Falling Through the Cracks: The case for change. Key developments and next steps for Adult Safeguarding in Ireland

Adults are at risk of and experiencing harm and abuse all over Ireland, and for a variety of reasons including psychological, physical and financial abuse. According to a report commissioned by the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), entitled ‘Financial Abuse in Ireland, 2019’, 20% of adults have experienced financial abuse and physical abuse of vulnerable adults has been witnessed/suspected by 1 in 3 adults. Last year there were 11,780 safeguarding concerns received by HSE Safeguarding and Protection Teams across Ireland according to the National Safeguarding Office Annual Report. This study sets out to explore how the absence of Adult Safeguarding legislation in the Irish context may be impacting on adults within the current safeguarding system from the perspective of social work practitioners, professionals or advocates who are working with them. The study seeks to shed light on how practitioners are navigating cases in the absence of primary legislation and to explore what benefits or challenges there might be should Adult Safeguarding legislation be fully enacted in the Irish context.