Direct payments: freedom from abuse?

Published date01 December 2006
Pages32-32
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/14668203200600027
Date01 December 2006
AuthorPhil Madden
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Sociology
32 ©Pavilion Journals (Brighton) Limited The Journal of Adult Protection Volume 8 Issue 4 • December 2006
The movement towards self-directed services gathers pace.
The recent findings from the ‘In Control’ pilot evaluation by
Chris Hatton at Lancaster is unequivocally positive. There is
common agreement that the concept of individualised budgets
is one of the most important ways to turn the rhetoric of
service user empowerment into reality. Both Valuing People
and the Adult Social Care green paper want to see an increased
uptake. But there is a danger that the very concept can become
self-referential.
One major area of concern is abuse. There is an increasing
awareness of how vulnerable people can be abused, and of the
vital importance and indeed requirement for conventional
services to take planned measures to prevent this, such as staff
checks via the Criminal Records Bureau and the POVA list.
Clearly,service provider organisations arehardly free from
abuse. Sometimes, it is indeed ‘systems’ that create the condition
for abuse to occur. It is reasonable to assume that the more
people feel in control, the more sensitive and personal the
service becomes, and the less likely it will be abusive. But no
services will be magically free from this risk. There are always
people who are determined to abuse if they can find a way.
It is welcome that the government, after some initial
reluctance, has confirmed that direct services will be able to
access staff checking systems. However, there is no clarity
about how people using direct payments can access vulnerable
adults procedures, imperfect though these are. How will they
be informed and supported to raise concerns?
Iam not arguing that people should have to do so, nor to
prolong the conceit that vulnerable people cannot think for
themselves, but more assertion of choice will not in itself
guarantee safety
.
What is needed is a more concerted approach to
understanding why abuse occurs, and to how to prevent and
contain it, which applies to all service models. This is not
instead of creative personal services, but as a vital part of their
quality. Wenow need a moreopen and balanced approach to
increased awareness and shared learning.
Direct payments:
freedom from abuse? By Phil Madden
Director of Service Development, HFT
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