The United Nation’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day takes place on 15th June 2017. On this day, the whole world comes together to speak out against the abuse and neglect of older generations.

Elder abuse involves physical assault, sexual assault and harassment, coercion, threats and intimidation, theft and fraud, and neglect.

Action on Elder Abuse is a UK-wide charity that aims to protect and prevent the abuse of vulnerable older people. They are seeking the introduction of elder abuse legislation for the UK that would introduce a criminal offence of elder abuse and create mandatory reporting, amongst other measures. This is important because in the UK alone between 500,000 and 800,000 older people are abused in their own homes each year, often by people known or related to them. Furthermore, the number of older people in our population is set to rise significantly to around 19m in just over 30 years, with an increasing number of ‘very’ old people. In Lambeth alone, the population aged 60+ is projected to grow by a quarter in the next 10 years, compared to a 10% growth across the whole population.

Action on Elder Abuse estimate that no more than 1 in 10 cases reach the attention of adult safeguarding services. This is despite the fact that older people represent a growing percentage of those referrals: People aged 60+ accounted for 67% of all safeguarding concerns received by Lambeth Adult Social Care in 2016/17.

The Lambeth Safeguarding Adult’s Board supports the petition by Action on Elder Abuse to make elder abuse a criminal offence so that perpetrators can be brought to justice and older victims and their families can be confident that their suffering will be taken seriously. Please lend your support by signing this petition. 

If you have a safeguarding concern about the abuse or neglect of an older person, or any adult at risk, you can report this to Lambeth Adult Social Care using our online form or by contacting the Initial Contact Service; please call 0207 926 5555 or email adultsocialcare@lambeth.gov.uk

Alternatively, Action on Elder Abuse has a national freephone helpline open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm, offering confidential support and information: 080 8808 8141.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) is a law that protects and supports people who do not have the ability to make decisions for themselves. It also provides guidance to support people who need to make decisions on behalf of someone else.

Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust (HRHC) have produced a new training film aimed at health and social care professionals and carers. The film aims to explain the importance of consent to treatment in a simple ‘show how to know how’ format, and uses possible scenarios to demonstrate the process for applying the MCA and  making a decision in a person's best interests. 

For more information about the film, visit the HRHC website.

The LSAB Community Reference Group recently held an event at We Are 336, Brixton which aimed to help the Lambeth Community (both professionals and residents) think about their future choices and how to record these on an 'advanced statement.' It also encouraged people to think about how to decide who could speak for them, at a point when they are no longer able to, by setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney.

As part of the event we heard from four excellent speakers who volunteered their time and expertise, and would like to express our thanks to Craig Ward (Solicitor and Expert in Lasting Power of Attorney & planning), Francis Lyons (Partner, Capsticks Solicitors LLP), Compassion in Dying (Charity) and Cordwell Thomas (Mental Health Advocate).

We had an amazing turnout at this event and wish to thank all those who attended the event and contributed to the valuable discussion about Lasting Power of Attorneys, advanced statements and advanced decisions. We hope that each person who attended was able to take something away that will help them to plan for their future and ensure that they can make their wishes known.

The Community Reference Group now hope to build on the success of this event and continue to develop a community programme which raises awareness around issues relating to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and safeguarding adults. Please keep an eye out on our training and events page for details of future events.

A new Online Hate Crime Hub has been launched by the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. At the launch of the new hub, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that five specially trained Met officers would ‘work with community experts to develop the police's understanding of online hate’. The hub will be able to refer victims to support groups and will work with local borough police teams to investigate crimes.

Victoria Wright, a disability and disfigurement rights campaigner in London, described the hub as a ‘much needed initiative’ and said that it is ‘vital that those of us who are victims of online hate crime receive a robust response from the police"

To read the full report, please visit the BBC website.

Reporting hate crime makes a difference and you can make a report whether you have been a victim, a witness, or you are reporting on behalf of someone else. Remember - Challenge it. Report it. Stop it.

To report an incident of hate crime in Lambeth you can:

- Use Lambeth Council’s online reporting form to contact the Community Safety service.

- Get support from DASL’s Hate Crime Advocacy and Outreach Worker or visit the We Are 336 Reporting centre

- Report an incident or crime online, using TrueVision, which goes to your local Police Force (for Lambeth, choose Metropolitan Police, London)

If you are in danger, always call the police on 999. If you have experienced an incident but are not in immediate danger, you can also call the police on 101.

Discriminatory abuse such as hate crime may also be a safeguarding concern. Information on how to raise a safeguarding concern can be found on our website. If you are not sure if an incident of hate crime is also a safeguarding concern, you can email safeguardingadults@lambeth.gov.uk for advice.