex-employees."

Disgruntled employees who have been proved to have been right to be disgruntled as they were dismissed unlawfully based on evidence created by an investor and supported by her along with evidence to support all of the regulatory concerns that were raised are true.

She goes on to say that she ‘… felt a high level of anxiety, disappointment and disbelief that this happened’ and that wherever she worked as a nurse she has worked ‘with an unblemished record’ and that she believes she ‘acted with integrity’ when she reported two ex-employees regarding their own work ethics.

The facts are, that she didn't report the two employees. That is what her tribunal witness statement said. Her oral evidence said otherwise which is when the judge asked "Did you write this witness statement?" and she replied No, the company lawyer did. The stories just didn't align and the tribunal saw right through all of it.

So Karma has come full circle.

I take no joy whatsoever to what she has ahead of her.

It's beyond awful to go through something like this.. We too experienced "high level of anxiety, disappointment and disbelief that this happened’ to us too and we had done nothing to warrant it only to speak our truth.

I guess the lesson here is to make sure YOU OWN YOUR OWN MIND AND YOUR OWN POWER

It takes courage and it takes Integrity. Integrity is not just a word.

The NMC set out useful guidance in demonstrating insight. They suggest

1. Taking a step back from the situation and view it objectively
2. Recognising what went on
3. Appreciate what could and should have been done differently
4. Understand how to act differently in the future.

Had everyone just checked in with number 1, and they owned their truth then life would certainly be different for all of us now.

In the cold light of day

The investor died before the final award hearing.

The business has been sold.

The Director of Care and Nursing now needs to fight the outcomes on her regulatory body findings and is apparently on redundancy notice.

And as if by magic, the investors daughter was parked on the neighbours drive this morning.

Thank you Universe for delivering these signs.

The truth always comes out.