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Opinion is divided on whether a new power of entry should be introduced for social workers in cases where individuals seem to be hindering safeguarding enquiries for community-dwelling adults at risk in England who have decision-making capacity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prevalence and circumstances of situations where access to an adult at risk is denied or difficult and what helps those in practice. The study consists of a literature review, a survey of adult safeguarding managers and interviews with social care staff in three case studies of local authorities. As part of the contextual literature review, during 2014 the authors located parliamentary debates on the subject and this paper reports on their analysis.

Following approaches were used in historical research, documentary analysis was carried out on transcripts of parliamentary debates available online from Hansard, supplemented by other materials that were referenced in speeches and set in the theoretical context of the representations of social problems.

The authors describe the content of debates on the risks and benefits of a new right to access for social workers and the role of parliamentary champions who determinedly pursued this policy, putting forward three unsuccessful amendments in efforts to insert such a new power into the Care Act 2014.

There are limits to a focus on parliamentary reports and the limits of Hansard reporting are small but need to be acknowledged. However, adult safeguarding research has surprisingly not undertaken substantial analyses of political rhetoric despite the public theatre of the debate and the importance of legislative initiatives and monitoring.

This paper adds to the history of adult safeguarding in England. It also offers insight into politicians’ views on what is known/unknown about the prevalence and circumstances of the problems with gaining access to adults with capacity where there are safeguarding concerns and politicians’ views on the merits or hazards of a power of access.

A study was conducted shortly after the 2001 general election to ascertain whether those elected to the House of Commons were keeping pace with their constituents by embracing the use of cyber‐technology. This was achieved by researching what percentage of MPs from the “Big three” parties had an e‐mail address and/or Web site, the degree of interactivity on politicians’ Web sites and the features offered on the sites. Interviews were also carried out to gauge the opinions held by MPs on cyber‐democracy and interactivity. The findings showed that the Liberal Democrat party has embraced the potential of the digital technology to an extent that shames the party of government and the official opposition. Labour and the Tories have a long distance to travel to catch up with the Lib Dems. They run the risk of becoming an irrelevance in an online world.

Long‐term care in general, and care homes in particular, have never enjoyed high status as a place to live and work. This remains the case. In large part this marginalised position is due to the continued failure to value the contribution that care homes make to supporting frail and vulnerable older people. In order to promote a more positive vision of what can be achieved in care homes, this paper argues for the adoption of a relationship‐centred approach to care. The need for such a model is described, and how it might be applied using the ‘Senses Framework’ is considered. It is argued that adopting such a philosophy will provide a clearer sense of therapeutic direction for staff working in care homes, as well as more explicitly recognising the contribution that residents and relatives can make to creating an ‘enriched environment’ of care.

This paper intends to explore how corporate bodies could be held criminally responsible for abuse and neglect that takes place in hospitals and care homes if by their actions they facilitate this abuse or neglect to take place. It explores current domestic and international law and seeks to find precedents and guidance that would allow the Government to create a new criminal sanction for “corporate neglect”.

The paper provides a review of existing legislation and regulation on corporate neglect in hospitals and care homes.

The paper proposes that the Health and Social Care Act 2008 be amended to include a new section which would make corporate neglect a criminal offence. Furthermore, to ensure that the punishments for these offences act both as appropriate sanction and a suitable deterrent for corporations, the author proposes that new offences should be implemented to include unlimited fines, remedial orders and publicity orders.

Following a number of recent scandals in care homes and hospitals, including Winterbourne View and Mid Staffordshire, it is clear that there is a legislative and regulatory gap in the ability to hold corporate bodies to account for neglect or abuse that occurs in their institutions. This must now be urgently addressed.