Adult protection: incidence of referrals, nature and risk factors in two English local authorities

Summary

This study focused on the incidence of adult protection referrals, the people involved as victims, perpetrators and referrers and the type of abuse in two local authorities in the south-east of England.

Findings

The number of referrals increased over time; those for older people stabilised but those for younger adults were still rising. There was a clear association between location or setting, perpetrator and type of abuse. A referral about someone living in a care home was more likely to identify abuse by multiple staff and institutional abuse or neglect, especially if the individual was an older person with mental health problems. People with learning disabilities were more likely to experience sexual abuse, mainly from other service users or members of their family. Those living in a private home with others, primarily relatives, tended to be at risk of financial, physical or psychological abuse. Older people living alone were particularly vulnerable to financial abuse by family members or, less frequently, home care workers.

Applications

This study suggests that well-developed adult protection procedures identify many more cases than previously estimated. Further research is needed to explain the low level of referrals from mental health services and variation between territories.