Financial Abuse Guidance Launched
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The Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board are today launching guidance on identifying, preventing and responding to financial abuse.
Financial abuse can be wide-ranging and complex. It can be difficult to identify and knowing where to go for help might be confusing for both the person at risk and those supporting them. The guidance aims to help with this.
This guidance is primarily in relation to adults with care and support needs and is intended to complement the over-arching Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board multi-agency safeguarding adults policy and procedures. However, many of the services, support and information detailed are universal and are available to all adults.
Over the last five years, financial abuse has accounted for between 16-19% of all Section 42 enquiries[i] undertaken in Newcastle. Financial abuse can have a serious impact upon a person, not only on their money or property but also on their overall wellbeing, physical and mental health.
The guidance was developed by a multi-agency group of practitioners from Newcastle who drew upon existing publications, specifically those produced by Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board, Solihull Safeguarding Adults Board and East Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board[ii].
[i] A Section 42 Enquiry is a statutory multi-agency enquiry when the following criteria are met: an adult is aged 18 or over; and has needs for care and support (whether or not those needs are being met); and is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect; and as a result of those needs is unable to protect him or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.