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This article reports the findings of a national survey of the consultation of people with learning difficulties by social services departments in the development of adult protection procedures and guidelines. The survey also considered the consultation of other service users, carers and family, and staff. Despite the rhetoric of user involvement in adult protection literature, low levels of consultation for people with learning difficulties were found.

Behaviour that is in fact adult abuse may be reported through a number of different frameworks (for example complaints procedures and incident reporting procedures) without it being realised that adult protection procedures need to be activated as well. This paper will examine how adult abuse can be reported through the disciplinary framework, and therefore how adult protection and the disciplinary process need to be joined.

This article discusses two theoretical constructs ‐ ways of understanding complex phenomena ‐ developed from a research study. The study, which explored the perceptions of adults who had been on the receiving end of adult protection procedures, uncovered that ambivalence about professional intervention accompanied a profound desire to have mistreatment ceased. It also found that sensitive intervention can make a positive contribution to people's lives.

Although there has been a commitment to develop a policy framework to support vulnerable adults at risk of abuse, there remains concern around its lack of use within National Health Service inpatient settings and mental health services in particular. A gap between policy and practice appears to have developed, which leaves inpatients vulnerable to inadequate responses to allegations of adult abuse. This article will provide a critical overview of the policy and practice issues that affect the use of adult protection procedures.

This paper looks at the how adult protection policy and procedures have been implemented in the Northern Irish joint health & social services context. This reveals great similarity with other UK settings. One board's use of focus groups to evaluate its policy and system is reported

In adult protection many of the concerns that are highlighted about possible abuse relate to non‐criminal situations in which neglect may have occured. Designated lead managers, often social services team managers, act as gatekeepers. In conjunction with police, health and inspectorate colleagues they have to determine if allegations and referrals should be dealt with either as possible abuse or as poor practice, triggering different mechanisms. A tool has been developed in Wales to promote and support consistency in decision‐making in ‘grey areas’. Also, the Welsh Assembly Government(2009) has published helpful guidance on the management of escalating concerns in care homes, which helpfully informs arrangements for adult protection and provider performance to be managed in tandem.

The protection of vulnerable adults from abuse is paramount for those working in adult protection. However, staff supporting vulnerable adults who are alleged to have abused them can feel very vulnerable and their needs must also be taken into account. The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of adult protection investigations from the experiences of people who have been identified as alleged perpetrators in adult protection cases in order to identify improvements in practice.

This limited study used qualitative semi-structured interviews to collect data that reflected views of the issues and experiences of participants.

This study shows that expectations set out in the Wales Interim Policy and Procedures document under “support for alleged perpetrators” do not match with the experience of those who took part in this study. The experience of some alleged perpetrators is that the investigation process can be protracted, they may be left isolated with little or no information and feel very vulnerable.

A limitation of this study was the small number of participants who were interviewed and the selection and bias. Participation was on a voluntary basis and the participants were self-selecting. The participants were all paid staff. Vulnerable adults who had been identified as alleged abusers were excluded from the study on the premise that their experiences were likely to be quite different.

It is vital that alleged perpetrators are not themselves abused by the process. The findings from this study should be used to develop recommendations to improve practice.

The effects on staff who have been investigated as alleged abusers under adult protection policy and procedures has been under-researched. This study will make a contribution to addressing this.

Launched in the spring, No Secrets, the government's latest adult protection guidance is expected to have a major impact on all agencies involved and interested in adult abuse. Here, using a novel approach, Claudine McCreadie, one of the country's leading elder abuse researchers, looks at what No Secrets will involve for those charged with its implementation in local areas, while providing a range of useful insights and hints.

An audit of the 12 adult protection cases arising in a south London hospice during 2004 is reported, including case studies illustrating issues arising and information about the introduction of a new policy and procedure following No Secrets guidance (Home Office/Department of Health, 2000). Introducing reporting to local authority social services and adult protection co‐ordination raised various issues.

Kent was one of the first social services departments to develop a specific adult protection policy in 1987. This paper charts the development of policy and references key landmarks on this journey from the perspective of the policy manager's role. Opportunities are also taken to identify the key learning from this experience and the main challenges for the newly emerging safeguarding agendas.