Social care chief urges people to keep an eye out for warning signs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

People across Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Forth Valley are being asked to keep an eye on vulnerable adults and report any concerns.The pandemic has made vulnerable adults less visible and, as part of National Adult Support and Protection Day 2022, the public are being asked to notice things that “don’t look right” and make an adult protection referral.Local health bosses said this week that during the pandemic social workers have been going “above and beyond” to make sure reports of concerns about adults who are vulnerable have been followed up, whether people are worried about a friend, family member or neighbour.Early indications from data looking at the impact of Covid-19 suggest that across Scotland, there were around 750 Adult Support and Protection referrals per week, on average.

This average increases to around 780 per week when using data from the past six months. Although there is volatility in the figures, there has been a general upward trend in Adult Support and Protection referrals since May 2020.For every seven referrals, one went on to an Adult Protection Investigation.

For those that did not go on to investigation, other steps were taken to ensure that the adult was supported and protected.In general, physical harm and financial harm are the most common forms of harm perpetrated against adults at risk, but adult protection covers a wide range of harm.

This includes everything from sexual harm to psychological harm; self-harm to neglect or self-neglect – when people struggle to take care of themselves.Annemargaret Black, chief officer of Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “As Covid restrictions are eased and we are out and about a bit more, we may notice or sense