APPENDIX 15
Memorandum by Bromley Council Adult Protection
Committee (EA22)
EVIDENCE FOR
THE INQUIRY
INTO ELDER
ABUSE
1. In response to the Government's statutory
guidance "No Secrets"', Bromley has a comprehensive
inter-agency policy and set of procedures for the protection of
vulnerable adults including older people. Written guidelines cover
recognition, investigation and prevention of abuse, and the protection
and support and after care of vulnerable adults who have been
abused. These were launched in October 2001. In addition a comprehensive
training strategy was launched to raise awareness of abuse and
to ensure thorough investigation of abuse.
2. The Bromley Adult Protection Committee,
chaired by the Assistant Director Older People meets regularly
to promote adult protection in Bromley. Local statutory agencies
and voluntary groups, including those representing older people
attend the committee.
3. In September 2003 an Adult Protection
Manager was appointed by Bromley Social Services and Bromley Primary
Care Trust. We believe this to be the first such joint post in
the country and as such, demonstrates our commitment to working
in partnership to prevent the abuse of vulnerable adults at both
strategic and operational level. The purpose of the post is to
ensure that the statutory responsibilities of the PCT and the
Council are met in adult protection; to monitor and evaluate adult
protection work in the PCT, the Council and their partners, promoting
high standards of practice, and to provide professional guidance
and support to all agencies in Bromley on adult protection issues.
4. PREVALENCE
OF ELDER
ABUSE
4.1 Bromley Adult Protection Committee aims
to collect information about incidents of adult abuse in Bromley.
Details are given below of the recorded incidence of elder abuse
for 1 April 2002-31 March 2003.
4.2 The Bromley Adult Protection Committee
is certain that these figures are not a true reflection of incidence
of elder abuse and there are already indications that figures
are likely to be higher for this year, not because of a true rise
in abuse but because of increased awareness and improved reporting
measures.
4.3 Cases of deception crime against older
people are not included in these abuse figures. Bromley Council
Trading Standards and the Metropolitan Police have co-operated
to successfully prosecute "builders" who have cheated
elderly residents by charging extortionate sums for shoddy or
unnecessary work. In some instances older people were repeatedly
charged for further bogus work and even escorted to banks to withdraw
large sums of cash.
4.4 Details of Older People Adult Protection
Concerns Bromley 2002-03
| Service user | Concerns mainly about sexual abuse
| Concerns mainly about physical abuse | Concerns mainly about psychological abuse
| Concerns mainly about financial abuse | Totals
|
| | |
| | |
| Older Person 65+ | 1 | 3
| 1 | 3 | 8 |
4.5 Location of Service User when Adult Protection issue
occurred
| Service user | 0wn home
| Supported setting | Residential Home
| Nursing Home | Not recorded
| Totals |
| | |
| | | |
| Older Person 65+ | 3 | 1
| 2 | 1 | 0 |
7 |
| | |
| | | |
4.6 Details of suspected Abuser/s
| Service user | Paid Carer In care home
| Neighbours/ Informal carers | Family member
| Other Service User | No details
| Totals |
| | |
| | | |
| Older Person 65+ | 2 | 3
| 0 | 1 | 0 |
6 |
| | |
| | | |
4.7 Outcome of Adult Protection Investigation
| Service user | Joint investigation with police
| Monitoring Arrangements set up | Other—eg move/ removal of abusing service user
| Not abuse | No details
| Totals |
| Older Person 65+ | 3 | 2
| 1 | 0 | 1 |
7 |
| | |
| | | |
4.8 The average age of reported elder abuse victims appears
to be about 85 and some degree of short-term memory problem is
present in all cases. So it is clear that age and infirmity particularly
increase risk of abuse. All of these older people were white.
4.9 From the limited information we have currently available
we appear to have two main areas of concern: financial abuse of
older people living alone, or with other vulnerable older people,
and physical abuse of older people in care settings.
4.10 Reported financial abuse is most likely to be by
neighbours or "friends" who are not actual carers of
the older person, but may do odd jobs or errands for the older
person. The "friendship" is often fairly recent and
starting when the older person is particularly vulnerable.
4.11 Abuse by informal carers has not been reported in
these figures at all.
4.12 Also there was no reported abuse by paid carers
of older people in their own homes.
5. ABUSE IN
INSTITUTIONAL CARE
5.1 The case of possible sexual abuse occurred in a residential
setting, where a confused older man was found in an older woman's
room during the night.
5.2 There was also an instance of concern reported by
care home staff where a relative was thought to have put undue
pressure on a resident to leave the home.
5.3 Paid carers in institutional care are often unobserved
in their interactions with older people, when going into their
bedrooms to assist them at night for example.
5.4 Older people in institutional settings are more likely
to have problems expressing themselves through illness and disability
and may challenge care staff through their behaviour eg by frequently
getting out of bed at night.
5.5 Bromley Social Services, the Police and the National
Care Standards are working together to prevent abuse in care homes.
The NCSC have increased unannounced inspections in Care Homes
where there have been allegations of poor practice or abuse. Similarly
Social Services have increased surveillance of service users in
these homes.
5.6 Care staff from private sector homes are encouraged
to attend multi-agency training workshops on adult protection.
Good recruitment, training and management processes are integral
to preventing abuse as are clear complaints procedures and whistle
blowing procedures.
November 2003
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