Suspected financial abuse among cases administered by the PGO
| Pages | 26-37 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14668203200300015 |
| Date | 01 May 2003 |
| Published date | 01 May 2003 |
| Author | Hilary Brown,Sophie Burns,Barry Wilson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
Hilary Brown
Professor of Social Care
Sophie Burns
Research Assistant
Barry Wilson
Consultant
Centre for Applied Social and Psychological
Development, Salomons, Canterbury Christ
Church University College
26 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Limited The Journal of Adult Protection Volume 5 Issue 2 • May 2003
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Researchpaper
key words
abstract
Suspected financial abuse
among cases administered
by the PGO
financial abuse
Public Guardianship Office
Court of Protection
receivership
power of attorney
The risk of financial abuse is a
major concern for the PGO and the
Court of Protection. Master1Lush
has suggested that some 10-15% of
cases brought to the Court involve
some element of abuse or
impropriety.The study reported here
analysed case files identified by
PGO staff as those in which abuse
was a strong possibility.
Nature of the review
This study explores the risk of financial abuse among clients
of the Public Guardianship Office (PGO) in England and
Wales, who are drawn from all vulnerable client groups and
who lack mental capacity to manage their own affairs. The
cases reviewed focus primarily on older people as it is clear
that old age and mental impairments, such as dementia, create
heightened risk of financial abuse, which in turn is more likely
to come to the attention of responsible agencies. This supports
the view that ‘elders with dementia who have lost the ability to
administer their affairs might be expected to be at particular
risk of suffering financial abuse’ (Rowe et al, 1993). This
should not, however, lead responsible agencies to overlook the
considerable extent of financial abuse among other client
groups including those with intellectual disabilities, who
usually have fewer assets, and people with mental health
problems or acquired brain injuries whose capacity is more
variable and difficult to assess.
Information for the review came from an audit of 24 case
files drawn from a list of 44 cases in which concerns had been
identified and recalled by PGO staff, considered together with
28 court cases provided by the Master of the Court of
Protection. Four of these cases overlapped with the cases
provided by Master Lush, so in total 48 cases giving rise to
concerns about financial abuse were used as the basis for the
review.
1Following a long historial tradition, the judge heading the Court of Protection is
known as the Master. The current incumbent is Master Denzil Lush.
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