Abuse Matters ‐ Dilemmas in Practice
| Pages | 44-47 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14668203200200007 |
| Date | 01 February 2002 |
| Published date | 01 February 2002 |
| Author | Mariette Glover |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
44 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited The Journal of Adult Protection Volume 4 Issue 1 • February 2002
Abuse Matters – a truism and an excellent title for a thought-
provoking and interesting training package. The package is
designed for providers of care in residential settings for older
people and it aims to ensure that not only are care staff aware
that ‘abuse matters’ but also what it is and what they must do
about it.
The package consists of a video and a four-part work book
(ring-bound, one-sided pages for ease of photocopying for
group use).
The scenarios depicted in the video would be familiar to
any residential worker and the types of abuse identified,
although serious in impact, are commonplace and relatively
low-key.
Thus this programme avoids the sensational and
encourages workers to recognise quite ‘ordinary’ events as
abusive and disallows the concept that it ‘doesn’t happen here’.
Abuse is seen to occur in a well-organised, well-managed
home with caring staff.
This is the strength of the package. It encourages care staff
to identify with their colleagues on the video while helping
them to recognise that some of their actions may be abusive.
I am attracted to this approach which avoids the
euphemism ‘bad practice’ and calls abuse by its name – thus
enabling staff to address it appropriately.
This way of dealing directly with unpalatable truths is
enhanced by participants being asked to identify and reflect on
actual examples of abuse within their own workplace – with a
clearly stated expectation of ownership and action.
The video is well crafted and easy to watch. It is divided
into four inter-related ‘stories’, each of which can stand alone
for training purposes. Given the perennial difficulties care staff
and their managers have organising (and paying for) backfill
during long training sessions, this is a particularly helpful way
of maximising the opportunities for universal access to
challenging material.
My only criticism of the video is the rather unrealistic
portrayal of the residents who, on the face of it, really showed
no need to be in residential care. This is unfortunate as it
Abuse Matters –
Dilemmas in
Practice
Action on Elder
Abuse
London: AEA, 1999
(no ISBN)
£150 + VAT
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