OVERVIEW

In recent years, the need to improve the support provided to the most vulnerable people in society has been widely acknowledged. The government has shown significant commitment to this aim, allocating an additional £2bn of annual funding to support social care in the 2010 Spending Review and closely following this with A Vision for Adult Social Care – a consultation document laying the foundations for reform. In May last year, the Statement of Government Policy on Adult Safeguarding was published, in which it was announced that protection of vulnerable adults would be strengthened by making the existence of Safeguarding Adults Boards legally mandatory for all local authorities.

Also outlined were six principles – Empowerment, Protection, Prevention, Proportionality, Partnership and Accountability – benchmarks for the provision of care and safeguarding services for adults who, due to age, illness or a mental or physical disability, are unable to care for themselves or protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation. With the assent of the Health and Social Care Bill in March this year, and the care and support white paper due to be published soon, now is a time of great change in the provision of care for vulnerable adults.

In addition to political and legal changes within the care sector, several high-profile failures in adult safeguarding – such as those revealed by the undercover investigations of abuse at the Winterbourne View and Ash Court care homes – have brought the welfare of vulnerable populations to the fore of public consciousness and increased a demand on care providers for transparency and accountability in their practices. The Care Quality Commission has announced the creation of new Dignity Inspections, and the Dignity Code for the conduct of care workers has been officially backed by the government and may eventually be written into contracts of employment.

Pressure is also mounting on health and social care services due to rising demand: the number of people over 80 is predicted to double by 2020, the number of adults with learning disabilities to rise by a third by 2030, and the number of family carers by 50% to nine million in the next 25 years. How can high-quality care be delivered to a population of vulnerable adults that is increasing at a rate that, at present, cannot be proportionally matched by funding?

Improving Care, Improving Lives: supporting society's vulnerable adults features a panel of high-profile speakers from the fields of health and social care and disability advocacy who will be exploring a range of contemporary issues such as empowerment, personalisation, multi-agency safeguarding, integrated care and support of unpaid carers. Delegates will hear practical examples of best practice, gain a better understanding of the latest developments in the field, and have opportunities for discussion and debate that will furnish them with the tools to transform their own practice.