Mandatory reporting and adult safeguarding: a rapid realist review
| Date | 03 October 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-03-2019-0011 |
| Pages | 241-251 |
| Published date | 03 October 2019 |
| Author | Sarah Donnelly |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Mandatory reporting and adult
safeguarding: a rapid realist review
Sarah Donnelly
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the concept of mandatory reporting in adult
safeguarding in the jurisdictions of Australia, Canada, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Design/methodology/approach –A rapid realist evaluation of the literature on this topic was carried out in
order to answer the question: "what works, for whom and in what circumstances?”Particular attention was
paid to Context(s), Mechanism(s) and Outcome(s) configurations of adult safeguarding reporting systems
and processes.
Findings –The evaluation found a range of arguments for and against mandatory reporting and international
variations on the scope and powers of mandatory reporting.
Research limitations/implications –This review was undertaken in late 2018 so subsequent policy and
practice developments will be missing from the evaluation. The evaluation focussed on five jurisdictions
therefore, the findings are not necessarily translatable to other contexts.
Practical implications –Some jurisdictionshave introducedmandatory reporting and others areconsidering
doing so. The potentialadvantages and challenges of introducingmandatory reporting are highlighted.
Social implications –The introduction of mandatory reporting may offer professionals increased powers to
prevent and reduce the abuse of adults, but this could also change the dynamic of relationships within
families, and between families and professionals.
Originality/value –This paper provides an accessible discussion of mandatory reporting across Ireland and
internationally which to date has been lacking from the literature.
Keywords Ireland, Legislation, Elder abuse, Social work, Adult safeguarding, Adult protection,
Mandatory reporting
Paper type General review
Introduction
This rapid realist review was commissioned by the Irish Government in 2017 following the
introduction of the Adult Safeguarding Bill 2017 by Senator Colette Kelleher in the Seanad, the
upper house of the Oireachtas in Ireland. The intention of the Bill is to put in place additional
protections and supports for adults, in particular, for those who may be unable to protect
themselves. It provides for mandatory reporting by specified/named persons/professionals and
others where an adult has experienced abuse or harm, is experiencing abuse or harm, or is at
risk of experiencing abuse or harm. The Bill also outlines institutional and governance
arrangements to deliver the functions set out in the Bill (IPA, 2017). The review was
commissioned to explore how policy and law in Ireland can be informed by other international
comparators. Five selected jurisdictions (Australia, Canada, England, Northern Ireland and
Scotland) were used in the review.
Adult protection legislation and reporting systems
Policy and practice in adult safeguarding is characterised by competing debates about
how regulators define core concepts and reporting systems. It has been argued that, in light of
such complexity, the introduction of a framework or specialist law could enhance adult
Received 19 March 2019
Revised 7 June 2019
21 June 2019
Accepted 27 June 2019
The author would like to sincerely
thank Senator Colette Kelleher, Dr
Marita O’Brien, Professor Jim
Campbell and the Health Service
Executive National Safeguarding
Office with the preparation of the
paper.
Sarah Donnelly is an Assistant
Professor of Social Work at the
School of Social Policy, Social
Work and Social Justice,
University College Dublin,
Dublin, Ireland.
DOI 10.1108/JAP-03-2019-0011 VOL. 21 NO. 5 2019, pp. 241-251, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAG E 24 1
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