The Care Act 2014: a new legal framework for Safeguarding Adults in Civil Society

促进人民福祉和保护面临虐待和伤害风险的成年人的干预措施是由复杂和有争议的政策任务和法律的规则制定和驱动的。最近对这些问题进行了详细的审查和辩论。英格兰的新法律的规则包含在2014年的护理法案中。这些规则与苏格兰已经存在的规则以及威尔士正在引入的规则有很大不同。北方爱尔兰的成人保护法律和政策仍然是政策辩论的主题。新的法律的规则现在必须在专业实践中进行解释和应用，涉及律师，社会工作者，制服官员和医疗从业人员，与民间社会的倡导者和第三部门组织一起工作。这些变化是深远的，将在几乎没有准备导入时间的情况下引入。这使得系列研讨会特别及时。新的法定原则和重点转向结果和个性化需要重新考虑服务结构和专业实践的方法。因此，拟议的研讨会系列的目的是探索新的法律的规则如何通过政策过程出现，解释出现的挑战，以及如何支持从业者及其组织实现护理法的意图和要求2014年，让人们免受虐待和伤害。该系列将包括三年内的九次研讨会，汇集研究人员，教育工作者，学生，从业人员，政策制定者，服务用户和护理人员，以考虑如何制定2014年护理法，如何解释它，以及不同的利益攸关方如何了解其条款。一个关键的焦点将是在实践中，该法案是否正在提供预期的结果，为人们在虐待和伤害的风险，即成人保障过程是个人的虐待和伤害的风险，以及是否对他们重要的结果是实现。前三个研讨会将集中在如何在英格兰威尔士以前的成人保障安排进行评估，改革的压力以及在政策和法律的发展辩论中给予不同形式的证据的地位。将与苏格兰的一个类似过程进行比较，结果是2007年的新立法，以及英格兰和威尔士的新法律的规则是如何以及为什么出现分歧的。这里的重点是新法律是如何制定的。后三次研讨会将侧重于如何解释新法律，以及如何将成人保护法的执行与人权和平等立法联系起来，这构成了促进人的尊严和福祉的额外任务。最后三场研讨会将反映现有的从业人员及其管理人员以及正在接受专业教育的学生如何学习成人保护法，包括从保护成人审查中学习以及在实践中实施法律知识所面临的挑战。会议的焦点还将是在一个涉及成年人自主和自决的高度争议的法律领域，是否有理由进行进一步的改革，并将有机会在大小团体中进行辩论。产出将包括出版的论文和一本书、介绍的录像以及供各种受众、专业人员和服务用户群体使用的其他材料。该系列将建立一个强大的网络，由关心成人保护的人员和组织组成，并有能力参与进一步的合作研究，政策和实践发展以及会议。这一系列的原始贡献将对法律和政策制定者，服务提供者，专业从业人员，服务用户和照顾者产生重大影响。

Interventions to promote people's well-being and to safeguard adults at risk of abuse and harm are framed and driven by complex and contested policy mandates and legal rules. These have recently been the subject of detailed review and debate. The new legal rules for England are contained in the Care Act 2014. The rules differ significantly from those already in existence in Scotland, and those being introduced in Wales. Adult safeguarding law and policy in Northern Ireland remains the subject of policy debate.The new legal rules must now be interpreted and applied in professional practice that involves lawyers, social workers, uniform officers and healthcare practitioners, working alongside advocates and third sector organisations in civil society. The changes are far-reaching and will be introduced with little preparatory lead-in time. This makes the seminar series particularly timely. New statutory principles and a shift of focus to outcomes and personalisation require fresh consideration of service structures and approaches to professional practice.The aim of the proposed seminar series is, therefore, to explore how the new legal rules emerged through a policy process, the challenges of interpretation that emerge and how practitioners and their organisations can be supported to deliver the intentions and requirements of the Care Act 2014 and keep people safe from abuse and harm. The series will comprise nine seminars across three years, bringing together researchers, educators, students, practitioners, policy-makers, service users and carers to consider how the Care Act 2014 has been made, how it is being and should be interpreted and how different stakeholders can learn about its provisions. A key focus will be on whether in practice the Act is delivering the outcomes that have been anticipated for people at risk of abuse and harm, namely that the adult safeguarding process is made personal for those at risk of abuse and harm, and whether the outcomes that matter for them are realised.The first three seminars will focus on how previous adult safeguarding arrangements in England Wales were evaluated, pressure for reform and the status given to different forms of evidence in the policy and legal development debate. Comparisons will be made with a similar process in Scotland resulting in new legislation in 2007 and on how and why the new legal rules in England and Wales have diverged. The focus here is on how the new law has been made. The second three seminars will focus on how the new law is being interpreted and on how the implementation of adult safeguarding law is connected with human rights and equality legislation, which form additional mandates for promoting people's dignity and well-being. A key focus here also will be on emerging evidence on whether the intentions of the Care Act 2014 are being realised in practice.The final three seminars will reflect on how existing practitioners and their managers, and students undergoing professional education, are learning about adult safeguarding law, including learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews and the challenges faced in implementing their knowledge of law in practice. The focus will also be in whether, in a highly contested area of law, touching on adult autonomy and self-determination, there is a case for further change.There will be opportunities for debate in large and small groups. Outputs will include published papers and a book, video recordings of presentations, and other materials for a range of audiences, professionals and service user groups. The series will create a strong network of people and organisations concerned with adult safeguarding and with the capacity to engage in further collaborative research, policy and practice development, and conferences. The original contributions in this series will have significant impacts for law and policy-makers, service providers, professional practitioners, service users and carers.