All health and social care staff in Scotland should receive compulsory training in preventing the abuse of vulnerable adults, delegates at CC Live Scotland were told this week, writes Ruth Winchester in Edinburgh.
Ann Ferguson, project leader on elder abuse for Age Concern Scotland, said she was "shocked" by the number of social care and health staff she met who had had no training around recognising abuse. "People need to know that it exists, how to recognise it and what to do about it. And unless training is mandatory it will not happen".
Professor John Williams of the Department of Law at the University of Wales told delegates that Scotland's plans for a Vulnerable Adults Bill meant that it was "about five years ahead of England and Wales".
He added that he was "amazed" that English and Welsh authorities are under no duty to investigate cases of abuse of vulnerable adults unlike their statutory duties in regard to children. "That's very frightening. The inclusion of a duty in this bill will be extremely helpful".
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