One of the themes of Adult Safeguarding Week is Developing Professional Curiosity.
In relation to recognising the signs of abuse and neglect, our safeguarding procedure encourages all staff to apply professional curiosity. This means developing skills and techniques such as asking open-ended questions, active listening and reflective practice.
Southway staff became concerned that a tenant with learning disabilities was being subjected to possible, accidental, financial abuse by another tenant, who had an official involvement in managing their finances.
They would go shopping together but food would always end up in flat of the tenant managing the finances - and meals would be prepared there – and she would always have the new items while the tenant with learning disabilities would have the ‘hand-me-downs’.
Staff checked in to find out more about the situation and make sure they were comfortable with the arrangements, but we weren’t convinced everything was okay.
A safeguarding referral was made, and changes were put in place, so the tenant no longer had direct access to her friend’s finances. Proper monitoring procedures were put in place and receipts were required for any purchases they made together.
The care package was changed to include shopping calls which allowed the tenant with learning disabilities to make her own choices about food and drink, all items to be kept in her own apartment.