Barring 'inappropriate people'? The operation of a barring list of social care workers: an analysis of the first referrals to the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list.
Since July 2004, employers of social care staff working with vulnerable adults in England and Wales have been required to refer workers dismissed for misconduct that harmed vulnerable adults or placed them at risk of harm, to the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) list. Employers are also required to check the list before employing people to work with vulnerable adults. The Department of Health commissioned the authors to analyse the first 100 referrals to the POVA list. Key findings include the over-representation of males and care home staff in the sample of referrals, compared with national figures on care figures and the tendency for male staff to be involved in more physical types of misconduct. These findings are discussed in the light of the literature on workforce regulation and suggestions are made for the implementation of the Bichard Inquiry recommendations. While it is argued that the list is a positive development, it is also stressed that more general measures to improve the quality of services may be at least as important a means of protecting vulnerable adults. Furthermore, the article argues for public debate on the proper balance between the rights of staff and the protection of vulnerable people.
Stevens
Martin
M
Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK. martin.stevens@kcl.ac.uk
Manthorpe
Jill
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004651:Employment / Q000592:standards*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012947:Social Work / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D014852:Wales