Safeguarding people with learning disabilities from forced marriage: the role of Safeguarding Adult Boards
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-03-2016-0004 |
| Pages | 277-287 |
| Date | 10 October 2016 |
| Published date | 10 October 2016 |
| Author | Rachael Clawson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection,Safeguarding,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Abuse |
Safeguarding people with learning
disabilities from forced marriage: the role
of Safeguarding Adult Boards
Rachael Clawson
Rachael Clawson is an
Assistant Professor at the
School of Sociology and
Social Policy, University of
Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –The issue of forced marriage is typically located within debates on violence against women,
immigration control and culturaldifference and is rarely considered in relation to adults with learning disabilities. The
purpose of this paper is to argue that this is an issue which needs to be addressed by Safeguarding Adult Boards.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper draws upon original research undertaken by the author in
conjunction with the Ann Craft Trust, a voluntary sector organisation which supports statutory, independent
and voluntary sector organisations across the UK to protect adults at risk. The project sought to establish the
extent to which the issue of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities is recognised,understood and
acted upon by Boards.
Findings –Although many Boards are aware of national policy guidelines, very few had incorporated these
guidelines into their local practice. There were two key consequences of this. First, Boards were failing to
monitor cases of forced marriage and were unable to plan preventative services. Second, frontline workers
were not given necessary training and so were unable to develop effective skills of knowledge. The need for
both better recognition of and improved responses to the problem of forced marriage of people with learning
disabilities is highlighted, as is the need for the safeguarding workforce to be supported by more effective
strategic planning and better training.
Originality/value –This paper draws upon original research which examined how Safeguarding Adult
Boards are responding to the issue of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities –a problem
currently very much under-represented in existing research and practice literature.
Keywords Safeguarding, Learning disabilities, Intellectual disabilities, Vulnerable adult, Forced marriage,
Frontline practice
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The subject of forcedmarriage is receiving an increasinglyhigh profile within both media and policy
debate. With discussions frequentlyset within the context of violence against women, immigration
control and cultural“ot herness”, the practice is also widely acknowledged as anabuse of human
rights (Clawson andFyson, under review; Phillips and Dustin, 2004;Chantler et al., 2009; Gill and
Mitra-Khan, 2010; Chantler, 2012; Wind-Cowie et al., 2012). It is well established that the
consequencesof being forced to marry (or attempts being madeto force a marriage) may include
rape, pregnancy, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, kidnap, drugging and even death
(HM Government,2014). Forced marriage is thereforeclearly a safeguarding issue and fallswithin
the remit of adult safeguarding legislation, policy and practice. Safeguarding Adult Boards have a
key role in identifying and preventing forced marriage, including forced marriage of people with
learning disabilities.
Received 8 March 2016
Revised 18 July 2016
25 July 2016
Accepted 27 July 2016
This project was generously
funded by the Home Office/Foreign
and Commonwealth Office Forced
Marriage Unit Domestic
Programme Fund. Ethical approval
was obtained from the University
of Nottingham School of Sociology
and Social Policy Ethics
Committee. Permission was
granted by the Association of
Directors of Adult Social Services
Research Group. Thank you to
Dr Rachel Fyson for her extremely
helpful comments on an earlier
draft of this paper.
DOI 10.1108/JAP-03-2016-0004 VOL. 18 NO. 5 2016, pp. 277-287, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAG E 27 7
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