Neighbourhood Watch Safeguarding adults – Presentation 22 November 2012 Duncan Paterson – Haringey Council Safeguarding Adults & DOLS

Introduction  We will cover:  Basic safeguarding adults information  Who is at risk?  Data & How to prevent.  Mental Capacity Act  Resources  Questions and answers

What is Abuse? A violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons which results in significant harm. (Dept. of Health 2000)

Abuse is about… The misuse of power and control that one person has over another.

Abuse may be…  A single act or repeated acts  An act of neglect or a failure to act  Multiple acts, for example, an adult at risk may be neglected and also being financially abused.

Action on Elder Abuse input  Refers to an expectation of trust that an older person may rightly establish with another person, but which is subsequently violated.

Significant harm This refers to:  Ill treatment (including sexual abuse and forms of ill treatment which are not physical)  The impairment of, or an avoidable deterioration in, physical or mental health and / or  The impairment of physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development.

Abuse can be seen in the following categories  Physical  Sexual  Psychological / emotional  Financial and material  Neglect and acts of omission  Discriminatory  Institutional

Who is an Adult at Risk?  An adult aged 18 years or over ‘who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation’ (DH, 2000).

Change of language The term ‘adult at risk’ replaces ‘vulnerable adult’. It is an exact replacement for ‘vulnerable adult’.

Who is at Risk?  Older people  People with learning disabilities  People with a mental illness  People physically dependent

But….. factors may indicate an increased risk of abuse  Poor communication skills  PWLD – non-verbal, unsociable, engaged in self- injury  Older people – those most frail and dependent, quiet, disorientated, unable to communicate  People in their own homes –  Over 85, in poor health & already in receipt of services

Continued  Financial abuse risk greater for:  those living alone  In poor health  In receipt of services  lonely

Who is affected?  Action on Elder Abuse national study 2007:  Found that 4% of older people had experienced abuse in their own homes. This is 342,000 people.  Figure increased to 8.6% if every instance of abuse was included.

Haringey data  507 safeguarding referrals to Safeguarding Adults Team (SAT) in adults receive a service in Haringey.  45.1% relate to people over 65. Of these 13.2% over 85.  243 referrals identify place of abuse as person’s own home. 71 residential care.  147 referrals relate to financial abuse

Haringey data continued  93 referrals for people with a mental illness  78 referrals for people with a learning disability  Black Caribbean BME group overrepresented in safeguarding referrals per Haringey pop.  Asian, Chinese & Black African BME groups underrepresented per Haringey pop.

People who cause the abuse  Often known to the victim  Study by Action on Elder Abuse 2007 found  Perpetrators:  Lived in same household in 2/3’s of cases  Were the care provider in 2/5’s of cases

Haringey data - perpetrator  142 perpetrators lived with the victim  108 perpetrators were other family members  39 perpetrators were victim’s partner

How to refer  Via online safeguarding adults referral form to  Tel:  Haringey Safeguarding Adults team

How to prevent abuse?  Multi-agency working  Information sharing  Community safety and community participation  Public awareness  Skills development with adults at risk

Prevention – what works?  Training and education for service users and staff  For example, training projects with older people and people with learning disabilities – mostly in care settings.

Community links work  People benefit from having contact with a range of people in the community.  Reducing isolation through links with the community can mean that there are more people who can be alert to the possibility of abuse as well as provide links to potential sources of support for adults at risk and family carers

What else?  Avoid isolation or dependency  Have more than one person keep an eye on things  Check that carers have skills and support to care  Self-protection

 Be alert to the possibility of abuse without needlessly seeing abuse everywhere  Be prepared to act – report if needed.

Mental Capacity Act 2005  Sometimes people will choose a lifestyle others see as poor.  There is a difference between a chosen pattern of behaviour and neglect.  May need to apply the MCA 2005

MCA continued  Always assume capacity unless proved otherwise  2 stage assessment of capacity  Act in person’s best interests  Consider least restrictive options

Resources  Guidance, procedures & law  People  Strategies  Training  Information & Leaflets

Guidance, procedures and law  No Secrets 2000  Pan London Safeguarding adults procedures  Care & Support Bill 2012  Mental Capacity Act 2005

People  Haringey safeguarding adults team – strategy & operational leads plus 3 social workers  Haringey Safeguarding Adults Board  Safeguarding leads – Whittington Health, NHS Haringey, North Middlesex Hospital & BEH Mental Health Trust

Strategies  Haringey Information Sharing Protocol  SAB Business Plan  Prevention strategy – forthcoming  Overall safeguarding adults board strategy - forthcoming

Training  Online training via Learning pool. Available at:  Taught courses - safeguarding basic awareness & financial abuse

Information & leaflets  Safeguarding adults leaflets  SCIE At a Glance guide  Mental Capacity Act 2005 guide  Haringey website re_and_health/safeguardingadults.htm re_and_health/safeguardingadults.htm