Working with Vulnerable Adults (The Social Work Skills)

202 Pages·2008·1.01 MB·English

by  B. Penhale

WORKING WITH VULNERABLE ADULTS
This text provides an understanding of current professional practice in social and health
care, examining abuse of vulnerable adults and the ways in which social policy, welfare
services and practitioners may compound or alleviate vulnerability.
Working with Vulnerable Adultsdevelops a sound basis for understanding issues
of risk, vulnerability and protection and investigates how agency policies and procedures
may, often unintentionally, lead to the voice of service users being marginalised or
unheard. Drawing on recent and established research about the protection of vulnerable
adults, the book covers:
• Social work, social care settings and vulnerable adults
• The concept of abuse and adult protection
• Using the law in adult protection
• Professional and quality assurance issues
• Assessment in social work with vulnerable adults
• Dealing with and managing vulnerability, risk and abuse
• Adults with mental health difficulties, long-term conditions and learning
disabilities
• Community abuse and asylum seekers.
Much contemporary social and health care practice with adults is concerned with issues
of risk and protection. Working with Vulnerable Adults provides information and
knowledge for students and practitioners who are interested in finding out more about
this important field.
Bridget Penhale is Reader in Gerontology at the University of Sheffield and Head of
Research at the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies, Guernsey, UK.
Jonathan ParkerisProfessor of Social Work at Bournemouth University, UK.
the social work skills series
published in association with Community Care
series editor: Terry Philpot
the social work skills series
• builds practice skills step by step
• places practice in its policy context
• relates practice to relevant research
• provides a secure base for professional development
This new, skills-based series has been developed by Routledge and Community Care
working together in partnership to meet the changing needs of today’s students and
practitioners in the broad field of social care. Written by experienced practitioners
and teachers with a commitment to passing on their knowledge to the next generation,
each text in the series features: learning objectives; case examples; activities to test
knowledge and understanding; summaries of key learning points; key references; suggestions
for further reading.
Also available in the series:
Commissioning and Purchasing The Task-Centred Book
Terry Bamford Mark Doel and Peter Marsh
Former Chair of the British Association of Research Professor of Social Work at
Social Workers and Executive Director of Sheffield Hallam University.
Housing and Social Services, Royal Professor of Child and Family Welfare at
Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. the University of Sheffield.
Managing Aggression Using Groupwork
Ray Braithwaite Mark Doel
Consultant and trainer in managing Research Professor of Social Work at
aggression at work. Lead trainer and Sheffield Hallam University.
speaker in the ‘No Fear’ campaign.
Practising Welfare Rights
Tackling Social Exclusion Neil Bateman
John Pierson Author, trainer and consultant specialising
Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Social in welfare rights and social policy issues
Work and Applied Social Studies at the
University of Staffordshire.
Safeguarding Children and Young People
Corinne May-Chahal and Stella Coleman
Professor of Applied Social Science at
Lancaster University.
Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the
University of Central Lancashire.
WORKING WITH VULNERABLE ADULTS
Bridget Penhale and Jonathan Parker
First published 2008
by Routledge
2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
©2008 Bridget Penhale and Jonathan Parker
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Acatalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Acatalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN 0-203-49293-5 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN13: 978–0–415–30190–9 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–30191–6 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–49293–2 (ebk)
ISBN10: 0–415–30190–4 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–30191–2 (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–49293–5 (ebk)
CONTENTS
Case studies vii
List of illustrations ix
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction 1
1 Context and background 7
2 The concept of abuse 22
3 The law 37
4 Performance management, inspection, regulation and quality
assurance issues 54
5 Assessment 65
6 Vulnerability, risk and abuse 79
7 Mental health difficulties 95
8 Learning disabilities 116
9 Long-term conditions 131
10 Community abuse and asylum seekers 149
Conclusion 165
References 172
Index 183

CASE STUDIES
1.1 Mandy 9
1.2 James 18
1.3 Catherine 19
1.4 Vera 20
2.1 Alan 24
2.2 Henry 32
3.1 Margaret 42
3.2 Oldham Ward 44
4.1 Imran 57
4.2 Building knowledge 63
5.1 Winifred and Edward 74
5.2 Jeremy 77
6.1 Melinda 82
6.2 Tessa 82
6.3 Agnes 86
6.4 Jo 87
7.1 Brenda 96
7.2 Wendy and Tina 109
8.1 James 117
8.2 Local Partnership Board 121
8.3 June 124
8.4 Jim 125
8.5 Sheila 128
9.1 Emily 132
9.2 Daisy 140
9.3 Diana 142
9.4 Joan 143
9.5 Robert 144
10.1 George 153
10.2 Ahmed 162
10.3 Anti-terror legislation and communities 162
10.4 Traveller community 163

ILLUSTRATIONS
BOXES
1.1 Vulnerability and the code of practice for social care workers 11
2.1 Categories of abuse 27
2.2 Definition of abuse 29
2.3 Causes of abuse in care settings 34
5.1 Assessment questions 72
6.1 Norfolk adult protection policy and procedures 84
7.1 National Service Framework for Mental Health Standards 107
10.1 A brief outline of immigration and asylum seeking in the UK 161
TABLES
2.1 The types and levels of abuse 32
3.1 Legislation and safeguarding adults 38
6.1 Intervention types: abuse by care workers 80
6.2 Intervention types: abuse by relatives 81
7.1 Intervention and mental health 115
FIGURES
2.1 Directions of abuse in care settings 31
2.2 The levels of abuse 31
4.1 The interactions between the three levels of service performance and
monitoring 55
4.2 The culture of visibility and accountability in care services 56
6.1 Three interlocking processes of assessment 85
9.1 The levels of partnership 137