The protection of vulnerable adults

Abuse of vulnerable adults is a growing yet under-reported problem. Episodes of abuse are often considered to be rare dramatic incidents of physical or sexual abuse. However, most incidents of abuse relate to poor practice, neglect and poor management. The great majority of abuse, 67%, occurs in the person's own home with 22% occurring in care homes and 5% in hospital. Therefore, district nurses are well placed to identify those suffering or at risk of abuse. As well as criminal sanctions for abuse against the vulnerable, the government has attempted to prevent those who might abuse the vulnerable from working in health and social care through the Protection of Vulnerable Adult scheme. This scheme is to be replaced in the autumn of 2009 by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, that will see the remit of the Vetting and Barring system extended to the NHS and will include district nurses. In this article Richard Griffith and Cassam Tengnah discuss the incidence and forms of abuse against the vulnerable and go on to consider the case put forward for replacing the current Protection of Vulnerable Adult scheme.