Informing local inquiries: developing local reviews in adult protection
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14668203200300030 |
| Pages | 18-25 |
| Published date | 01 December 2003 |
| Date | 01 December 2003 |
| Author | Jill Manthorpe |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
18 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited The Journal of Adult Protection Volume 5 Issue 4 • December 2003
Introduction
Promoting external inquiry into or scrutiny of local events
that may have possible national significance is a role for both
central and local government (Cabinet Office, 2002). The
most well known of those inquiries, spanning health and
social care (often including the police), cover child protection
and mental health homicides. These inquiries focus on certain
incidents or outcomes and seek, theoretically, to explore the
precursors to events and to learn lessons. Those lessons may
relate to policy or legal change (Fox Harding, 1997) or reflect
wider social movements; for example, the Kennedy inquiry
into Bristol Royal Infirmary has been presented by Alaszewski
(2002) as a ‘defining moment’ or ‘watershed’ in marking a
change in the relationship of trust between government and
the medical profession.
Inquiries at local and national level may focus on one or a
series of events or broad concerns relating to practices or
institutions. More specifically, within adult protection,
inquiries have followed in the footsteps of a series of scandals
related to long-stay institutions (see Martin, 1984; Stanley et
al, 1999), including hospitals, prisons, residential care and
group homes. High profile inquiries in children’s services seem
more likely to be succeeded by government reviews to prompt
change and to restore public confidence (such as the Utting
and Warner reports; see Stanley, 1999).
Why hold an inquiry?
This question may be one that deserves more attention than it
Informing local inquiries:
developing local reviews in
adult protection Jill Manthorpe
Professor of Social Work, King’s College London,
and Chair, Hull and East Yorkshire Adult
Protection Committee
key words
inquiry
adult protection
review
interagency working
abstract
A role available to adult
protection committees is the
consideration of local issues and
making recommendations to
promote protection locally.While
policy development in health and
social care has been the result, at
times, of national inquiries,local
inquiries also provide valuable
opportunities to explore issues, to
reflect and to learn. This article
considers the processes through
which local inquiries or reviews may
be developed.
P
E
E
R
·
R
E
V
I
E
W
E
D
Policy and practice overview
J/194/11/03JAP5.4DecInsides 8/12/03 10:56 am Page 18
To continue reading
Request your trial