Teesside care sector abuse and neglect concerns rise

There is concerned about neglect being hidden by pandemic restrictions

About 5,000 issues regarding abuse and neglect in care settings on Teesside were reported last year.

The Teesside Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB) report showed a year-on-year increase in concerns regarding domestic care, hospitals and community care.

However, the 1,600 reports of abuse and neglect in care homes in 2019-20 were 14% lower than in the previous 12 months, the board heard.

Chairman Darren Best said the figures were a "double edged sword".

"People may be concerned about some of the figures going up and may view it as there being more adult abuse because there are more investigations going on in the area," he said.

"The other way of thinking about it is that the potential abuse and the starting point for an investigation is being better recognised by professionals."

TSAB chairman Darren Best is a former deputy chief constable at Northumbria Police

Across all care sectors in the area, more than half (56%) of reports resulted in inquiries by local authorities, an increase of 37% year-on-year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Best, who was previously deputy chief constable of Northumbria Police and head of crime at Cleveland Police, said the full impact of coronavirus was still difficult to determine.

"Professionals have not been able to get ready access to people and their homes to get that first-hand view of what is happening in their lives," he said.

"People have found innovative ways of working to be able to still provide a safeguarding service and keep people safe, my concern is whether that is optimal in the longer-term and I don't think it is."