Adult safeguarding case studies

74-year-old Marion* lives in Northwich with her husband Bert*. Bert worked for Royal Mail for many years before he retired in his 60s. Bert loved his job and would have liked to have continued working but illness forced him to retire. Since Bert’s health has worsened, Marion has become his carer, providing help with practical tasks, supporting Bert to attend appointments and ensuring that Bert has taken his medication as prescribed. To support Marion in her caring role, a support worker, Emma* visits Bert and Marion three times a week. Emma provides a vital role, ensuring that Bert and Marion are able to remain as independent as possible and continue living in their own home, which is important to them both. 

Age UK Cheshire worked with Marion who had received a scam email. The email looked like it had come from an official source, the government website in Marion’s case. The email said that Marion had been driving a car without road tax. Marion immediately felt panicked by the contents of the email and mentioned this to Emma who happened to be at Marion and Bert’s home when the email arrived. Marion showed the email to Emma, who asked Marion if she would agree to Emma sharing the details with Age UK Cheshire and Trading Standards. 

In Marion’s words: If Emma had not been there, I dread to think what could have happened.  I felt sick to the stomach. I have never been in trouble with the law or the authorities and would have clicked on the link in the email and paid the money straight away. Thanks to Emma, Age UK Cheshire and Trading Standards, I now know how to spot a scam email. It looked so genuine. Anybody could be taken in by emails like this. If I could give one piece of advice to people it would be not to reply to emails straight away and to ask someone you trust to look at it with you, just to make sure. 

Age UK Cheshire say: Criminals want us to act without thinking and click on links designed to steal our money. Always check the sender’s email address carefully, never click on links in unsolicited emails, contact the genuine company independently to verify and don’t be rushed by the message’s sense of urgency. You can report email scams by forwarding to report@phishing.gov.uk.

*Names are pseudonyms. 

Martin* is in his early fifties and has some physical health problems which make leaving his home difficult. He has a keen interest in science fiction and enjoys reading sci-fi books and watching films. The local Police Community Support Officer made a safeguarding referral to adult social care in respect of Martin as Cheshire Police had been contacted by Martin’s bank as a result of unusual activity on his account. Martin had been sending money abroad and had also been making large cash withdrawals. Martin agreed to a visit from a social worker to make further enquiries. Martin disclosed that he had been sending money to a lady in America, Bobbie* who he met on an internet forum for science fiction fans. Martin said that he had bought an airline ticket to travel to America to meet Bobbie and had also sent Bobbie money to update her passport and to pay for a flight to England so that she could visit Martin later in the year. Martin said that he wanted to purchase some US Dollars, but his bank refused the transaction and invoked the banking protocol, which led to the police being contacted, as Martin’s bank suspected fraud.

Martin agreed to a visit from Cheshire West and Chester Trading Standards Team. Martin shared financial information with his social worker and the Trading Standards officer which revealed that Martin had taken out a loan and transferred a large amount of money to Bobbie. Martin’s social worker gave Martin information about the Age UK Scams Aftercare service. Martin said that after reading the information, he recognised that he had been scammed, Bobbie was not who she said she was, and he felt foolish. Trading Standards and Adult Social Care worked in partnership with Age UK, Cheshire Police and Martin’s bank and together they were able to recover some of the money that Martin had sent to Bobbie.  

Martin told the Trading Standards officer that he was lonely and had not been able to get out as his health had deteriorated since the Covid pandemic.  Subsequently, he had been spending more time online to interact with other people with similar interests in science fiction. Previously, Martin had been active in his local community, had volunteered in a charity shop and had been a member of two community groups. Martin’s social worker put Martin in touch with some local community groups and Martin is now attending a social group each week which has reduced his feelings of loneliness and isolation. Martin expressed satisfaction with the safeguarding process and said that without intervention from the local authority, he would have been at risk of losing his home. Martin said that without the information from his social worker, Trading Standards and Age UK, he felt that he would have been susceptible to being scammed again. 

In Martin’s words: I now feel much better about things, and I am positive about life once again.  I am really enjoying getting out and about in my local community and I have started to have more contact with my niece and her family, which is important to me. I have even found some people with an interest in science fiction at the groups I have joined! I feel like my life had been ’on pause’ because of the pandemic and I have the confidence to live life to the full again.

Martin’s niece said that she can’t thank professionals enough for all the support they have given to her uncle and said that she feels they are well equipped as a family to spot scams and fraud, which they would not have been as knowledgeable about previously. 

*Names are pseudonyms 

35-year-old Sally has been known to social care since she was a young child.  Sally experienced significant childhood trauma and was placed in foster care and later adopted in the Northwest of England. Sally has significant physical and mental health challenges as a result of her earlier trauma and says she prefers ‘things’ to people. As a result, Sally’s flat has become heavily hoarded. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have expressed concern that Sally has no safe exit route from her property in the event of a fire and the amount of hoarded newspaper and magazines has exacerbated the fire risk as there is a large amount of combustible material.

Sally has become isolated in her flat and no longer invites friends to visit as she is embarrassed about her living conditions. The build-up of items has negatively impacted on Sally’s respiratory condition. Sally’s GP has expressed concern, and Sally has said she is willing to work with professionals to reduce the amount of hoarded items as she wants to avoid a hospital admission, which is a real possibility if her respiratory condition deteriorates further. 

Professionals have worked sensitively with Sally to arrange a house clearance and deep clean of her home. This will enable the Occupational Therapist to assess how Sally mobilises around her home and any necessary adaptations. The Mental Health reablement team have started to work with Sally and she has said she is really pleased with the support and wished she had agreed to it earlier as it is ’making a massive difference’ to her life. Sally has now been allocated a housing officer. A local charity has offered to replace Sally’s bed and sofa free of charge which Sally has described as ‘a chance to start again’.

In Sally’s words: I am looking forward to being able to invite friends around again and to do simple things like offer them a cup of tea as I will be able to use my kitchen once the surfaces are clear. I really wish I had agreed to support earlier as I feel like things are starting to go well for me, for the first time in years. I can’t believe that so many people care about me. That makes me want to change.