Protection of elderly ‘just an illusion’
by Steffan Rhys, Western Mail
A FRAMEWORK introduced to protect vulnerable adults in Wales from abuse has “categorically failed”, it was claimed last night.
Gary Fitzgerald, chief executive of charity Action on Elder Abuse, told the Western Mail the protection of such adults in Wales was an illusion not a reality.
Mr Fitzgerald said a new approach to adult protection was crucial and criticised the lack of public consultation on the Assembly Government document In Safe Hands, published to address the need to protect vulnerable adults.
Mr Fitzgerald said: “In Safe Hands has not managed to provide a consistent approach across Wales. I can categorically say it has failed to protect older people.
“We have attempted to get the adult protection system to work, the regulatory system to work, and the new commissioner for older people to intervene and all have failed.
“We have an illusion of protection in Wales, not a reality of protection. People see the processes in place but making them work is an entirely different story.”
In Safe Hands was issued as guidance in 2000 under Section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970.
This does not, however, carry the same status as legislation. Instead, local authorities have their compliance assessed as part of a statutory inspection process and with “good reason” can ignore such guidance.
An English equivalent to In Safe Hands was also released in 2000 and has been the subject of a public consultation which Mr Fitzgerald said should lead to new legislation across the border. This could then also follow in Wales.
“Adult protection committees have got to be on a statutory footing and that means agencies like the police and local government are duty bound to attend.
“And they should attend at a level senior enough to make decisions.
“There has to be a duty to share information between bodies and there has got to be adequate funding of adult protection.”
Mr Fitzgerald’s scathing critique comes as Age Concern Cymru and Help the Aged in Wales meet today in a two-day conference at Ewloe.
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