Search results for ‘Subject term:"vulnerable adults"’ Sort:
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Protecting vulnerable adults in Singapore: the creation of the Vulnerable Adults Act 2018
- Authors:
- MANTHORPE Jill, CHEN Joanne Liming
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 23(1), 2021, pp.32-44.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the development and content of the Vulnerable Adults Act 2018 (hereafter “the Act”) in Singapore. It reports the parliamentary processes and deliberations. Design/methodology/approach: A synthesis of publicly available research, policy documents, parliamentary debate, media reports and commentary. Findings: The paper sets the Act’s development and aims in Singapore’s social and legal contexts. It notes the interface with other legislation and the focus of the Act on community and family abuse and neglect. Research limitations/implications: The paper suggests some areas for research including how the Act is used and its impact and also points to areas where the Act does not apply. Practical implications: The paper outlines new professional powers and responsibilities and the role of government and community-based organisations. Originality/value: This paper provides an early account of the genesis and aims of the new legislation, its powers and administration. Also, international comparisons are drawn. (Edited publisher abstract)
Abuse of vulnerable adults: what do we know about interventions
- Author:
- MANTHORPE Jill
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 6.3.08, 2008, pp.34-35.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
The author discusses the findings of a literature review on intervening to help adults who area at risk of abuse and harm. The literature review sets out what is known about support and protection measures.
Gambling and adult safeguarding: connections and evidence
- Authors:
- MANTHORPE Jill, BRAMLEY Stephanie, NORRIE Caroline
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 19(6), 2017, pp.333-344.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Opportunities to gamble have boomed in the UK in recent years, since the passing of the Gambling Act 2005. The implications of this for adults with care and support needs and for safeguarding services have not been greatly investigated. The purpose of this paper is to address the interface of how gambling affects adults with care and support needs in England and adult safeguarding. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reports on the scoping review which focussed on adults with care and support needs and gambling-related harm. It also included literature on perpetrators who exploit adults with care and support needs to fund their own or others’ gambling. The overall aims of this scoping review were to explore what is known about gambling-related harm affecting adults with care and support needs, the gaps in the evidence base, and specifically to refine the interview questions for the wider study. Findings: There is some evidence that adults with care and support needs experience or are at risk of gambling-related harm. There is, however, lack of data from safeguarding services about this affecting adults at risk and safeguarding practice and systems. A public health approach to gambling is advocated by some, as well as effective regulation and support for people who have problems with their own or others’ gambling. Originality/value: Industry operators, practitioners, and policymakers are increasingly paying attention to gambling-related harm but there is a lack of focus on adults with care and support needs or implications for adult safeguarding. (Publisher abstract)
Deafblind and neglected or deafblindness neglected? Revisiting the case of Beverley Lewis
- Authors:
- SIMCOCK Peter, MANTHORPE Jill
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 44(8), 2014, pp.2325-2341.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Deafblindness is a particularly complex impairment and deafblind people are considered to be some of the most vulnerable members of society; this includes vulnerability to abuse and harm. This paper explores this unique impairment in the illustrative case of Beverley Lewis, by reviewing archived published and audio material about the life and circumstances of the death of this young woman, including media reports, parliamentary debates and commentaries. Whilst it appears that the implications of Beverley's deafblindness may have been ‘overshadowed’ in media reports and inquiries, the paper suggests that further lessons for practice can be learned from the case by focusing on this condition. Drawing on contemporary research by specialist charitable organisations (Sense and Deafblind UK), the authors identify research highlighting deficiencies in support for many deafblind adults, which have implications for safeguarding policy and practice. It is concluded that attention is needed in three areas: increased awareness amongst social care and health practitioners of the particular vulnerability to abuse of deafblind adults; improved access to specialist assessment and specialist social care support, including one-to-one human support; and improved communication between social care and health agencies, alongside more tangible signs of acceptance of shared responsibility for supporting deafblind adults. (Publisher abstract)
The nature of gambling-related harm for adults with health and social care needs: an exploratory study of the views of key informants
- Authors:
- BRAMLEY Stephanie, NORRIE Caroline, MANTHORPE Jill
- Journal article citation:
- Primary Health Care Research and Development, 20, 2019, p.e115.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Aim: To explore the views of professionals working within health, care and other agencies about harmful gambling among adults with health and social care needs. Background: Gambling is increasingly seen as a public health rather than an individual problem. Opportunities to gamble have grown in England in the last decade since the liberalisation of the gambling industry meaning that gambling is widely available, accessible and advertised within society. An estimated two million people in the UK are at risk of developing a gambling problem, some of whom may be adults with health and social care needs. Methods: Twenty-three key informants from primary care, social care services and third sector organisations in England were interviewed about their understanding of the risks to adults with health and social care needs from gambling participation. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) gambling-related harm as a public health problem; (2) identification of groups of adults with health and social care needs who may be vulnerable to gambling-related harm; (3) factors potentially impeding the identification of gambling-related harm among adults with health and social care needs and subsequent help-seeking behaviour and (4) calls for professional development activities. Informants reported a perceived lack of awareness of gambling-related harm and a lack of a clear pathway or guidance which they could follow when supporting individuals experiencing gambling-related harm. Interviewees called for professional development activities to improve their knowledge and expertise in this area. (Edited publisher abstract)
Gambling-related harms and homelessness: findings from a scoping review
- Authors:
- BRAMLEY Stephanie, NORRIE Caroline, MANTHORPE Jill
- Journal article citation:
- Housing Care and Support, 21(1), 2018, pp.26-39.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: People experiencing homelessness are being identified as a potentially vulnerable group in relation to gambling-related harm. The purpose of this paper is to explore the links between gambling-related harm and homelessness. Design/methodology/approach: A scoping review of the English-language literature was conducted in 2016-2017 using a wide range of international sources. Qualitative content analysis was employed to code and identify key themes within the literature. Findings: Five themes were identified: emerging knowledge about why people experiencing homelessness may participate in gambling; emerging knowledge about the prevalence of gambling within the homeless population; the likelihood that gambling-related harm is under-reported within the homeless population; emerging knowledge about the extent that people experiencing homelessness access gambling support services; and limited awareness about the potential impact of gambling participation among people experiencing homelessness. Originality/value: The paper reviews research concerning the links between gambling, gambling-related harm and homelessness, which may be relevant to those working with people experiencing homelessness. (Edited publisher abstract)
Parliamentary arguments on powers of access: the Care Bill debates
- Authors:
- MANTHORPE Jill, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 18(6), 2016, pp.318-328.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Opinion is divided on whether a new power of entry should be introduced for social workers in cases where individuals seem to be hindering safeguarding enquiries for community-dwelling adults at risk in England who have decision-making capacity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prevalence and circumstances of situations where access to an adult at risk is denied or difficult and what helps those in practice. The study consists of a literature review, a survey of adult safeguarding managers and interviews with social care staff in three case studies of local authorities. As part of the contextual literature review, during 2014 the authors located parliamentary debates on the subject and this paper reports on their analysis. Design/methodology/approach: Following approaches were used in historical research, documentary analysis was carried out on transcripts of parliamentary debates available online from Hansard, supplemented by other materials that were referenced in speeches and set in the theoretical context of the representations of social problems. Findings: The authors describe the content of debates on the risks and benefits of a new right to access for social workers and the role of parliamentary champions who determinedly pursued this policy, putting forward three unsuccessful amendments in efforts to insert such a new power into the Care Act 2014. Research limitations/implications: There are limits to a focus on parliamentary reports and the limits of Hansard reporting are small but need to be acknowledged. However, adult safeguarding research has surprisingly not undertaken substantial analyses of political rhetoric despite the public theatre of the debate and the importance of legislative initiatives and monitoring. Originality/value: This paper adds to the history of adult safeguarding in England. It also offers insight into politicians’ views on what is known/unknown about the prevalence and circumstances of the problems with gaining access to adults with capacity where there are safeguarding concerns and politicians’ views on the merits or hazards of a power of access. (Publisher abstract)
Putting people at the centre: facilitating Making Safeguarding Personal approaches in the context of the Care Act 2014
- Authors:
- BUTLER Lousie, MANTHORPE Jill
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 18(4), 2016, pp.204-213.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the pilot Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) project that ran in three London boroughs in England in 2014-2015. The project aimed to help local authority social work practitioners better engage with adults at risk at the beginning, middle and end of safeguarding work and to develop a more outcomes focused approach to safeguarding. Design/methodology/approach: Three adult social care teams volunteered to take part in the MSP pilot for four months, November 2014-February 2015. They were closely supported through telephone conferencing, bespoke training and individual mentoring. Evaluative data were collected from the participating teams about their work and the MSP change processes to assist in further implementation. Findings: The findings suggested that staff felt that the open discussions with adults at risk that were encouraged by the MSP initiative enabled safeguarding to be more effective and provided a better basis of support for adults at risk. The support from the project team was appreciated. Staff reported their own increased confidence as a result of involving adults at risk in decisions about their situations and risks of harm. They also reported their increased awareness of cross-cutting subjects related to adult safeguarding, such as domestic abuse and working with coercive and controlling behaviours. Permission to exercise greater professional discretion to make responses more considered, rather than the need to adhere to time-limited imperatives, was received positively. Staff felt that this enhanced discussions about resolution and recovery with adults at risk although it required greater expertise, more extensive managerial support, and more time. These were available in the pilot. Research limitations/implications: The MSP pilot was confined to three teams and took place over four months. The numerical data reported in this paper are provided for illustrative purposes and are not statistically significant. As with other evaluations of implementation, the data provided need to be set in the local contexts of population profiles, care settings and the reporting source. The pilot also took place during the early implementation of the Care Act 2014 which affected the context of practice and training. The views of adults at risk were not collected. There is a risk of bias in that participants may have wished to convey positive views of MSP to their colleagues. Practical implications: The paper indicates a need for the roll out of MSP philosophy and MSP approaches to be communicated with other agencies supporting adults at risk and for project support of some form to continue. It will be important to see if the overall enthusiasm, support and motivation reported by the pilot teams when taking a MSP approach in practice extend beyond a pilot period during which the staff received substantial support from a dedicated Professional Standards Safeguarding Team. Many of those staff participating in the pilot perceived the MSP approach as a return to core social work principles and welcomed putting these into practice. (Edited publisher abstract)
Better safe than sorry? Checking care workers: a scoping review of the international evidence
- Authors:
- LIPMAN Valerie, MANTHORPE Jill
- Publisher:
- King's College London. Social Care Workforce Research Unit
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 47
- Place of publication:
- London
This review explores what is known about pre-employment checks across the globe in social care work. It was undertaken in winter 2014-15 and mainly involved a search of internet based material and databases covering this subject. It was further informed by correspondence with experts and practitioners in different countries to clarify matters or to provide illustrations of systems in action. The findings are in three parts: the evidence from the literature on the motives and practicalities of different approaches internationally; detailed findings with examples of what is happening in other countries in relation to protection of vulnerable adults; and an overview of relevant employment practice in countries across the globe. The review found a variety of practices, ranging from no apparent evidence of checks to more substantial checks involving evidentiary recordings, such as fingerprinting. In England the options for fingerprint checking or police checks would appear very limited and professional regulation does not apply to the majority of care workers. The DBS is one way of implementing policy goals such as safer recruitment for those providing care for vulnerable adults and many other developed countries’ schemes of protection are either very similar or underpinned by different emphases on the values of personal privacy or rehabilitation. This study found no conclusive evidence of the precise difference that current legislation on the checking of care workers is making in relation to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults in any country, and suggests that there is a paucity of data and the views of vulnerable adults themselves are notably missing. (Edited publisher abstract)
Serious case reviews into dementia care: an analysis of context and content
- Authors:
- MANTHORPE Jill, MARTINEAU Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 46(2), 2016, pp.514-531.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Adult Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) are commissioned by local Safeguarding Boards to investigate how local professionals and agencies worked together to safeguard a vulnerable adult following an incident of abuse, harm or death if the Board identifies concerns about agencies' actions from which lessons may be learned. This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in 2013 analysing Adult SCRs where the person who was at risk of harm, or had been harmed or died, had a dementia. Of the eighty-four SCRs available, fourteen were identified as involving a person with dementia and in a further seven the victim(s) may have had dementia. Discrete themes are presented: the situation of self- or publicly funded residents; the potential of poor care quality in all settings for people with dementia, and by different staff and family carers; the lack of communication with family members; and poor integration of care for people with dementia. The SCRs provide vivid illustrations of the ‘faultlines’ that may exist in dementia support systems. In England, Adult SCRs are moving to a statutory basis under the Care Act 2014 and this paper draws attention to their potential as learning materials in dementia care for commissioners, for social workers and for safeguarding practice. (Publisher abstract)