Borders agencies improve procedures

Scottish Borders Council and NHS Borders have improved their ability to prevent the abuse of vulnerable adults with learning difficulties since a high-profile sex abuse case, inspectors have found.

A report says the organisations have made “substantial progress” in implementing recommendations made in May 2004 following an investigation of the abuse of adults with learning difficulties  including a woman known as Miss X.

The Social Work Inspection Agency and Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland said this week that social workers kept “much better records”.

Andrew Lowe, the council’s director of social work, said there had been a “huge effort” to act on the recommendations, pointing out that the council had set up Scotland’s first adult protection committee.