This week we're celebrating the work our social work teams do on a daily basis in order to protect vulnerable people in our communities. Take 79-year-old Anne for example….
Anne lives alone in a small island community and liked to keep her money in her handbag, instead of putting it into a bank.
In 2018, Anne’s son was visiting her at home when he found a woman rummaging through her things. When he confronted her, the woman quickly left without giving any explanation as to what she had been doing.
Anne’s son contacted Argyll and Bute Council’s social work department and was advised to call the police. The police visited Anne along with a member of the Community Mental Health Team, where they discovered that Anne’s neighbour had been going into her home asking for money. Anne agreed that she would not give the woman any more money and would not allow her access to the flat.
The social work team increased Anne’s care plan to four daily visits to not only help her with everyday tasks, but also to offer a level of security. Her allocated worker and community practice nurse also agreed to visit at unscheduled times.
Anne was encouraged to keep her door locked and the police increased patrols in the area of her home. Anne said that the situation had been building over several months and had started with her neighbour offering to help around the house. At an Adult Protection Case conference which Anne and her son attended, Anne agreed that Sheltered Housing would offer her more security and more opportunities to socialise with people of a similar age. This type of multi-agency approach ensured that swift action was taken to protect a vulnerable lady at risk of harm.
Anne’s family were extremely grateful for the assistance she was given.