Search results

Although there has been a commitment to develop a policy framework to support vulnerable adults at risk of abuse, there remains concern around its lack of use within National Health Service inpatient settings and mental health services in particular. A gap between policy and practice appears to have developed, which leaves inpatients vulnerable to inadequate responses to allegations of adult abuse. This article will provide a critical overview of the policy and practice issues that affect the use of adult protection procedures.

This paper aims to develop understanding of the context in which the abuse and maltreatment of older people might proliferate within the health and social care system in the United Kingdom. Drawing on the notion of “social defences” this paper seeks to explore the dual role of consumerism and social defences in facilitating poor practice.

Research and inquiry findings are used to establish the inter‐relationship between social defences, consumerism and poor organisational structures to create a culture in which the abuse and maltreatment of older people might flourish.

The paper suggests the expansion of a consumerist approach to care, along with social defences and organisational structures, reinforces an attitude of indifference to older people across society, and provides the conditions in which the maltreatment of older people by professional carers can go unchallenged.

This is a conceptual paper from which future research could develop to understand, from a societal perspective, the relationship between societal attitudes and responses to older people, their maltreatment and care provision in the UK.

Reform is required at a structural and individual level founded on the conceptual nets of equality and human rights. A consumerist approach alone, for those most vulnerable, may increase their risk of harm.

If safeguarding older people is “everyone's” business, wider society will need to transform an attitude of indifference toward older people into one of dignity and respect.

The current system of health and social care provision leaves many older people maltreated and without support. Whilst much research rightly focuses on practical matters this paper seeks to relocate the debate in a much wider frame of reference to try and establish the philosophical, ethical and moral framework's required to transform societal indifference toward older people to respect.

This paper aims to provide a framework from which practitioners can develop a partnership approach to multi‐agency decision‐making.

The authors have drawn on the direct experiences of social work practitioners currently involved in safeguarding activity and qualified social workers undertaking post qualifying social work education. Those seeking safeguarding guidance from a safeguarding adult co‐ordinator/manager indicate multi‐agency decision‐making can be professionally, intellectually and emotionally challenging. In response to these concerns, the authors have worked together to develop a simple framework designed to support practitioners in facilitating effective multi‐agency decision‐making.

There is a need for effective practice in multi‐agency decision‐making to be central to delivering a system of personalised care that both empowers and protects. The Harvard Business model identifies five key stages as being crucial to decision‐making; first, establishing context; second, framing the issue; followed by generating alternatives and evaluating alternatives and finally choosing the best option. The model stops here, but for most decisions a sixth step is required to identify actions and those responsible for implementing them.

Policy and legislation alone cannot protect adults at risk and in vulnerable circumstances from abuse, there also needs to be commitment at an organisational and practitioner level to develop decision‐making processes that ensure safeguarding and personalisation is interwoven as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The purpose of this paper is to report on findings from research into the role of language and discourse in shaping responses to older people at risk of abuse in England. Critical discourse analysis is used in this research to deconstruct policy to identify hidden meaning.

The study comprised of a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the coalition governments underpinning policy statement outlining its approach to safeguarding adults in “A Vision for Adult Social Care: Capable Communities and Active Citizens.”

This paper analyses the policy statement in some detail to explore its ability to guide practice in supporting older people at risk of harm. The results suggest ideological, philosophical and economic discourses underpinning policy may promote “Big Society” rather than address the abuse of older people, and that this might leave some older people vulnerable and at risk.

It is acknowledged the qualitative approach of CDA has its limitations as issues of subjectivity and interpretation exist. Fallibility is always present and no research can give a “complete” view of the world.

Drawing on this analysis may provide a heightened awareness of the use of discourse to expose potentially hidden motivations in others, and ourselves, by seeking out the ideological, philosophical and theoretical hiding places which enable specific discourses to become taken for granted.

By identifying the taken for grantedness of some discourses in everyday life, the author can gain a better understanding of how to challenge the status quo.

This paper explores practice in safeguarding adults from an ideological, economic and philosophical perspective.