What are we doing?
AEA operates at a number of differing levels. We provide advice and
guidance to older people and others through our helplines; we provide
training to care staff and others - either as standard packages or specially
designed programmes; we speak at conferences and events to raise general
awareness and stimulate debate; we interact with, challenge and support
regulators, care providers and Government; and we undertake special
projects. As Stephen Ladyman, a former Minister for Social Care, once
said, "AEA not only talks the talk, but also walks the
walk!" Alternatively, we have been described as 'social entrepreneurs'
and as 'critical friends', by various groups.
In addition to the above we are engaged with partners in a number of
two year projects, commenced early 2007. This page details those
projects and others.
Creating a Survivors Network
We are establishing
a survivor’s network which will provide support to people who have either
directly experienced abuse themselves or whose family members have done so.
The initial
definition of ‘Survivors’ will include friends and relatives, and the
proposed consultation process will seek to establish whether this is the
right term. The
consultation will include survivors themselves (involving those currently
working with AEA), and also other older people, and other survivor networks
(including domestic abuse).
The outcome of the consultation will inform the structure, branding,
marketing, and identity of the eventual network. The network will have
a separate identity and will be independent of both Age Concern and Action
on Elder Abuse, whose joint role will be to foster its development.
Care
home briefings
Both AEA and the Relatives and
Residents Association run telephone help lines that receive calls from
people expressing concern about abuse or quality of care in homes for older
people. Calls to AEA include a
disproportionately high number relating to care homes; and a high number of
calls to R&RA are from people seeking help in addressing poor practice
and abuse. The general approach
is to respond to the caller's concerns by providing them with information
and support to tackle the issue they have raised; sometimes this can involve
staff mediating between the home's management and the caller to bring about
change. This project seeks to spread awareness of the issue of abuse
and know-how with regard to its practical prevention to managers and staff
directly involved in the day-to-day operation of care homes. It targets at
managers, care managers and care staff in homes of all sizes and status
(corporate, small business; large, small; private voluntary and local
authority) and produces
briefings identifying good practice, disseminating these materials through a
range of means: regional conferences, 'road shows', workshops and
'surgeries' at events mounted by other organisations
Understanding Vulnerability
We are updating research already undertaken by
Alzheimer’s Society and linking it to the evidence available from the AEA
helpline. In doing so we need to
explore situations where someone is affected by dementia, including
understanding the nature of dementia (a disease process) and ways of
communicating, respecting personhood and using the remaining abilities and
strengths of people with dementia. We
are seeking to identify where abuse is most likely to occur, and what the
best form of intervention might be to prevent these situations arising, or
to deal with them effectively when they do arise.
In that context we will address the needs of people with dementia
living alone who may be particularly vulnerable to abuse.
We will also promote an understanding of the nature of dementia in
all those who meet or work with people with dementia who may live
alone. This may range from those
who work in the utilities services to social workers, home care workers,
meals on wheels etc., and the police.
Domestic Violence and Elder
Abuse (i)
In conjunction with or partners in
women's Aid, Ballymena, we are developing and delivering an
education/training programme relevant to the Northern Irish health and
social care infrastructure and legislation, which targets care providers in
the independent and community and voluntary sectors.
The purpose is to challenge and eradicate myths and stereotypes
surrounding abuse; to promote effective, cohesive responses maximizing
available resources; and to target organizations with which older people are
in contact. We are offering training as a way to recruit older
volunteers. The programme seeks to address current gaps in knowledge,
including how and when to refer for adult protection, issues of poor care
practice, the links between elder abuse and domestic abuse, and the
development of robust policies and procedures.
Domestic Violence and Elder
Abuse (ii)
This
project is focussing upon helping older
people and their families to have a clear and understandable route to follow
when making an allegation of abuse to their local authority, and that older
people receive a satisfactory outcome to any abuse they have suffered.
Its
purpose is to
enable local authorities, health authorities, relevant voluntary
organisations, the police and local community groups to assist vulnerable
older adults properly when faced with an abuse allegation by ensuring that
suitable policies and procedures are in place to facilitate the process.
To do this we are working upon helping all
organisations, both statutory, voluntary or otherwise, to recognise that
domestic abuse is applicable to people of all age groups, and to take
appropriate action to amend their policies and services to reflect this,
enabling older people to access more resources and support
The Good Practice
project
We
recognise that "No Secrets" has been implemented in very different
ways across Local Authorities, and that there are a number of sources of
best practice in existence. The
report by AEA that considered Data Monitoring and Reporting highlighted this
as a major issue, while the
PAVA 'No Secrets' project brought together 20 good practice sites in adult
protection operating in England to consider such matters.
This project explores good practice in policy and practice across
England, recognising the key role played by practitioners who are working
with vulnerable adults. This
includes recognition of the need to support those working with vulnerable
adults to identify and report abuse. By
working directly with practitioners across all agencies the project is
intended to build levels of expertise which can then be shared.
This will help practitioners and managers in all settings to locate
models of good practice in adult protection and, by doing so, directly aid
older people facing abuse.
