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Traces the origins of the fashion for quality assurance and discusses the requisites of a quality assurance strategy. On the basis of a Department of Health funded study in England and Wales in 1989, draws attention to the wide range of activities which have been swept into the Quality Assurance net, the striking differences between the factors cited as constraining or facilitating the development of quality assurance, and the abysmal lack of data on cost of resources or to any systematic monitoring and evaluation. Suggests that the purchaser‐provider split may have worsened the situation.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the aspects of an exploratory investigation into the scale and nature of the financial abuse of adults lacking mental capacity.

It uses mixed-methods study which comprises of: a review of safeguarding adults’ statistics; analysis of court case findings; classification of types of financial abuse, victims and perpetrators; qualitative exploration of professional views of the nature of financial abuse of those lacking mental capacity; and a consideration of policy implications.

It demonstrates the significance of financial abuse within the spectrum of abuse experienced by adults at risk; the wide range of both victims lacking capacity being abused and type of financial abuse; its often hidden nature embedded within the family; and the limitations of processes designed to protect.

The investigation reveals the paucity of statistical data available on the nature of financial abuse and the outcomes of official investigations into reported cases, both of which limit analysis and understanding of the phenomenon.

It demonstrates the need for greater transparency and consistency in the reporting of safeguarding and legal processes to enable practitioners and policymakers to fully understand the nature and significance of this abuse for both victims and society.

It questions the extent to which existing protective processes are sufficient in terms of safeguarding victims and deterring perpetrators.

It involves original research that brings together data from a range of sources involved in the protection of a particular hard-to-reach group of individuals (those lacking capacity) from a particular type of risk (financial abuse) of increasing social significance.

Financial abuse can be difficult to detect, and it is deemed to have the same potential to cause distress as other forms of abuse. The delegation of financial affairs brings with it the scope for degrees of exploitation. This study aims to assess the adequacy of the statutory provisions and courts in England and Wales at protecting at risk older people from the harm of financial abuse.

This review focuses on the enduring power of attorney and the lasting power of attorney provisions. Cases discussed were selected based on their judgments’ significance in relation to these powers, the range of issues illustrated and the extent of associated commentary and attention received in the literature. This piece is presented as a narrative review, and as such, references to case law and associated commentary are non-exhaustive.

Shortcomings and vulnerabilities are identified and explored with respect to both provisions. These are contrasted and contextualised in view of the broader challenges and complexities associated with preventing financial abuse within society. Key consideration is given to powers of creation, registration, supervision, objection and revocation in addition to the role and powers of both the Office of the Public Guardian and the Court of Protection.

Given these powers of attorney are exercised during a donor’s lifetime, they will directly experience their effects. This review illustrates there remains scope for further reform to introduce new safeguards and bolster existing ones to mitigate the risk of financial exploitation and to support people to plan and safeguard their financial future with increased confidence and security.

Traces the origins of the fashion for quality assurance and discusses the requisites of a quality assurance strategy. On the basis of a Department of Health funded study in England and Wales in 1989, draws attention to the wide range of activities which have been swept into the quality assurance net, the striking differences between the factors cited as constraining or facilitating the development of quality assurance, and the abysmal lack of data on cost or resources or to any systematic monitoring and evaluation. Suggests that the purchaser‐provider split may have worsened the situation.

Caring in Later Life is a review of the needs and roles of older carers (Milne et al, 2001). It brings together a wide‐ranging review of academic and policy literature with an original meta‐analysis of the 1995 General Household Survey (OPCS, 1995). This paper focuses on the findings of the GHS analysis. The picture of older carers that emerges is significantly different from that of carers overall.It is clear that older carers constitute a large and growing number of the carers and represent an increasingly large proportion of the total number of UK carers. They can be distinguished from other groups of carers in a number of ways: older carers are more likely to live with the person they care for, caring is likely to take place within the context of a long term relationship, dementia is a dominant feature and carers are more likely to be involved in intimate and personal care. Many also have health problems of their own. The analysis confirms a distinction between older carers who offer support on a co‐resident basis and those who are extra resident. There is clearly a high level of devotion to caring amongst many co‐resident carers, with many providing intensive care over long periods of time with little or no support from services. Most of these carers are spouses. The authors suggest that more should and can be done by policy and services to improve the health and quality of life of older carers.

Key to successfully addressing the ongoing transitions being experienced in the care home sector is a transformation of the workforce. This is required in order to respond appropriately to the increasing dependency of older people moving into care homes. This article considers the policy framework surrounding the provision of care services in England and reviews the relevant research into the workforce and the changes needed if the sector is to meet the needs of vulnerable older people living in care homes. Building on present policy and practice, consideration is given to how this change could be achieved.

This paper examines three competing perspectives about appropriate positionings for disabled women in relation to abuse. It concludes that structural oppression must be challenged and proposes that the issue of disabled women and abuse is worthy of much greater attention and collaborative discussion.

This article summarises some results of an interview survey of older people recently admitted to care homes which aimed to estimate how many might have been able to take advantage of Extra Care housing provision as an alternative. Information was collected via interview and semi‐structured questionnaire relating to 36 older people, their circumstances prior to admission and the factors which were decisive in directing them towards residential care. It was estimated that two‐thirds of the older people included in the survey could have benefited actively from Extra Care provision, either currently or at the time of an earlier move.