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规则制定和推动的。最近对这些问题进行了详细的审查和辩论。英国的新法律规定包含在《2014年医疗法案》中。这些规定与苏格兰已经存在的规定以及威尔士正在引入的规定有很大不同。北爱尔兰的成人保护法律和政策仍然是政策辩论的主题。新的法律规则现在必须在专业实践中得到解释和应用，这些专业实践涉及律师、社会工作者、制服官员和保健从业人员，以及民间社会的倡导者和第三部门组织。这些变化影响深远，将在很少的准备时间内引入。这使得这个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要求重新考虑服务结构和专业实践的方法。因此，拟议系列研讨会的目的是探讨新的法律规则是如何通过政策过程出现的，出现的解释挑战，以及如何支持从业者和他们的组织实现《2014年护理法案》的意图和要求，并保护人们免受虐待和伤害。该系列将包括为期三年的九次研讨会，汇集研究人员、教育工作者、学生、从业人员、政策制定者、服务使用者和护理人员，讨论《2014年护理法案》是如何制定的，它是如何解释的，应该如何解释，以及不同的利益相关者如何了解其条款。一个关键的焦点将是，在实践中，该法案是否为面临虐待和伤害风险的人提供了预期的结果，即成人保护过程对面临虐待和伤害风险的人来说是个人化的，以及对他们来说重要的结果是否实现了。前三个研讨会将集中讨论如何评估英格兰和威尔士以前的成人保护安排，改革的压力以及在政策和法律发展辩论中给予不同形式证据的地位。将与苏格兰在2007年制定的新法律进行比较，并分析英格兰和威尔士的新法律规则如何以及为什么会出现分歧。这里的焦点是新法律是如何制定的。第二三个讨论会将集中讨论如何解释新法律，以及如何将成人保障法的执行与人权和平等立法联系起来，这些立法是促进人民尊严和福祉的额外任务。这里的一个关键焦点还将是关于2014年《护理法案》的意图是否在实践中得到实现的新证据。最后三场研讨会将探讨现时的法律执业者及其管理人员，以及接受专业教育的学生如何学习成人保障法，包括从《保障成人》检讨中学习，以及在实践中运用所学的法律知识所面临的挑战。焦点还将在于，在一个涉及成人自主和自决的高度有争议的法律领域，是否有理由进行进一步的改革。将有机会在大小小组中进行辩论。产出将包括出版的论文和一本书、介绍情况的录象以及供各种听众、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个人和组织网络，关注成人保护，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。本系列的原创文章将对法律和政策制定者、服务提供者、专业从业者、服务使用者和护理人员产生重大影响。

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.