Dear all,
Some guidance for England called ‘No secrets’ is being reviewed by the Department of Health. This was originally published in 2000.
The guidance is about how to safeguard adults from abuse and neglect. Abuse and neglect can be in many different forms, for example neglect through poor quality care, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and financial abuse. It is aimed at professionals such as local authorities, health services and the police.
‘No secrets’ is being reviewed because it doesn’t work as well as it should. For example, there is an emphasis on actions after abuse has taken place rather than prevention. Experience has shown that some areas of England are better at safeguarding people from abuse than others. This is not acceptable.
The Society will be responding to the consultation and we would like to hear your views and experiences to inform our response by Friday 9th January.
We realise this may be a difficult subject for many people to talk about. Any opinions and experiences that you give will be treated in confidence and permission will be sought if we would like to highlight your views anonymously in our response.
If this raises issues that you would like to discuss with someone to receive help and advice, do contact me confidentially and I will pass your details to the helpline.
We would like to know:
1. We know that people with dementia are at risk of abuse and neglect:
o What form do you think that this abuse could take?
o What are people with dementia particularly at risk of?
2. Have you had any experiences of possible abuse that you would be able to share? If yes, can you also say:
o What led you to believe that an incident had taken place?
o Did you report it to anybody? If yes, how was it handled?
o What was the outcome?
3. What more do you think could be done to prevent the abuse of people with dementia in a
o Care home
o Hospital
o Person’s own home?
4. If you did ever have to report an incident of suspected abuse:
o How would you personally want to be treated?
o What actions would you want to be taken?
5. Is there anything else you would like to comment on?
The consultation document also asks some specific questions. Do answer any of these as well if you would like to in your response to me. The full consultation document and an easy read version can be found at www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/liveconsultations/DH_089098
If you would like to respond, please send any comments to Louise Lakey, senior policy officer. You can respond to this thread, send a private email on Talking Point, or email Louise directly at louise.lakey@alzheimers.org.uk
Many thanks for your help,
Louise
Louise Lakey
Senior policy officer
Some guidance for England called ‘No secrets’ is being reviewed by the Department of Health. This was originally published in 2000.
The guidance is about how to safeguard adults from abuse and neglect. Abuse and neglect can be in many different forms, for example neglect through poor quality care, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and financial abuse. It is aimed at professionals such as local authorities, health services and the police.
‘No secrets’ is being reviewed because it doesn’t work as well as it should. For example, there is an emphasis on actions after abuse has taken place rather than prevention. Experience has shown that some areas of England are better at safeguarding people from abuse than others. This is not acceptable.
The Society will be responding to the consultation and we would like to hear your views and experiences to inform our response by Friday 9th January.
We realise this may be a difficult subject for many people to talk about. Any opinions and experiences that you give will be treated in confidence and permission will be sought if we would like to highlight your views anonymously in our response.
If this raises issues that you would like to discuss with someone to receive help and advice, do contact me confidentially and I will pass your details to the helpline.
We would like to know:
1. We know that people with dementia are at risk of abuse and neglect:
o What form do you think that this abuse could take?
o What are people with dementia particularly at risk of?
2. Have you had any experiences of possible abuse that you would be able to share? If yes, can you also say:
o What led you to believe that an incident had taken place?
o Did you report it to anybody? If yes, how was it handled?
o What was the outcome?
3. What more do you think could be done to prevent the abuse of people with dementia in a
o Care home
o Hospital
o Person’s own home?
4. If you did ever have to report an incident of suspected abuse:
o How would you personally want to be treated?
o What actions would you want to be taken?
5. Is there anything else you would like to comment on?
The consultation document also asks some specific questions. Do answer any of these as well if you would like to in your response to me. The full consultation document and an easy read version can be found at www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/liveconsultations/DH_089098
If you would like to respond, please send any comments to Louise Lakey, senior policy officer. You can respond to this thread, send a private email on Talking Point, or email Louise directly at louise.lakey@alzheimers.org.uk
Many thanks for your help,
Louise
Louise Lakey
Senior policy officer
Is that not an abuse (neglect - don't really care) issue in itself? 