Hillingdon review

Review the current Domestic Abuse Strategy and identify the abuse of older people as an explicit category of abuse within the overarching structure.

Develop explicit measures in the strategy’s implementation plan to monitor the development of arrangements to identify cases of the abuse of older people.

Review links with voluntary and charitable organisations having contact with older people to ensure engagement with training and awareness programmes. Particular attention should be paid to religious/cultural/social community-based organisations.

To ensure that the DA Champions' work programme includes training in identifying the signs, symptoms and 'red flags' of the abuse of older people, referral pathways, risk assessment and information relating to the available advocacy / support agencies.

It is recommended that the DA Champions engage with relevant voluntary, religious, culturally and ethnically-based community groups to raise awareness of the abuse of older people and seek to broaden the range/network of such organisations that are cognisant of the availability of training and/or support.

Review and consider adopting a One Front Door approach to encompass all forms of safeguarding, including the abuse of older people.

In conjunction with the CCG and in consultation with appropriate Safer Hillingdon Partnership and DA Partnership organisations, develop and pilot a short “prompt aide memoire” for the use of health professionals when dealing with older people and their carers.

Review the routine training/awareness programme for all staff of relevant agencies and charities to: • Emphasise the importance of referrals to MASH/MARAC (via the “Single Front Door”) in cases where any professional believes there is an increasing trajectory of risk to a vulnerable person, even though the immediate situation does not meet the formal referral criteria. • Raise awareness of the cultural and situational barriers to disclosure, which may be experienced by older people.