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Elderly: Abuse

Answer

The Government regard abuse of vulnerable and older people as unacceptable in all its forms and are determined to root it out.We are addressing the issue in a variety of ways. We set out standards for care and treatment for the national health service and social care services via the national service frameworks for older people and mental health and the White Paper, ““Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability””.We introduced regulations and national minimum standards for care homes, domiciliary care agencies and adult placements. These are intended to ensure vulnerable and older people can live in a safe environment, where their rights and dignity are respected, staff are properly trained and care is of the requisite quality.We have created independent regulators, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the Healthcare Commission, and given them the powers they need to take action against poorly performing providers or where abuse occurs. Ultimately, they have the power to close services down.We introduced the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) Scheme in July 2004, which requires staff who provide personal care to older people in their own homes or in care homes to be subject to statutory checks, including checks of their criminal record. The scheme, which operates as a workforce ban, prevents dangerous or unscrupulous people from gaining access to older and vulnerable people in care homes or being cared for in their own homes.We expect local authorities to play their part. ““No Secrets”” (copies of which are available in the Library), statutory guidance published by the Department of Health and the Home Office in 2000, provides a complete definition of abuse and a framework for councils to work with the police, the NHS and regulators to tackle abuse and prevent it from occurring. On 14 June 2007, I announced a review of the ““No Secrets”” guidance. The case for legislation to protect vulnerable adults will be considered as part of the review and there will be a public consultation later this year.On 14 June, I also announced plans to introduce a new monitoring system to report the extent of abuse across England. This will help address the current information gap on levels of reported abuse. As part of this, the Department will introduce a standardised method for the collection of data on protection of vulnerable adult referrals in England. The Information Centre for health and social care (IC) is leading the work to develop and collect data from councils. The IC anticipates that councils should be in a position to collect the data during 2008-09 and expect to have collected the data, analysed it and be in a position to disseminate the findings by the end of 2009.Local authorities (LAs) have been given specific responsibilities. Statutory guidance issued in May 2006 required them to ensure that Directors of Adult Social Services maintain a clear organisational and operational focus on safeguarding vulnerable adults and that relevant statutory requirements and other national standards are met, including POVA requirements. LAs must make sure the Director of Adult Social Services has the powers and resources necessary to encourage a culture of vigilance against the possibility of adult abuse.The Mental Capacity Act 2005, which came into force on 1 October 2007, introduces a new criminal offence of ill treatment or wilful neglect of a person who lacks capacity.The Department supports the work of the charity, Action on Elder Abuse (AEA). AEA has been awarded a three year section 64 grant, totalling £360,000. This grant covers the three year period from 2007 to 2009 and is to help fund central administrative costs.We are introducing a new centralised vetting and barring scheme for people working with children and vulnerable people. This scheme, as set out in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, will extend the coverage of the existing barring schemes and draw on wider sources of information to provide a more comprehensive and consistent measure of protection for vulnerable groups across a wide range of settings, including the whole of social care and the NHS. It will be proactive, with vetting taking place on an individual's first application to work with children or vulnerable adults.The scheme, which will be administered by the new Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), will make it far more difficult for abusers to gain access to some of the most vulnerable groups in society. It will start to receive applications from 12 October 2009. When used in conjunction with an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check, the ISA scheme will provide employers with the most comprehensive vetting service on offer anywhere in the world.CSCI has ongoing discussions with the Department on the prevention of elder abuse. Recent meetings to discuss the issue have included:"The Advisory Group for the review of ““No Secrets””;""The ISA Regulator's Sub Group, to advise on key issues for regulators in relation to establishing the new ISA and vetting and barring scheme; and""The reference group to advise on establishing the national data collection by local councils."CSCI is represented on all of these groups.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

478 c1108-9W; 214040

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Abuse Health services Older people

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk