Recommendation 32

The power for the Secretary of State to make regulations setting out specified scientific methods for assessing age is concerning. A number of medical organisations have voiced opposition to this policy on the basis that such methods are inaccurate and involve a wide margin of error. If this is the case, then the use of such methods may not improve the accuracy of decision-making when compared to a holistic assessment undertaken by a social worker. A holistic assessment would avoid the use of any physical (and potentially invasive) procedures which may not be appropriate, and may even cause trauma depending on the nature of the procedure and the experience of the individual concerned. We are not convinced there is any justification for the use of scientific methods.